IDSAI stands for Fire Detection, Signaling and Alarm System. It's the abbreviation you see in estimates, specifications, the ISU approval, or the construction book — and it refers to the system that detects smoke or heat, notifies people in the building, and, usually, transmits the signal further.
If you have received a document in which the word appears and want to know if it applies to you, read on. In short: if you manage a public, commercial, hotel, medical, educational building or a closed warehouse, it almost certainly applies to you.
Contents
- What does IDSAI mean, in letters?
- What is an IDSAI made of?
- When is an IDSAI mandatory?
- How IDSAI is linked to ISU approval and authorization
- What does the ISU check at an IDSAI?
- Four mistakes that will cost you in the inspection
- Frequently asked questions about IDSAI
- Who designs and installs IDSAI in Constanta?
What does IDSAI mean, in letters?
- D — Detection: Detectors detect smoke, heat, flame or combustion gases.
- S — Signaling: The control panel receives the signal, displays it and records it, showing the exact area.
- A — Alarm: Sirens and lights notify people that they need to get out.
- I — Fire: the purpose of the entire system.
You will also encounter the option „"warning"” instead of "alarm" — the official title of the regulation uses this word. It's the same thing. Other abbreviations you see in the same documents: IDSAEI (with additional "exhaust", when the installation also controls smoke evacuation) and SDAI.
What is an IDSAI made of?
- signaling center — the „brain”, with display and event log;
- automatic detectors — smoke (optical or with camera), temperature, flame, linear for high spaces;
- manual buttons warning signs, near exits and on escape routes;
- sirens and lights interior and exterior;
- backup source — batteries that keep the system running when the power goes out;
- fire-resistant wiring and, frequently, transmission to the dispatcher or to the service person.
The building is divided into detection areas. The regulation limits how many devices can enter a zone — up to 32 automatic detectors or 10 manual buttons — just so you know where to run when it rings, not just that it rings.
When is an IDSAI mandatory?
The rules are in normative P118/3-2015, approved by Order MDRAP no. 364/2015 and amended by Order no. 6025/2018. The installation is mandatory, among others, for:
- buildings and spaces with smoke exhaust systems or with automatic extinguishing systems (sprinklers, drenchers, water mist, special substances), when their operation is done by detection;
- buildings closed by exceptional importance (A) and special (B);
- tall buildings, except for residential, and very high, regardless of destination;
- crowded halls and related spaces;
- buildings or closed civil spaces intended for administrative, commercial, hotel, educational, medical, cultural, sports, leisure, parking or storage.
For very high-rise apartment buildings, the obligation applies common spaces: hallways, corridors, vestibules, enclosed stairwells, protected spaces, escape tunnels, storage areas and the heating plant.
The above list is indicative. The specific classification depends on the importance category, height, number of people and the actual compartmentalization of the building. It is determined on the project, not from the table.
How IDSAI is linked to ISU approval and authorization
This is where the most time and money is wasted. IDSAI is not a piece of equipment that you buy and install. It is an installation that goes through three stages:
- projection, by a certified designer, and obtaining of the permit fire safety before execution.
- Execution, by a company with IGSU authorization for this category of works, with minutes and certificates of conformity on the equipment.
- Commissioning and authorization — evidence, training, documentation, then authorization fire safety.
The permit and authorization are not the same document and are not obtained at the same time. I explained the difference in detail in the article about fire safety permit vs. fire safety permit, and the categories of constructions subject to these obligations are established by Government Decree 571/2016.
What does the ISU check at an IDSAI?
- whether the executed installation corresponds to the approved project — not just whether it exists;
- coverage: areas without detectors, incorrectly installed detectors, newly partitioned spaces left uncovered;
- siren operation and audibility in all rooms;
- backup power source and battery autonomy;
- control register and evidence of periodic inspection and maintenance;
- staff training: who resets the control panel and what to do in the event of an alarm.
Four mistakes that will cost you in the inspection
- Recompartmentalization without modifying the installation. You erected two drywall walls and created two rooms without a detector. On paper, the installation is compliant. In the field, it is not.
- The power plant was kept in permanent disrepair. A faulty detector beeped, so the zone was "temporarily" deactivated eight months ago.
- Lack of documented maintenance. The installation is working, but you don't have any paperwork to prove it.
- False alarms tolerated. The system sounds in vain, people have learned to ignore it and no one raises the alarm anymore. I wrote separately about Causes of false alarms and how to eliminate them.
Frequently asked questions about IDSAI
What does IDSAI mean?
Fire Detection, Signaling and Alarm System. The system that detects the beginning of a fire, signals it to a control center and alarms people in the building. Some documents use "warning" instead of "alarm" — it's the same thing.
What is the difference between IDSAI and IDSAEI?
IDSAEI also includes the letter E, for evacuation: the installation not only alarms, but also controls the evacuation of smoke or other protection systems. In practice, in large buildings the two are integrated.
What regulations regulate IDSAI?
Normative P118/3-2015, approved by MDRAP Order no. 364/2015 and amended by Order no. 6025/2018. It establishes where the installation is mandatory and how it is designed, executed, put into operation and operated.
How often is an IDSAI checked?
Inspections and maintenance are carried out periodically by an authorized company and are recorded in the inspection log. The frequency is established by the installation documentation and the manufacturer's instructions. The absence of maintenance evidence is one of the most frequently found non-conformities.
Can I install an IDSAI with any electrician?
No. The execution requires a company with IGSU authorization for signaling, alarming and fire alerting installations, and the project requires a certified designer. An installation installed without these qualities cannot be authorized.
If I only have stand-alone smoke detectors, do I have IDSAI?
No. Standalone, battery-powered detectors do not form an installation: there is no central unit, no zones, no log and no backup source. For a building subject to authorization, they do not take the place of an IDSAI.
Who designs and installs IDSAI in Constanta?
GreenSoft is authorized by IGSU for the design, installation and maintenance of fire detection and alarm systems. We work in Constanța and throughout Dobrogea.
- IDSAI design according to P118/3-2015, correlated with the building's fire safety scenario
- Assembly and commissioning, with the documentation submitted to the ISU
- Checking an existing installation — if it still corresponds to the building in its current form, not in the form it was ten years ago
- Periodic maintenance and fixing the non-conformities in an ISU inspection report, including on panels such as Schrack Seconet Integral
See the complete fire detection and alarm service (IDSAI) →
If you have a deadline from the ISU or have received a report with non-compliances, MAIL and we look together at what the inspector asks you to do. The initial technical consultation is free.
Informative article, published on September 13, 2026. For the specific classification of your building, request a check — the list of obligations in the regulations depends on the parameters that are established in the project.
