Which of the following statements about NFPA 72 is true?

• A. It governs structural design standards
• B. It governs electrical wiring practices
• C. It controls life safety features for buildings unrelated to alarms
• D. It covers fire alarm and signaling systems

Answer: (D)

NFPA 72 is the standard for fire alarm and signaling systems. It lays out the requirements for how those systems should be designed, installed, tested, and maintained, including detectors, manual pull stations, annunciation, and notification or signaling to occupants and monitoring services. In other words, it governs the equipment and performance of fire alarm and signaling systems, not how a building is structurally built and not how electrical wiring is installed (that’s covered by electrical codes like the NEC). It also isn’t a catch‑all for life safety features unrelated to alarms. So, the statement that NFPA 72 covers fire alarm and signaling systems is the correct one.