For effective fire safety, what is needed before a pre-action fire system activates?

Study for the BOMA Foundations Exam. Enhance your skills with flashcards and multiple choice questions. Each question comes with hints and explanations to help you get confident for your test!

For a pre-action fire system to activate effectively, it is essential for heat and smoke to be detected. A pre-action system is designed to provide an additional layer of protection against unintended discharges while still being responsive to the presence of fire. This system combines both heat and smoke detection to help ensure that the environment is monitored accurately.

When the detection system senses either smoke or heat, it triggers the flow of water into the system's pipes, which ensures that the sprinkler heads are ready to discharge water if a fire is confirmed. This dual detection criterion prevents water from being released without a valid fire condition, thus reducing the risk of water damage in the event of false alarms.

Other options, such as completing fire drills or having police oversight, do not play a direct role in the activation of a pre-action fire system. Similarly, disabling heating sources, while it may be a part of broader fire safety considerations, does not relate specifically to the activation process of the pre-action sprinkler system. Therefore, the correct response focuses on the critical requirement of detecting heat and smoke prior to activation.

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