The fire protection system for Macalister Hall consists of the following three subsystems:

Life Safety System:

The life safety system is concerned with the safe egress of people during an emergency situation. Life safety systems are tied into corridor spaces, distances to doorways, and door sizes. Corridors must be wide enough to allow the egress of large amounts of people in a safe manner. Additionally, doors must be large enough to accommodate the crowds of emerging people.

Sprinkler System:

Wet sprinkler systems are located throughout the basement and on part of the first floor of Macalister Hall. Sprinkler systems are used to combat fires through the use of pendent sprinkler heads. The activation of the sprinkler head is based on heat in a space, which in turn will break the seal of the head and cause it to spray water.

In addition to the wet sprinkler system, there is a dry standpipe located in the central stairway to help the fire department in the fighting of a fire.

Fire Alarm System:

Fire alarm systems consist of smoke and heat detectors, bells or sirens, pull stations, and ADA compliant strobes. This system is used to warn people inside the building of an impending emergency. Through the activation of a manual pull station, or the detection of smoke or heat by a detector, the alarm will sound. It is an important point to stress that the activation of the fire alarm system will not set off the sprinkler system, as these are two separate systems. However, if the sprinkler system is activated, a flow switch may sound the building fire alarm system.