Panels

The main element of a conventional fire alarm system is a Conventional Fire Alarm Control Panel.

The main features and principles of operation are as follows:

• Zone-Based System: The area (building, floor, etc.) that is under protection is subdivided into zones. The initiating devices (smoke detectors, heat detectors, manual pull stations) in one zone are interconnected on a single electrical circuit and the circuit leads back to the control panel.
• Analog Communication: These are analog systems. A device in a zone is triggered (by smoke or heat) to send a signal to the electrical current in its circuit.
• Alarm Indication: This current change is detected by the control panel and the point at which the change took place is indicated. The panel will usually show a light or text showing the zone that has been activated (e.g., "Zone 3 - Second Floor").
• General Location Only: The primary drawback is that the panel can only provide the information about the general location or the zone in which the alarm was triggered, not about the particular device (e.g., it knows that the alarm was in the Zone 3, but not what device in the Zone 3 caused the alarm to be raised). This implies that fire responders are required to conduct physical searches of the total area to locate the location of the fire.
• Easy Operation and Cost: Traditional systems tend to be easier to design and run and they tend to be much cheaper to use in smaller buildings, simple layout, or in businesses only in need of a few zones.
• Output Control: After an alarm is received, the control panel will activate notification devices (such as horns, bells, strobe lights, etc.) to help draw attention to occupants of the building as well as be able to send a signal to a monitoring company or the fire department.