Fire Alarms in the Food Court Boston
Edwards 757-7A-SS Speaker Strobe
Unfortunately most of the speaker strobes were only 15/75CD and some 15CD models. I was hoping because this is a larger space to have more of the 30 and 110CD models and less of the 15 and 15/75CD models. But there was only 1 30CD unit and 1 110CD unit, everything else has a dimmer strobe.
Fire Alarms in a Building in Boston near Boston Park Plaza:
Simplex 4903-9146 Speaker Strobes
Why so dim? Boston has an abundance of 15CD 4903s! They should at least thought about installing a brighter 30 or 110CD strobe in this building somehow. This area was kind of medium, I thought a 30CD strobe would’ve been better for this area. Because I think the 15CD strobes are way too dim for the lobby, in my personal opinion. I would’ve found a 4903 that has it’s strobe cranked all the way up at 110CD for the lobby cuz it has a much brighter strobe. I can’t speak for the technicians, obviously, it’s their choice. I’m just stating my opinions about the choice. I love the 4903s a lot, but I don’t like how installers excessively installed 15CD units, because say if you were in a large storage room (high ceiling) with a 4903 installed, then you would need an 110CD strobe. I’m thankful to find 4903s here, because any 4903 is good I love them. It’s much more interesting than finding those shitty SpectrAlert Advances by System Sensor. In a doctor’s office, I’d much rather find an amazing Simplex 4903 over a crappy SpectrAlert Advance same in a restaurant YMCA and whatnot.
Note: I don’t hate the advance, I was doing this for attention.
Just to let everyone know, I don’t really like the 15CD Strobes just because it’s too dim. 15CD for Simplex 4903s is kind of overrated in my opinion. I mean they have the lowest current draw which is good if you want to save power, but this is in a large lobby you gotta go brighter than that. These are also in a not super well lit area either so that makes these 15CD strobes creepy. The building also had Wheelock Speaker/Strobes hopefully they were brighter. These 4903s were in very good condition by the way! That doesn’t make these strobes brighter. One of the 15CD Models did actually have a Green Asterisk. But I was hoping to find the ones with the ‘110CD’ sticker and Orange Triangle on the Strobe reflector. These aren’t as bright as the Simplex 4903-9148 & 4903-9149 Speaker/Strobes used at my college, a bit newer than these. Possibly the strobes on those are Set to SmartSync cuz they are newer Whereas these ones I think are only Free Run, Seizure Strobes not great for people with Epilepsy. I wish Simplex would make a Free Run automatically synced LED strobe. I would not recommend an installer to install a 15CD strobe in a large open area. I’d recommend 75 or Higher. But in this case since they are the 4903s the minimum I’d recommend is 110CD however the 110CD Strobes have a High Current Draw making those strobes very bright much brighter than the 15CD Strobe shown here. The TrueAlerts since they have the 75CD Strobe option is a good recommendation. I wished the rectangular versions had 75CD Strobe options and even 60CD Strobe options which I would hopefully expect to see those with red and yellow shapes possibly octagons for the 60CD and squares for the 75CD. They could’ve made a Simplex 4903 Powersaver like they did with the EST Integrity but nah.
Fire Alarms at the One and Only Boston Park Plaza!
A rare Simplex 4903-9167 Speaker/Strobe:
Simplex TrueAlert 4906-9153/9103 Syncable Units:
Simplex 4903-9193 Rare Off White Replacement Speaker Strobes (White Version of the more common 4903-9150!)
The Italian Center, Stamford, CT:
This is where I go for my swim practices, outdoor swimming, and swim team parties. I also work at the summer camp here. The system here is very nice! It previously had an EST3, and before that, an ancient Simplex panel with 4050-80 horns and Simplex 4251-1 “Local Alarm” Chevron pull stations. One Chevron remains near the gymnasium entrance, and a 4050-80 is still on the pool deck, but is painted over. Both Simplex devices have been disconnected.
The panel now is a Kidde VM-series panel:
(credit to ADI Fire Alarm Supply for image)
The pulls remained the same after the panel update- they are now Mirtone and Vigilant-rebranded EST SIGA-278s:
The N/As are Mirtone-rebranded Genesis speaker/strobes:
(credit to Briscoe Protecive)
The detectors are either SIGA heat detectors or Edwards photo detectors.
They should probably remove that Chevron pull station. Someone may try to use it in an actual emergency and it will not work.
Fire Alarms at a rest area in New Hampshire
Simplex 4906-9251 Speaker/Strobe (Not a -9151). This is an Addressable Speaker Strobe
Simplex 49VO-WRF TrueAlert ES Addressable Strobe
I don’t see very many Simplex systems with Addressable N/As
This will be a big post about some various systems that I have seen (some don’t have photos, but others do):
Bedford Hills Town Park (Main Building), Bedford, NY
This building houses the locker rooms for the pool, bathrooms, front offices, snack bar, and seating area.
The panel is a Fire-Lite MS-4 or MS-5UD (there is an ANN-80 annunciator at the entrance), the pulls are BG-12s, the N/As are Advances, and the detectors are i3s. Quite a typical system, if you ask me!
Walgreens, Stamford, CT:
Now, this is where the systems get interesting! This Walgreens has a modern panel, but ANCIENT notification appliances! This Walgreens is in a shopping plaza with a Jersey Mike’s, Chipotle, and a Wells Fargo bank.
The panel is a Honeywell panel of some kind:
Church of the Holy Spirit, Stamford, CT:
The church was built in 1988 and previously had an unknown system (maybe it was a Fire-Lite Sensiscan panel?) The panel now is a Fire-Lite MS-9200UDLS, with the pulls being BG-12LXes.
The N/As are Advance speaker/strobes or remote strobes:
There is also a school building on the same property, with a Silent Knight SK-5280 panel, SK PS-SA pull stations, L-Series horn/strobes, and SK-PHOTO detectors. The school was previously Holy Spirit School up until 2017, until the Mater Salvatoris school moved here in 2019 (they moved out in 2021 as they found another building.) The building sat dormant until 2022, when St. Aloysius School moved in for one year and moved out in 2023 as their school closed down due to a lack of enrollment.
The fire alarm system of National Weather Service Gaylord (APX).
National Time 7000 FACP
National Time 641s
National Time Type 624s
System Sensor 1400s
System Sensor 2400s
Conventional Fire-Lite SD355 looking things
And unkown heats (heat detection was labled on a zone card)
Yesterday, I took a day trip down to Dundee and Tecumseh, where I found some older System Sensor 2400-series detectors at Cool Beanz Coffee/Dundee Antiques & Art and Antiques & Vintage on the Boulevard, respectively. The former had the thermal heat variants while the latter had the photoelectric variants. I didn’t see any other alarm-related devices in either place during my visit.
Holiday Inn & Suites- Grand Forks, ND
Original System (From the early-mid 2000’s):
Panel: Simplex 4010
Notification Appliances: Simplex TrueAlert SmartSync horn/strobes (all fixed candela), and remote horns in the rooms
Detectors: Simplex TrueAlarm smoke detectors and heat detectors
Pull Stations: Simplex addressable T-bar pull stations
New System (Installed in the last few months):
Panel: Simplex 4007ES
Everything else is the same, but they decided to remove every pull station except the one at the front desk during the upgrade. I’m guessing that they were probably having issues with false alarms.
Pizza Ranch- Grand Forks, ND
Panel: Mircom FA-300
Notification Appliances: System Sensor P2R’s and SR’s
Pull Stations: Mircom MS-710U dual action conventional pull stations
Detectors: None. Not even above the panel which is right by the front door.
This is the first Mircom system that I have ever seen in person here in the U.S.
Riverparke office building–Akron (Valley Commercial district)–built in 1917 as a meatpacking plant and later a furniture warehouse according to some old aerial photos of the area (pre-dates the whole commercial area); converted into offices sometime in the late 70s.
I have no idea what the original system was (probably none)–the current one was installed in the late 70s
Panel–originally some kind of Faraday; upgraded in the early 2000s with a Fire-Lite MS-#UD or 9200UDLS–also this unknown annunciator (Faraday?)
Initiating devices:
Fire-Lite BG-8s at exits: original ones would’ve most likely been Faraday 10123’s; ESL smokes at scenic elevator lobby and both sides of fire doors; others possibly in mechanical/storage rooms
Signals: Faraday 3400 vibrating bells with 6 inch gongs
one Potter vibrating 10 inch bell (Replaced a 3400)
also off-topic: an Otis three-story hydraulic elevator with GAL hardware; also an Otis Lexan Scenic elevator that was upgraded with Gen2 hardware sometime in the early 2000s
Interesting. Saw something similar in Sault Ste Marie only it was all heats and one smoke. Also had no idea you were in Michigan
Fire Alarms in a Market Basket:
I don’t know the specific location, but it was somewhere in the State of MA. This Market Basket actually has a lot of Code Violations. The Alarms are Wheelock AS-24MCW-FR Horn Strobes. They are in pretty rough shape.
Now comes the code violation part:
The AS Horn Strobes were mounted really high up on the wall. On the wall, they should be mounted a lot lower. Another thing is that the strobes are set on only 15CD. That is like not bright, the installers in my honest opinion, should brighten the strobes by a lot (110CD minimum), on the wall they should mount the alarms much lower and actually add appropriate ceiling mounted alarm spots accordingly and as needed. I don’t think the Fire Marshall would be too happy about any of this if they investigated this very Market Basket System. Way too many code violations, the system is a complete mess and they should possibly even upgrade the system because the way the system is set up is completely unprofessional and unrealistic.
Fire Alarms at the Savers in Endicott Plaza MA.
Siemens ZH-MC-R Horn/Strobes & ZR-MC-R Strobes
This system isn’t code compliant. There’s alarms mounted high up on the wall and wall mounted alarms on the ceiling. Also, the alarms strobes’ are only set on 15CD. Like WTF?!?! What is up with these Code Compliant Failures?!?! I’d want to address this and say, to mount the alarms lower on the wall and to set them on a higher candela. And to also order the actual ceiling rated device; possibly a High Candela version. That way, the store would meet the code compliance regulations and not fail anything.
Fire Alarms at the Danvers YMCA:
This YMCA is old and has a retrofit system of Wheelock AS-24MCW and RSS-24MCW.
Unfortunately all AS horn strobes are only set on 15CD, ugh and it’s in a pretty mid sized weight room. It’d be better to at least have a 75CD strobe in this weight room. I know I’m a little bit obsessed with saying like “This strobe is far too dim for this room”, but honestly it’s fax. It’s just that in my personal opinion, I don’t think installers should be setting strobes on 15CD in the weight rooms of a YMCA. And of course I mean every YMCA will have its own system. For example; I’ve seen YMCAs with System Sensor, Wheelock, Siemens, EST and even Simplex. IDK why none of the YMCAs I’ve been to have Gentex Fire Alarms. I personally think finding a Gentex Commander in a YMCA would be pretty cool.
There’re of course other types of Fire Alarms that I think would be cool to find in a YMCA:
Edwards Integrity (I find Genesi a lot in a YMCA, but I hope one day I find an Integrity. There are probably YMCAs that have Integrities, just not the ones I’ve been to and I like the Integrity more than the Xenon Genesis)
Simplex QuickAlert (The older version of the Non-Addressable TrueAlert, I’d be pretty sure there are YMCAs out there that might Simplex QuickAlerts. I don’t care if they are the 1999 model or the 2000 model. Any one of those would be cool to find. It’s most likely going to be a SmartSync model)
Simplex 4903-9101 (This one is Highly unlikely, but I’ll tell you for a matter of fact I found a Wheelock 7002T in a YMCA, and Simplex 4903-9101s are about just as old)
System Sensor LED L-Series (This one’s just kind of random, but these are just very new)
Simplex 4903 of course! Note; I have seen 4903s before in a YMCA, but they are Speaker/Strobe versions. It’d be cool to find the horn strobe version in a YMCA. They’d probably be electronic, but it would be super cool to find one that’s electromechanical.
Wheelock MT
1990’s Gentex
Simplex QuickAlert (Selectable Speaker Strobe Model with raised different Simplex logo and different ‘FIRE’ lettering)
Space Age Fire Alarm (Yea Boi! Dis’ll be cool!)
My local YMCA has a Simplex system with TrueAlerts inside but they have Gentex Commanders outside.
you can only read “FIRE” from only one direction–there is a reason that ceiling units exist. I would not consider it a code violation since the strobe light can be seen everywhere
Actually, the wall and ceiling units have a different strobe reflector. The wall units actually have a thing at the top which prevents the light from traveling upwards. I know some people have a hard time seeing the difference in the strobe reflector, but if you pay close attention, you’ll be able to find the difference. Now I wouldn’t say the same thing for the SpectrAlert Advance, Edwards Integrity or Simplex 4903/4904 because those strobes all flash in a 360° as of in wall and ceiling units have the same exact strobe.
I just want to provide people with an example:
Wall Mount Siemens ZH
Ceiling Mount Siemens ZH
The strobe reflectors are actually different; can you spot the difference?
