This document explains what the matrix is, how to read it, and provides a standard industry example typically used in commercial buildings, hospitals, and industrial facilities.

• Detection of smoke or heat
• Manual activation of a fire alarm pull station
• Activation of a sprinkler system

• Effect: Evacuation tones in the affected zone and adjacent zones. Elevators recalled to the ground floor. Smoke control fans activate.
• Goal: Get people out of the danger zone.

Benefits of a Fire Alarm Cause and Effect Matrix

Row 5: Smoke Detector (Mechanical Penthouse)

• Logic: Full evacuation.
• Why: The penthouse contains the building's "lungs" (air handlers). A fire here can pump smoke into every floor instantly.
• Effect: Triggers a full building alarm (OUTPUT 2).