CONTENTS

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Introduction
Background
Glossary
Context diagram
User requirement definition
System requirement specification
Critical evaluation

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2
3
3
4
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1. INTROUCTION
This project aims to design and develop a fire and security alarm monitoring system
(FASAM). A FASAM is a life critical system with specific concern in identification of
unwanted presence of fire with the help of electronic devices and notify a fire
instance to the Control Area at the initial stage to avoid the damage to lives and
property.
The FASAM is capable of sensing a possible occurrence a of fire instance in the initial
stage through detectors that imitates the high human senses, such as touch, smell
and see. The fire detecting devices that are to be used are smoke detectors and heat
detectors. These are the most commonly used fire detection devices. Smoke
detectors are designed to detect the presence of smoke in a specific area when it
reaches the ceiling where it is normally fixed. Heat detectors can detect a fixed
amount of heat present at the detector or a rapid increase of heat in the area of the
detector. Manual fire alarm boxes are placed at all exits on each floor in the building.
Sprinkler system is used in areas where high combustion may be expected. These are
automatic and connected with the FASAM so that the system itself will activate
sprinkler system once the fire instance is detected and confirmed in this specific
area.
Further Horns, bells or sirens are used to notify the occupants of the instance for
evacuation. The total system will be monitored by a Central Control Area for the
operational integrity.

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2. BACKGROUND
The factors that needs to be considered when building this system are
The large building has to be divided into number of zones
A plurality of alarms should be associated with each zone connected to and
alerts the central manned controlled area
A plurality of fire detectors are positioned in each zone being connected to
the fire alarms
Automatic emergency call directing to the Emergency Service
Sprinkler system or system to shut down electric equipment in places where
high combustion is expected
Verify method to check for the availability of people in particular areas.
Direction indicators illuminating the route to the nearest fire exits
Audible signal alert to vacate the building
Automatic door locking placed to completely isolate a required zone(s)
Confirmation of fire alarms for verification

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3. GLOSSARY
Alarm Alert: A signal indicating the emergency requiring an immediate action.
Central Control Area/ Central Manned Control Area: The main area from
where the total system is monitored and controlled and is attended by the
authorized operators 24 hours 7 days.
FASAM (Fire and Security Alarm Monitoring System): A system or a group of
systems in which the operations of circuits and devices are transmitted
automatically to, recorded in, maintained by and is supervised. This system is
to be controlled and operated by one or more person and is capable of
functioning automatically in absence of a person where the situation is
regarded serious.
Heat Detector: A device that detects abnormally high temperature or a rise of
the temperature.
Nuisance Alarm: An alarm caused by malfunction or mechanical failure of a
device.
Smoke detector: A device that detects the presence smoke in a specific area.
Zone: A specific area of a building that allows the emergency responds reach
rapidly by helping to locate a fire. To identify the precise location of a device
without too much effort.

4. CONTEXT DIAGRAM
Emergency service

Fire detection devices

Status
request

Unattended
serious alert

Status
Alert

Signal activate

Sprinkler and other

security systems

Activate conformation

Status
request

Automatic
door locking

Alert

FASAM

Activate
request

Central manned control

Area

Response

Confirmed
status

Vacate
request

Verified vacate
status

Building
occupiers
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5. USER REQUIREMENT DEFINITION

a) The system should be automated:
A possibility of a fire instance should be detected automatically even at the
absence of occupiers and be notified without the human interference and if
the control area is unmanned the alarm should automatically alert the
Emergency service or respond personally.
b) Building should be divided into zones:
A large building should be divided into zones allowing the control area to
identify the location quickly and accurately minimizing the response time.
c) 24 hours 7days monitors the fire alarm:
The fire alarms should be monitored all the time for an emergency situation
may not be left unattended.
d) Should detect a possibility of the fire immediately:
The possibility of a fire instance should be detected and notified at a very
earlier stage without causing any delays.
e) Alert Alarm should be verified for seriousness:
Avoid the possibility of false alarm alerting the emergency service through
verifying that multiple sensors of minimum three trigger the fire alarm.
f) Advance protection in the critical places:
Critical places which are assumed of high combustion (chemical labs, gas
stores, server rooms etc) should have advanced protection systems to ensure
the fire is controlled immediately. E.g. Sprinkler system, Automatic door
locking system.
g) Quick vacate and isolate the complete zone:
h) The system should be aware that all devices are working in a proper condition
and are connected, otherwise should notify.

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6. SYSTEM REQUIREMENT SPECIFICATIONS

1. Functional requirements
1.1. Name of the function: Alarm Alert
1.1.1. Description: The fire alarm alerts a central man controlled area to
respond immediately to an unwanted presence of fire
occurrence.
1.1.2. Inputs:
1.1.2.1. Source: The smoke detectors, the thermal detector or
manual fire alarm boxes triggers the fire alarm
1.1.2.2. Range of acceptable values: The alert sound and the red
light
1.1.3. Processing: If 1 or more detectors triggers the alarm= activate alarm
1.1.4. Outputs: The fire alarm is activated.
1.1.4.1. Destination: Central man controlled area is alerted
1.1.4.2. Error messages: Device not connected=Nuisance alarm
1.1.5. Pre-condition: A firm alarm has triggered.
1.1.6. Post-condition: Fire instance is verified.
1.1.7. Requirements: The devices have to be connected properly
1.1.8. Side effects: Call emergency service if potentially serious
1.1.9. Annotation:
1.1.9.1. Stability: Stable and the requirement will not change during the
systems expected life.
1.1.9.2. Degree of necessity: Mandatory
1.2. Name of the function: Confirm fire alarm
1.2.1. Description: False alarms are common and therefore method to
confirm real fire instance should be maintained
1.2.2. Inputs:
1.2.2.1. Source: The smoke detectors, thermal detectors, manual fire a
alarm boxes
1.2.2.2. Range of acceptable values: The continuous alert sound and the
c
continuous red light
1.2.3. Processing: If (Number of detectors triggered the alarm > 2) = Fire
l
alarm confirmed
1.2.4. Output: Fire alarm confirmed.
1.2.4.1. Destination: Central Manned Control Area
1.2.4.2. Error messages: Communication break=Fire alarm failed
confirmation
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1.2.5. Pre-condition: Number of detectors triggered the fire alarm > 2

1.2.6. Post-condition: Alarm confirmed = true
1.2.7. Requirements: Manual call points, CCTV
1.2.8. Side effects: Automatic respond, alert emergency service
1.2.9. Annotation
1.2.9.1. Stability: Stable and the requirement will not change during the
systems expected life.
1.2.9.2. Degree of necessity: Mandatory
1.3. Name of the function Activate sprinkler system
1.3.1. Description When a fire alarm is confirmed that it is potentially serious
in places of high combustion the sprinkler system should
be activated immediately.
1.3.2. Inputs
1.3.2.1. Source: Fire alarm serious conformation, Signal from the central
c
control area. CCTV
1.3.2.2. Range of acceptable values: More than three detecting devices
trigger the alarm in a certain area.
1.3.3. Processing: If (Number of detectors triggered the alarm > 2) = Fire
l
alarm confirmed
1.3.4. Outputs :
1.3.4.1. Destination: High combustion area.
1.3.4.2. Error messages: supervisory off-normal condition
1.3.5. Pre-condition: supervisory normal condition=True
n
Activation signal=true
1.3.6. Post-condition: system activated=true
1.3.7. Requirements: CCTV, direction indicators, sound alerts
1.3.8. Side effects: Automatic door locking system
1.3.9. Annotation
1.3.9.1. Stability: Stable and the requirement will not change during the
systems expected life.
1.3.9.2. Degree of necessity: Mandatory
1.4. Name of the function Automatic call Emergency service
1.4.1. Description When a fire alarm is confirmed serious or the alarm alert is
not responded by the central control area, the system should
automatically call the Emergency Service.

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1.4.2. Inputs: Fire alarm serious conformation, Signal from the central
c
control area not responded.
1.4.2.1. Source: The system calls automatically
1.4.2.2. Range of acceptable values: More than three detecting devices
trigger the alarm in a certain area OR
t
the minimum respond time exceeds
1.4.3. Processing: If (Number of detectors triggered the alarm > 2) AND
C
(Central Control Area respond time> Minimum respond time)
1.4.4. Outputs :
1.4.4.1. Destination: Emergency Service.
1.4.4.2. Error messages: Emergency Service Calling ERROR
1.4.5. Pre-condition: Connection line normal condition=True AND
Activation signal=true OR ((Number of detectors triggered the alarm > 2)
AND (Central Control Area respond time> Minimum respond time)=True)
1.4.6. Post-condition: Emergency Service Alert Success=true
1.4.7. Requirements: CCTV, direction indicators, sound alerts
1.4.8. Side effects: Automatic door locking system
1.4.9. Annotation
1.4.9.1. Stability: Stable and the requirement will not change during the
systems expected life.
1.4.9.2. Degree of necessity: Mandatory
2. Non- functional requirements
2.1. External Interface Requirements
2.1.1. User interface: Easy to use and highly accurate with no complexity
2.1.2. Software interfaces: Should be accurate with no delays and quick
restore at failures.
2.1.3. Communication interface: Error free and highly reliable
2.2. Performance requirements: Highly reliable performance.
2.3. Design constraints
2.3.1. Standard compliance: All the system must comply with standard of
National Fire Protection Association.
2.4. Quality attributes
2.4.1. Availability: Highly availability
2.4.2. Security: The total system should be highly secured with no access to
unauthorized personals

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Critical Evaluation stating the rationale for notation used and value of supporting
requirement gathering techniques.
Requirement gathering is undertaken at the very beginning of the a software
development lifecycle, which is a major impact on the success of the project this
process is done at the initial stage of any software project to clearly understand the
intended purpose of the software therefore verifying that the development team is
not off the track from delivering the right product which can be very critical to its
success. Requirement are statements from the end users of the software about the
indented output that they expect, which should clearly explain what and how the
software should perform.
Pflegger (2001) defines a requirement as feature of their system (being designed) or
a description of something the system is capable of doing in order to fulfill the
systems purpose.
Since the gathered requirements are the main pillar of the a projects success, this
process should be given much importance to be able to identify the core aspects of
the expected project but it should also be considered that requirement are
sometime transitory and may subject to changes or even new requirement might be
dictated at the later phases of the process. Therefore it is much better to maintain an
active collaboration with the stakeholders of the product to get to know about the
new arising requirement too at an earlier stage.
With the business users which is the key component in the requirement gathering
process entails the collection of an initial set of high level requirement and then
getting end users collaborate to correct any discrepancies and fine tune them
ensures that requirement received are logical and consistent with the end users
needs.
There are diverse techniques of collaboration which is of the organization choice as
to one or many of the techniques to use as per their needs and the given scenario
some of the techniques that could be used for the requirement gathering purpose
could be.
One-on-one interviews, group interviews, facilitated sessions, questionnaires,
prototyping, brainstorming, end user survey, work shop, observations. The
techniques that best suits this system is mainly observation, group interviews and
prototyping. Through a thorough observation it gives the possibility of analyzing how
critical the system is for a specific building, the probability of a fire instance through
which decision could be made regarding the level of coverage of the system should
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provide and its standard. Through group interviews with relevant participants, the
suitability of devices and its locations preferred locations can be identified with a
clear analysis of its effectiveness. Since this is a life critical system prototyping the
system and giving a detailed walk-through to all the staffs of the particular system
will be of vital importance.

References.
Pfleeger S.L (2001), Software engineering, Theory and practice, prentice hall PTR,
United States.

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