46 C.F.R. § 76.27-10 – Operation.

(a) Means to manually acknowledge all alarm and fault signals must be provided at the control panel. The audible alarm on the control panel may be manually silenced. The control panel must clearly distinguish between normal, alarm, acknowledged alarm, fault, and silence conditions.
(b) The activation of any detector or manual pull station must cause an audible and visual fire detection alarm signal at the control panel. If the alarm signal has not been acknowledged within 2 minutes, an audible fire alarm must be automatically sounded throughout the crew accommodations and service spaces, control stations, and manned machinery spaces.
(c) A fire detection and alarm system must automatically reset to a normal operating condition after alarm and fault situations are cleared.
(d) Detectors in certain spaces, such as workshops during hot work and ro-ro spaces during on- and off-loading, may be disabled. The system must be restored automatically to normal surveillance after a predetermined time. Spaces must be manned when any detectors are disabled. Detectors in all other spaces must remain operational.
(e) In fire detection and alarm systems with addressable detectors and manual pull stations, every fault (such as an open circuit, short circuit, or ground fault) must be monitored and must not prevent the continued individual identification of the remaining detectors and manual pull stations.
(f) In fire detection and alarm systems with addressable detectors and manual alarm stations, the initiation of the first fire detector and resulting alarm must not prevent any other detector from responding.
(g) Fire detection and alarm systems without addressable detectors and manual alarm stations must identify the zone that contains the activated detector or station upon activation of a detector or manual pull station.
(h) Fire detection and alarm systems may output signals to other fire safety systems including, but not limited to, paging systems, fire alarm or public address systems, fan stops, fire doors, fire dampers, sprinkler systems, smoke extraction systems, low-location lighting systems, fixed local application fire extinguishing systems, and closed-circuit television systems.
(i) Fire detection and alarm systems may accept signals from other safety systems. For example, a signal initiated from actuation of an automatic sprinkler valve may be sent to a fire detection and alarm system.
(j) The fire detection and alarm system may be connected to a decision management system provided that—
1. (1) The decision management system is compatible with the fire detection and alarm system;
2. (2) The decision management system can be disconnected without affecting the performance of the fire detection and alarm system; and
3. (3) Any malfunction of the interfaced and connected decision management equipment must not render the fire detection and alarm system ineffective.