User interface for fire detection system

A method for controlling a fire safety system comprising:

• providing a user interface having a display for controlling and displaying information about said fire safety system, said fire safety system comprising hierarchical levels of elements, said hierarchical levels of elements comprised of one or more nodes, each said node capable of controlling a plurality of modules, wherein each module is capable of controlling a plurality of devices, and wherein each device is comprised of one or more components;
• using said user interface to advance through levels of information about said hierarchical levels of elements on said display to select an element, and receiving a user input to change the operational state of said element and wherein said user interface is capable of displaying a map for displaying where in said fire safety system a system event is occurring, wherein hazmat icons are displayed on said map to indicate the location of hazardous materials within a building said fire safety system is located in.