NFPA 72 code sections · Basics of Fire Alarm Systems
Where a pull station goes is in the code, not up to you
Manual fire alarm boxes are mounted so the operable part is between 42 and 48 inches above the finished floor. They go within 5 feet of each exit doorway on every floor, and additional boxes are added so the travel distance to the nearest box never exceeds 200 feet. They must be unobstructed, accessible, and conspicuous — a pull station behind a door swing or hidden by a display rack is a deficiency even if it works perfectly.
NFPA 72 reference
Chapter 17 — Initiating Devices
17.15 Manually Actuated Alarm-Initiating Devices (mounting height 17.15.5, location near exits 17.15.8, 200 ft travel distance 17.15.9; numbered 17.14 in the 2016 edition)
References use NFPA 72 2019/2022 numbering — section numbers can shift between editions, so confirm in the edition your AHJ has adopted.
On the job
A retail tenant installs new shelving and the pull station by the rear exit ends up behind a gondola display. The device is in perfect working order, but the AHJ writes it up: it is no longer conspicuous or accessible. The fix is moving the shelving — or relocating the station within 5 feet of the exit where it can be seen.
Quick check
1. A pull station's operable part must be mounted at:
2. Maximum travel distance to the nearest manual fire alarm box is:
3. Manual boxes are required within what distance of each exit doorway?
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