Briefly…
Staff -- Consulting-Specifying Engineer, 3/1/2007
• In late 2005, the National Fire Protection Assn. published an alert notice entitled “PASS alarm signals can fail at high temperatures“ on the NFPA website, advising emergency responders, especially firefighters, of high temperature exposures causing the loudness of PASS alarm signals to be reduced. The issue is covered in the new 2007 edition of NFPA Standard 1982
• U.S. Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) reintroduced legislation in mid-February for the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act. Under current law, property owners who install sprinkler systems in older buildings are allowed to deduct the costs over a period of 27.5 years or 39 years, depending on the structure. If adopted, S. 582 will allow businesses to recoup those costs within five years.
• Six proposed addenda to ASHRAE’s BACnet standards have been recommended for public review and are expected to be released for review by March 16. If approved, they would become part of Standard 135, BACnet, and Standard 135.1, Method of Test Conformance to BACnet.
