A manual fire alarm system is NOT required in Group A occupancies when what condition is met?

In Group A occupancies, a manual fire alarm system is not required when the occupant load is less than 300. This requirement is based on life safety codes that aim to ensure the protection and safe evacuation of individuals in spaces that can potentially host large gatherings. When the occupant load is under this threshold, the expectation is that emergency evacuation can be efficiently supervised by staff or through other means without the need for a manual fire alarm system.

In larger capacities, particularly those reaching or exceeding 300 occupants, a manual fire alarm system becomes crucial to quickly alert all individuals in the building of a fire or emergency situation, facilitating a swift and organized evacuation. However, when the occupancy is below this limit, the risk is perceived as lower, and the implementation of a manual system may not be deemed necessary by the safety regulations in place.

The presence of an automatic fire alarm system would still require a manual component in higher occupancy scenarios, while a significantly smaller gathering does not necessitate such complexity for effective emergency management.