NFPA (FIRE) 72

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2016 EditionThis edition of NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, was prepared by the TechnicalCommittees on Fundamentals of Fire Alarm and Signaling Systems, Testing and Maintenanceof Fire Alarm and Signaling Systems, Initiating Devices for Fire Alarm and SignalingSystems, Notification Appliances for Fire Alarm and Signaling Systems, Protected PremisesFire Alarm and Signaling Systems, Emergency Communication Systems, Supervising StationFire Alarm and Signaling Systems, Public Emergency Reporting Systems, and Single- andMultiple-Station Alarms and Household Fire Alarm Systems, released by the Correlating Committeeon Signaling Systems for the Protection of Life and Property, and acted on by NFPA atits June Association Technical Meeting held June 22−25, 2015, in Chicago, IL. It was issued bythe Standards Council on August 18, 2015, with an effective date of September 7, 2015, andsupersedes all previous editions.This edition of NFPA 72 was approved as an American National Standard on September 7,2015.

Origin and Development of NFPA 72The development of NFPA’s signaling standards dates back to 1898 with the appointmentof the Committee on Thermo-Electric Fire Alarms. The 1905 edition of NBFU 71A, Rules andRequirements of the National Board of Fire Underwriters for the Construction, Installation, and Use ofSignaling Systems Used for the Transmission of Signals Affecting the Fire Hazard as Recommended by theNational Fire Protection Association, and related documents dating back to 1903 were among thefirst of numerous signaling standards published in conjunction with the National Fire ProtectionAssociation. The descendants of these earlier standards have been consolidated into theNational Fire Alarm Code, NFPA 72.The first edition of the National Fire Alarm Code, published in 1993, was a consolidation ofthe 1989 edition of NFPA 71, Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of SignalingSystems for Central Station Service; the 1990 edition of NFPA 72, Standard for the Installation,Maintenance, and Use of Protective Signaling Systems; the 1990 edition of NFPA 72E, Standard onAutomatic Fire Detectors; the 1989 edition of NFPA 72G, Guide for the Installation, Maintenance,and Use of Notification Appliances for Protective Signaling Systems; the 1988 edition of NFPA 72H,Guide for Testing Procedures for Local, Auxiliary, Remote Station, and Proprietary Protective SignalingSystems; and the 1989 edition of NFPA 74, Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use ofHousehold Fire Warning Equipment. Many of the requirements of these standards were identicalor very similar. The recommendations that were taken from the guides (NFPA 72G andNFPA 72H) were changed to mandatory requirements.The 1996 edition of NFPA 72 incorporated many changes of a technical nature. Thesechanges related to issues such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, software testing, firemodeling, and communications.The 1999 edition represented a major change in code content and organization. Thechapters were arranged to facilitate user friendliness and provide a logical structure. Anew chapter on public fire reporting was added, and many technical revisions were made.Annex B (formerly Appendix B) was streamlined to facilitate ease of use, many unenforceableterms were removed, and Chapter 3 was reorganized to facilitate a more logicalapproach.

The 2002 edition reflected an extensive editorial revision of the Code to comply withthe latest edition of the Manual of Style for NFPA Technical Committee Documents. Theserevisions included the addition of three administrative chapters at the beginning of theCode: “Administration,” “Referenced Publications,” and “Definitions.” Eight technicalchapters followed the administrative chapters in the same sequence as in the 1999 edition.Other editorial revisions included the breakout of paragraphs with multiple requirementsinto individually numbered paragraphs for each requirement, the minimization of72–1NFPA 72, NFPA, and National Fire Protection Association are registered trademarks of the National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, Massachusetts 02169.