According to the manual, what must fire alarm systems do?

Fire alarm systems are essential for the safety and protection of residents in nursing home facilities, and one of their critical functions is to transmit alarms to the fire department automatically. This feature ensures a rapid response from emergency services, which is crucial in managing potential fires effectively. The prompt notification allows firefighters to arrive quickly, assess the situation, and take action to control and extinguish the fire, thereby minimizing the risk of harm to the residents and property.

This automatic transmission capability is vital because manual notification can lead to delays in response time, which can significantly increase the danger of smoke inhalation or fire spread. Nursing homes, catering to vulnerable populations, require immediate intervention during fire emergencies, thus reinforcing the importance of systems that integrate directly with fire department alerts.

Other options, while they may have their importance in a comprehensive emergency plan, do not address the primary function of a fire alarm system. For example, notifying the head nurse or alerting all staff through internal communication relies heavily on human action, which could introduce delays. Additionally, indicating the location of a fire hazard is crucial for situational awareness but is part of the design of the facility rather than a function of the fire alarm system itself. Hence, the correct answer emphasizes a fire alarm system's critical role in