Fire Alarm training courses

[atm84]

Can anyone recommend any training courses on fire alarm system design.

Any manufacturer's, FIA or CIBSE courses that anyone has attended.

I'm not looking for courses on installation but mainly design.

Don't worry I don't expect to go out and be able to design a full system straight away. I merely want an understanding. I know there is a lot more involved to design a fire alarm system before all the trolls start getting excited.

 

[Harni]

FIA Units 1 2 and 3 would be a good start

 

[tazz]

The FIA are a good start into design.....but as most designers fined AutoCad is really a must to put your designs into construction.

 

[shanky887614]

The FIA are a good start into design.....but as most designers fined AutoCad is really a must to put your designs into construction.

dont just grab autocad though, there are many different versions and it is very expensive to buy them all

 

[Harni]

dont just grab autocad though, there are many different versions and it is very expensive to buy them all

Correct but for the sort of thing most guys here would need, an older version of LT would easily suffice. If you don't mind working on a iPad, you could even just use the free one on th app store (can't remember th name of it now!)

 

[tazz]

AutoCad lt is around £600......and is the main software used in construction.
Each section of the project is drawn on its own layer...building up a co-ordinated drawing.
Without it, you will not be able to submit a drawing for approval.

 

[atm84]

Thanks for the advice guys. Don't need AutoCad. That's what cad monkeys are used for. I was wanting a more technical introduction into design. Ill give FIA a look at. Cheers

 

[tazz]

so how will you open, design or draw the system....?

 

[shanky887614]

or the easy way to get it cheap, sign up for a college course then register as a student and get it free

 

[Harni]

or the easy way to get it cheap, sign up for a college course then register as a student and get it free

Good point but bear in mind you only get a 3 year licence with this. You don't have to be on a college course for this though...

 

[shanky887614]

Good point but bear in mind you only get a 3 year licence with this. You don't have to be on a college course for this though...

simple, do another course after 3 years lol

 

[atm84]

so how will you open, design or draw the system....?

I would over mark a drawing and give it to a cad technician. It always makes me laugh when someone thinks that if you use CAD it automatically makes you a designer. There is a lot more involved and hence its cheaper to pay someone to do the cad and let someone else concentrate on the technical aspects.

 

[uksparks]

I have done FIA units 1, 4, 5 & 11 and would certainly recommend them.

 

[tazz]

Also show the electrical designers....from the sparky with a pencil and a smoke packet...!!

 

[atm84]

Most designers have full time cad technicians. A proper firm of designers don't have £40k plus engineers to use cad.

 

[tazz]

Most designers have full time cad technicians. A proper firm of designers don't have £40k plus engineers to use cad.

Yet your £40K a year designers need to ask a question on a Basic fire alarm design course!!!
Most fire alarm firms don`t have that privilage of paying for seperate cad designers.

 

[Guest77]

Most designers have full time cad technicians. A proper firm of designers don't have £40k plus engineers to use cad.

Name 3 :biggrin:

 

[atm84]

I don't need to name any as I'm not bothered about trying to prove myself. I don't need to know cad and that is all. Thanks for the advice about FIA courses.

 

[alanl]

Atkins, Bam Nuttall, and Carillion are 3 Companies who have Designers to design, then CAD workers to put those designs onto the plan.
Pretty much any large construction Company will have separate roles for their staff - CAD is specialised, so is done by the CAD guy/girl.
Imagine you have to overlay the design you've done onto the master drawings?
No-one but a skilled CAD man could do that with the assurance that it is beiung overlaid correctly.
It helps to have a little knowledge of the CAD systems in use, and a basic understanding of its workings, but they really are separate roles.

 

[Guest77]

I don't need to name any as I'm not bothered about trying to prove myself. I don't need to know cad and that is all. Thanks for the advice about FIA courses.

Chuckle, I was throwing a line out and you took the bait,True, you don't need cad, I can use cad and have the software, it isn't easy to use agreed, a course is a good starting point, anything relating to fire alarms in my view is now a specialist design, I have designed fire alarms myself and thought I knew a fair bit, I was wrong, it is a lot more complex than I expected, I now leave it to the experts, I am not one of those regarding FA system design.