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EDWartens UK

Free course · Building automation

Fire Alarm and ELV Systems Design: NFPA 72 and BS 5839

Design fire alarm and ELV systems the way MEP consultants and contractors submit them: system types and loops, detector and call point layouts to NFPA 72 and BS 5839-1, sounders and strobes, battery and voltage drop calculations, the cause and effect matrix and its interfaces, drawings, testing and commissioning, then CCTV, access control, PA/VA and structured cabling.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Beginner
Modules
13
Video
17 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain what a fire alarm system must do and which code family governs a project; choose between conventional, addressable and analogue addressable systems; pick a BS 5839-1 category or NFPA 72 coverage and zone a building; space smoke, heat and beam detectors, call points, sounders and strobes; size standby batteries and check notification circuit voltage drop; write a cause and effect matrix and specify its interfaces to sprinklers, HVAC, lifts and doors; draw layouts, risers and loop diagrams; plan testing, commissioning and maintenance; and design the CCTV, access control, PA/VA and structured cabling of an ELV package.

  • Explain what a fire alarm system must do and how NFPA 72, BS 5839-1 and the EN 54 product standards divide the work
  • Choose conventional, addressable or analogue addressable, and plan loops, isolators and pathway classes
  • Pick a BS 5839-1 category or NFPA 72 coverage and zone a building against the area and search limits
  • Space smoke, heat and beam detectors, call points, sounders and strobes to both code families
  • Size standby batteries both ways and check notification circuit voltage drop and loop loading
  • Write a cause and effect matrix and specify the interfaces to sprinklers, HVAC, lifts and escape doors
  • Produce layouts, risers, loop diagrams and a submittal, then plan testing, commissioning and maintenance
  • Design CCTV by pixel density, access control with fail-safe escape doors, PA/VA and the structured cabling under them

Software

A spreadsheet (LibreOffice Calc is free) for the calculation sheets, and LibreCAD, AutoCAD or squared paper for the layouts. NFPA offers free read-only online access to NFPA 72 after registration.

Hardware

None. Every exercise is done with a spreadsheet and a drawing tool or squared paper.

Syllabus

13 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1Fire alarm systems and the codes that govern them3 lessons
  2. 2System types: conventional, addressable and analogue addressable4 lessons
  3. 3Coverage and categories: deciding where detection goes3 lessons
  4. 4Smoke detectors: types, siting and spacing6 lessons
  5. 5Heat, beam, aspirating, flame and duct detectors6 lessons
  6. 6Manual call points and notification appliances5 lessons
  7. 7Calculations: standby batteries, voltage drop and loop loading4 lessons
  8. 8Cause and effect matrices and interfaces to other systems4 lessons
  9. 9Drawings and submittals: layouts, risers and loop diagrams4 lessons
  10. 10Cables, installation, testing, commissioning and maintenance3 lessons
  11. 11ELV systems, structured cabling and CCTV design4 lessons
  12. 12Access control, intercom and PA/VA3 lessons
  13. 13Final Assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  5. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for Fire Alarm and ELV Systems Design: NFPA 72 and BS 5839

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

  • Irfan CFPS

    the NFPA 72 lessons on the code, signals and circuits, schematic diagrams, smoke and heat detector spacing, beam detectors, pull stations, horns, strobes and battery calculations

  • The Platform - Fire Engineering

    the fire alarm training course lectures on components, the panel and power supply, smoke detectors on flat, sloped and beamed ceilings, heat, beam and aspirating detectors, call points, notification devices, special areas and interfacing

  • RealPars

    the introduction to what a fire alarm system is and does, in the first module and as the recap in the final

  • Fire Alarms and Such

    the difference between conventional and addressable fire alarm panels

  • Daryll Fisher

    the BS 5839-1:2025 system categories

  • eFIXX

    choosing between the life protection and property protection categories

  • Dans the Engineer

    the electrician's introduction to fire alarms and BS 5839-1

  • Global Fire Strategies

    why BS 5839-1 detector spacing is what it is

  • All about Fire Protection

    the battery and notification appliance voltage drop calculations, and inspection, testing and maintenance to NFPA 72

  • The Fire Alarm Expert

    device spacing and circuit length basics, and how to test and inspect a fire alarm system

  • Wiring Diagram

    what control and relay modules do in a fire alarm system

  • Syracuse Time and Alarm

    the elevator recall interface

  • Serendib Training Qatar

    the webinar on cause and effect matrices to NFPA 72

  • The Prudent Engineer

    fire alarm layouts in AutoCAD: spacing rules, heat detectors, the panel and the SLC loop drawing

  • ORR Protection

    fire alarm inspection and testing best practice

  • Learn CCTV

    the basics of a CCTV system

  • JVSG (video surveillance design apps)

    camera height, lens and pixel density in CCTV design

  • Infinite Storm

    estimating and designing an IP CCTV network for an ELV package

  • NM Cabling Solutions

    what structured cabling is and how it is organised

  • Kantech

    the basics of access control

  • Schlage

    wired communication between readers, controllers and locks

  • L&P Renewable System Integrator

    PAVA design basics: zones, amplifiers, speakers and wiring

Questions

About this course

Who is this fire alarm and ELV design course for?
It is for electrical and MEP engineers, technicians and draughtsmen at consultants, contractors and facility teams who are moving into fire alarm and ELV work, and for anyone who has to check or maintain a fire alarm design. No fire alarm experience is needed; Ohm's law and a spreadsheet are enough to start.
Is the course free to learn?
Yes. Every module, the notes, the worked problems, the project and the final assessment are free, and the software it uses is free. The certificate is optional.
Which codes and standards does it follow?
NFPA 72 (2025 edition) and BS 5839-1:2025 side by side, with the EN 54 product standards, NEC Article 760 for wiring, EN 62676-4 for CCTV and the ISO/IEC 11801 and ANSI/TIA-568 cabling families. The notes explain the rules in their own words and never reproduce the standards; NFPA offers free read-only access to NFPA 72 online after registration.
Does it cover the rules in my country?
It teaches the two families most countries build on and how to read whichever one your project adopts. The United States and many other countries adopt NFPA 72 through their building codes; the UK and many Commonwealth countries use BS 5839-1; Europe uses EN 54 products with national rules. Other countries publish national standards and building codes of their own, and in the Gulf each civil defence authority publishes its own code and approves contractors and products. Local regulations and the authority always govern.
Can I design a real fire alarm system after this course?
You will be able to prepare a design pack that a senior engineer can review: layouts, schedules, calculations and a cause and effect matrix. Fire alarm systems are life safety systems, so a real design must be done or checked by a competent person under local regulations, and in many places only an approved or licensed designer or contractor may submit it.
Which software do I need?
A spreadsheet such as LibreOffice Calc for the calculations, and LibreCAD, AutoCAD or squared paper for the layouts. Nothing else needs to be installed.
How long does the course take?
About 17 hours of video, notes and practice at your own pace, of which about 11 hours is video. The optional office building project takes about 16 hours more.
What certificate do I get?
An EDWartens certificate of completion, issued when you finish the modules and pass the 15-question final at 60 percent, with a number anyone can verify on our site. The course covers much of the knowledge that fire alarm exams such as NICET Fire Alarm Systems test, but it is not a NICET, NFPA or BSI certification or an authority approval, and none of them is affiliated with EDWartens.

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module