Pre-discharge alarms are required to be located outside the enclosure.

Pre-discharge alarms are required to be located outside the enclosure.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not specified
• D. Only during testing

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that pre-discharge alarms are meant to alert people who are inside the protected space so they have time to evacuate before the agent is released. Because the purpose is timely warning to occupants in the enclosure, placing the pre-discharge alarm outside the enclosure would not reliably wake or notify those inside—doors can close, noise barriers exist, and occupants may be unaware of the impending discharge. For that reason, the requirement is not that the alarm be located outside; in practice, pre-discharge alarms are positioned to be audible/visible to people inside the space or at the enclosure boundary where occupants can hear or see them before discharge. Other locations or additional alarms outside the enclosure may exist for broader notification, but the core pre-discharge alarm is not mandated to be outside.

The key idea is that pre-discharge alarms are meant to alert people who are inside the protected space so they have time to evacuate before the agent is released. Because the purpose is timely warning to occupants in the enclosure, placing the pre-discharge alarm outside the enclosure would not reliably wake or notify those inside—doors can close, noise barriers exist, and occupants may be unaware of the impending discharge. For that reason, the requirement is not that the alarm be located outside; in practice, pre-discharge alarms are positioned to be audible/visible to people inside the space or at the enclosure boundary where occupants can hear or see them before discharge. Other locations or additional alarms outside the enclosure may exist for broader notification, but the core pre-discharge alarm is not mandated to be outside.