Fire Automation Integration with the Automated Buildings is becoming critical. The high level of interaction required between the active fire system, building wide communications, HVAC, and interactive smoke control systems that are normally part of the environmental control system has greatly increased the complexity of these systems.

Network standards can greatly simplify the sharing of information from the vital fire and life safety system. Depending on the amount of shared data, the traditional method of providing an output from the fire and life safety system as an input to other automation systems may still be the best method.