File this one under "re-work due to poor Fire Alarm coordination."

Background:  Most Building Fire Alarm systems include one or more tamper switches as part of their monitoring requirements.  In short, it is important that all water valves in the fire sprinkler system are open (at least for conventional wet systems) in the event of a fire.  Many of these valves may need to be shut for maintenance, repair or adjustments to the fire sprinkler system, but the Fire Alarm system is often used to monitor these valves and report when/if they are closed.  

Which valves, you may ask?  There can be several, but often the Position Indicator Valve (PIV), the OS&Y Valves on the backflow device and any other isolation valves on the fire sprinkler riser or similar area.  Often, the PIV and backflow preventer devices are outside of the main building (or buildings), and located close to the street or curb and most likely a fire hydrant.

The Problem:  Since these valves need to be monitored by the Fire Alarm system, we effectively have Fire Alarm devices that are well outside of the building (i.e.: tamper switches on exterior PIV and backflow valves).  So, imagine a new building project that is 80% complete.  The structure is up, the roof is on, the building is enclosed, the electrical is roughed in, and the Fire Alarm contractor shows up to the jobsite with his Fire-Marshall-approved drawings.  These drawings require tamper switches on the new PIV and backflow devices near the street.  However, the sitework is also 80% complete including a paved driveway entrance and extensive ADA-compliant sidewalks, and that driveway and sidewalk system sits between the new building and the PIV/backflow area.  

Did someone remember to run a 3/4" conduit between the building and the PIV/backflow area?  Or, do we now have to saw-cut our new paving to create a path to these Fire Alarm devices?  Then, the debate begins about who is to blame for this oversight.  But, the cost is real, the impact to the construction schedule is real, and the scar left on the paving for this re-work will last a lifetime.

This coordination error is (hopefully) an error that a person makes only once in a career, but it can be avoided entirely with a small amount of coordination.  Make sure the electrical sub runs a small conduit along the exterior fire sprinkler supply line before it gets buried, and the re-work described above can be avoided.