Fire safety and emergency symbols
Reading the drawing before you touch the building.
Every set of fire alarm drawings you will ever be handed is written in a symbol language, and almost nobody is taught it. NFPA 170 is the standard that defines that language, and knowing it is the difference between reading a plan and guessing at one.
4 lessons · 16 challenge questions · about 0.6 hours · Applied
Verified against the 2015 edition.
What you will be able to do
- Explain what NFPA 170 standardizes and why a shared symbol set matters
- Navigate the standard to the chapter that covers the drawing in front of you
- Read a fire alarm plan: control equipment, initiating devices, notification appliances
- Use a drawing legend correctly, and know when the legend beats your assumption
Course outline
The symbol language
- What NFPA 170 is for
- How the standard is organized
Reading the drawing
- Chapter 8: the fire alarm drawing
- Building and site symbols, and rated construction