For those buildings primarily utilized by people, the main goal would be life safety, with lesser emphasis placed on property protection. For buildings with equipment-based occupancy and little to no people, the emphasis could swing toward property protection. The fire alarm system design should provide the most functional system for the building, incorporating code-required features as well as the owner's desired features while remaining within the budget. Existing Building Characteristics Inherent and systemic building characteristics play different roles in the fire alarm design. Inherent characteristics provide information regarding location of fire alarm equipment and installation procedures.
Systemic characteristics affect the actions of the fire alarm system.
The existing building is the framework within which the fire alarm system must be designed and installed. The fire alarm system must utilize the existing building attributes in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. Therefore, during the fire alarm system design, the designer must investigate the building and its systems to determine the best possible design for the system. Among the characteristics that should be identified are inherent properties of the building such as vertical shafts, floor configurations and wall and ceiling construction. These inherent properties are important because, when used properly, they can assist in the fire alarm design.