When I saw this video of the Marriott Marquis fire alarms going off in Atlanta there was something weird about this system that I’m curious about. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O04xuO_dh1s
What is strange is that there seems to be two different alarm tones sounding, one is code-3 while the other is a higher pitch single pulse tone every 3 seconds. How were they able to achieve this?
Another thing I noticed is there doesn’t seem to be any voice evac message on this system.
I think the higher pitch tone you are hearing is either an echo and/or distortion from the microphone from the loud noise of the fire alarm speakers. It’s possible there is something in that immediate area that is connected to the fire alarm panel that was making noise, maybe an annunciator, and that could have been it.
Some voice evac systems don’t have the voice message and just plays a tone through the speakers. The only time the speakers are used for voice is when someone picks up the microphone on the panel and talks into it. Or it’s possible a voice message only plays on the floor above, floor below, and fire floor. And the rest of the floors are alert only.
To me, it sounded like a chime tone. It sounded like the tone was playing in different areas with the timing just out of sync. If the T3 heard at the beginning was actually the only alarm sounding, I would think that would be inadequate for today’s standards.
It’s possible too someone put in a chime/strobe in place of a strobe or speaker/strobe. Shouldn’t be there but it happens.
I honestly can’t see why they would use the code-3 tone on a speaker rather than just use a chime/strobe as that seems like it would be a bit too complicated and its easier to go with the chime/strobe.
They want the ability to page. But don’t need or require a voice evac message, or might want to incorporate it later.
Several AHJs require EVAC for the ability to provide instructions, even if a message is not normally used.
This makes me wonder if the speaker/strobes at my college were put up in place of Wheelock Exceeders which were going up initially because they also wanted an intercom system. And if at my elementary school, they use their speaker/strobes in place of their old intercom system.
Probably not, but it is possible, like in this video:
“NFPA 72 permits the emergency voice/alarm communications system to provide other uses, such as for public address ¶ or mass notification purposes. When the system also serves a public address function, it might seem as if some features required for the PA system would violate NFPA 72 requirements. However, as long as emergency messages have priority over nonemergency messages, and all individual or zone speaker volume controls default to the emergency sound level when used for a fire alarm or an emergency mass notification message, the system will remain code compliant.”
Sounds like what we do here in highrises. When there is a fire alarm (most if not all systems in highrises are 2 stage systems), usually they have the fire floor, the floor above, and the floor below in second stage while the rest of the building is in first stage. The only thing we aren’t allowed to do is use voice evac systems as PA systems or mass evac, I believe as per the OBC. They are strictly for fire alarm use only.
For what it’s worth , I believe the panel is an EST3 , but it also connects and shares walkways with a high rise Office building that has a Simplex panel , I do not know if depending we’re alarm is both buildings trip
Does anyone know what the system was? It’s 7 years later, the video went deleted and unarchived
It’s definitely est, it’s most likely got genesis speaker strobes
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