Why Your Facility Needs the First UL-Approved Self-Testing Detector

Managing the fire and life safety systems for a commercial facility is no easy task. You are responsible for implementing technology and processes that not only keep your buildings and occupants safe, but also create an environment with limited disruptions, consistent uptime, and an exceptional occupant experience.

Your day-to-day is impacted by liability concerns, disruptive maintenance visits, faulty systems and devices, and high costs of ownership. And in today’s COVID world, the equation becomes even more complex. There are limits to who can enter your building, how many people can enter your building, how long they can stay, what level of access they can obtain, how they might disrupt your occupants – and the list goes on.

When it comes time for your NFPA-mandated life safety system test and inspection, the process typically takes days, if not weeks, depending on the size of your campus or facility and requires multiple technicians. These technicians must have access to difficult areas such as occupied private rooms and elevator shafts, meaning you must either disrupt the occupants using these spaces or completely disable the spaces for the duration of the inspection.

The last thing you need are third party personnel spending too much time on your site, disrupting you, your staff, and your occupants.

NOTIFIER has developed the first UL-approved detectors that can be tested automatically – cutting the test and inspection process down from days and weeks to hours and minutes.

How is that possible? Let’s break it down.

Smoke Detector Testing Process Today:

1. It takes two technicians to safely test the system. For a 50-detector system, it would take about 2.5 hours to complete barring there are no issues with access*.
2. One technician walks the building and sprays canned smoke into each detector which takes approximately 6 minutes of access to each room.
3. The other technician is at the panel making sure the test is being seen and, since the panel is in test mode, they watch the system to make sure no other detector goes into alarm mode – signaling a real fire emergency.
4. Technicians need access to difficult areas like locked rooms, elevator shafts, and areas with tall ceilings. This adds to their time spent on site and level of disruption.
5. The inspection report is typically transcribed manually, taking about one hour for a 50-detector system.*

1. The number of technicians required to safely test the system is reduced to one. For a 50-detector system, it would take about 40 minutes*.  
2. One technician can initiate the test at the panel for the entire building and only needs to access the room to conduct a short visual inspection of the detector.
3. The system remains fully operational the entire time the test is being conducted – raising the alarm if a real fire is detected, making the process safer than ever.
4. Smoke detectors in hard to access areas no longer pose an issue – they only need to be visually inspected resulting in less disruption to occupied spaces.
5. The inspection report is digitized and delivered electronically via the Connected Life Safety Services (CLSS)  app within minutes, confirming that every device has been successfully tested, inspected, and is compliant to regulatory requirements.

This innovative technology is changing the game for commercial facilities and the people who are responsible for them. With NOTIFIER’s self-testing detection technology, you’ll turn a process that is slow and disruptive to one that is quick, safe, and compliant. 

Learn more about NOTIFIER's self-testing detectors here.

*based on a time and motion study on a 50-detector system in an office building