In noncoded fire alarm systems, which attribute describes the initiation device?

• A. Coded
• B. Noncoded
• C. Addressable
• D. Monitored

Answer: (B)

In noncoded fire alarm systems, initiation devices are described as noncoded because they don’t send a unique code with the alarm signal. In these conventional systems, when a device like a smoke detector or pull station activates, the control panel simply notes that a change occurred on a particular circuit or zone. It doesn’t receive or interpret a device-specific code, so individual devices aren’t identified—only the zone is indicated.

If a system used coded signaling, each initiation device would transmit a specific code to identify exactly which device activated. If it were addressable, devices would have individual addresses the panel can read. While monitoring is a separate aspect (whether the device’s circuit is being supervised), it doesn’t define the coding method, which is why noncoded is the best fit for describing initiation devices in noncoded systems.