NFPA 72

The NFPA 72 (National Fire Alarm Code) is a standard published by the National Fire Protection Association.

Purpose
The NFPA 72 specifies "the application, installation, location, performance, inspection, testing, and maintenance of fire alarm systems, fire warning equipment and emergency warning equipment, and their components." [§ 1.1.1]. Federal, state, and local municipalities across the United States have adopted the NFPA 72 as a standard in the enforcement of fire code regulation. Municipalities often adopt revisions of the code after years of review and amendments, making many local fire codes specific to their governing authorities.

Structure
The NFPA 72 is sectioned as follows:
 * 1. Administration
 * 2. Referenced Publications
 * 3. Definitions
 * 4. Fundamentals of Fire Alarm Systems
 * 5. Initiating Devices
 * 6. Protected Premises Fire Alarm Systems
 * 7. Notification Appliances for Fire Alarm Systems
 * 8. Supervising Station Fire Alarm Systems
 * 9. Public Fire Alarm Reporting Systems
 * 10. Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance
 * 11. Single- and Multiple-Station Alarms and Household Fire Alarm Systems
 * Annex A: Explanatory Material
 * Annex B: Engineering Guide for Automatic Fire Detector Spacing
 * Annex C: Wiring Diagrams and Guide for Testing Fire Alarm Circuits
 * Annex D: Sample Ordinance Adopting NFPA 72
 * Annex E: Mass Notification Systems
 * Annex F: NEMA SB 30, Fire Service Annunciator and Interface
 * Annex G: Informational References
 * Annex H: Cross-Reference Table