I have never heard of a big room having more than one device in it at all as a set up before. And its never happened in any of the schools I went to when I attended them. Most big rooms just had one alarm and sometimes they were given an alarm because they were in the back of another room. One alarm always seemed to be enough or in some cases, I would say it shouldn’t be enough. The two gyms at my junior high school each only had one Simplex 4051+4050-80 in them and they were bigger than the cafeteria which had 3 of them in the back. But it did get the job done and it could be heard during a fire drill.
One of my schools had Gentex Commander 2s. Each room had at least 1 horn/strobe, including restrooms and most offices. Large classrooms had 2. Cafeteria had 6.
I guess it depends on the way that the room in question is built and if the sound can reverb in there enough or if it the strobe can be bright enough to cut through smoke. My high school had only 2 2901-9838s on 4904 strobe plates in their cafetorium, but my elementary school’s cafeteria/gymnasium which was quite a bit smaller than the one at my high school had 4 2901-9838s on 4904 strobe plates. And now it has 8 SpectrAlert Advanced Speaker/Strobes which can be forgiven because a speaker isn’t as loud as a horn.
My high school’s main gym only has 2 2901-9838s on 2903 strobe plates. The auxiliary gym has a 4903-9104/2901-9846 (from 1994 upgrade) and a 4903-9252 which replaced a combo on the other side of the same type for whatever reason; probably stopped working. And interestingly the aux gym has Honeywell rebranded SigCom T-bars while the main gym sports it’s original 4251-20’s except for one which was replaced with hex lock BG-12 after getting destroyed when hit by a ball.
The McDonalds right by my house has a Fire-Lite system. Alarms consist of Wheelock MT-24-LSM horn-strobes and ONE System Sensor MASS in the kitchen visible from where you order. In the bathrooms, there are SpectrAlert Classic strobes. Smoke detectors are System Sensor 2451s and pulls are Fire-Lite BG-10s. Quite a dated system for my area, everything new is Notifier with BG-12 and Advances or Exceeders.
The Jewel in Mundelien has a Bosch System. Alarms are red System Sensor SpectrAlert Advanced ceiling mounted Horn/Strobes. Pulls are Bosch FMM-7045-D. There are no visable smoke detectors.
My middle school had five Commander 2s in the cafeteria. Must not be fun when they do fire drills during lunch.
On the other hand my high school had 3 Gentex Speaker/Strobes in the cafeteria.
I’ve noticed that Commanders tend to have a much higher density than other NAs. My high school cafeteria was about the same size as the one with Commanders and it only had 3 Genesis horn/strobes. I’ve never been to another school where every room had a horn. And no, it was not fun being in any room when that alarm went off, because I have been sitting under horns at the time.
CrossIron Mills has an EST system, with ceiling mount EST 757-3A-T horn/strobes in the main mall, and wall mount EST 757-5A-T horn/strobes in the stores. Pulls are all EST SIGA-270
Target in Vernon Hills has a Fire-Lite System. Alarms are a mix between white ceiling mount System Sensor L-series horn-strobes and strobes. Pulls are Fire-Lite BG-12s. (First sight of L-series alarms in person!)
Carson Prairie has your usual Notifier/ SpectrAlert Advance/ NBG-12…
Hobby Lobby has a Fire-Lite system. Alarms are red ceiling mounted SpectrAlert Advance horn-strobes and strobes (a lot more remote strobes than horn strobes tho) Pulls are Fire-Lite BG-8s.
Did the L-Series there replace Advances that were previously installed or an older alarm?
Probably Classics. Though the Target did not feel old, unlike the Hobby Lobby that we went too (almost expected MTs there before seeing the alarms lol).
MM Bikestore: Fire-Lite system with Wheelock AS horn/strobes. Pulls are Fire-lite BG-10.
Wendy’s: Old Fire-Lite system with one System Sensor non-ADA MASS horn strobe. Pulls are a Fire-Lite BG-6 and a BG-10.
Photos of some fire alarms at my school and the local Holiday Inn; the first set are from Holiday Inn (the first lot up until the call point, which I belive is a KAC) and the second lot are at my school (the last 4 photos): https://photos.app.goo.gl/5ybvzHaYE0TpF8Uu1
Anna’s Kitchen (Westland) - This newly-installed Honeywell-branded system for the restaurant contains the latest System Sensor L-Series of devices. It’s my first time seeing these devices in person.
Panel/annunciator, detectors: Unknown
Pull stations:
SigCom 5140MPS-1 devices
Notification appliances:
PC2RL horn/strobes
SRL strobes (bathrooms)
A close friend of mine has moved into a dorm at Bridgewater State University, so I visited her today. There have been quite a few changes to some alarm systems on the campus, so I will list them.
My friend’s dorm is Scott Hall. It was built in 1960, and then renovated in 2009. I don’t know what the original 1960 system was like, but prior to the renovation they had an EST system with Genesis horn/strobes. After the 2009 renovation, they still have an EST system, but it’s now voice-evac, and is probably an EST-3.
The alarms are red Genesis speaker/strobes without any “FIRE” lettering, for the most part. In a guest restroom and in one stairwell level, there is a red Genesis remote strobe.
Pulls are EST SIGA-278s with Stopper II covers, and the system smokes are primarily SIGA-PS heads on SIGA-BS bases. In the dorm rooms (like the one my friend had), there is a SIGA-PS smoke detector head on a sounder base.
The Pope Hall and Crimson Hall have identical EST voice-evac systems as well. Woodward Hall, another dorm where I parked my car outside when visiting my friend has a Simplex voice-evac system with TrueAlert speaker/strobes.
Tillinghast Hall is a very old building, rumored to be haunted(!) But it has a fairly modern fire alarm system, with a Simplex 4100U InfoALARM voice-evac panel (red, three-bay).
The alarms are mostly Simplex 4906-9151 TrueAlert speaker/strobes, with 4906-9101 remote strobes in restrooms and one near the panel.
The pulls are dual-action 4099-9003s, and there are TrueAlarm smoke detectors throughout the building (probably 4098-9714 photoelectric heads on -9792 bases). In the dining hall, near the buffet and kitchen sections there are TrueAlarm heat sensors.
Outside the building, there is a Wheelock RSSWP remote strobe (this is obviously because the system was installed before Simplex began making their own weatherproof signals.)
There’s a Welcome Center that was opened in 2015, and it has a very modern Simplex 4100ES InfoALARM voice-evac system (this was actually the first 4100ES panel I saw in person!)
Again, the majority of the alarms appear to be 4906-9151 TrueAlert speaker/strobes, and they also have the 4098-9714 TrueAlarm smokes, but the pulls are the newer dual-action 4099-9006s, with the indicator LED.
The Moakley Technology Center has its’ original fire alarm system from 1995 largely unchanged. There is a Simplex 4100 voice-evac panel (beige, three bay) located in the main lobby, and next to it is a smaller Space Age annunciator branded by Simplex, probably for the sprinkler system or something.
The alarms are mostly vertical Simplex 4903 speaker/strobes of some kind. In the restrooms, there are 4904 single-gang remote strobes.
The pulls are single-action 2099-9795s, and the smoke detectors are older-style TrueAlarms, largely on the big 4-wire bases, but one was on the smaller 2-wire base. The main lobby also has Bosch beam detectors rebranded by Simplex.
The Hart/Burnell Hall was built in 1979, and originally had a JC/Standard Electric Time system, probably a SET-7000, with Space Age 2DCD+AV32 horn/lights, JC SFA-10-3 pulls and old Ademco smoke/heat detectors.
Currently, the building has a Simplex 4100U system (beige, three-bay, non voice-evac; I saw a glimpse of it through an open door to the electrical room). At the main entrance to Burnell Hall, there is a Simplex 4603-9101 LCD annunciator tied into a big red transponder panel. It’s a half-conventional, half-addressable system.
All of the old alarms were replaced. Most of them are now Simplex 4906-9127 TrueAlert horn/strobes, mounted on white wooden planks covering up where the old alarms were. One renovated hall and a few renovated rooms have just the horn/strobes not mounted on wooden planks. A few restrooms have 4906-9151 TrueAlert strobes on the wooden planks (yes, the restrooms used to have Space Age 2DCD+AV32 horn/lights in them, and some of them had TrueAlert horn/strobes replace them!)
The pull stations vary quite a bit. The renovated areas have 4099-9003 dual-action pulls, but some of the old JC/Standard pulls are still intact in the Burnell Hall section (it’s rather odd seeing them with the TrueAlerts). At the main lobby, there was a Faraday F1G Chevron. In the Hart Hall section, there are several Simplex 4251-30 break-glass pulls. There are also some replacement 2099-9754 single-action and 2099-9103 break-glass pulls (without any glass in them!) The renovated areas, along with one hall, have 4098-9714 TrueAlarm smoke detectors, while Burnell Hall still has several of the old Ademco detectors still intact. Hart Hall has replaced most (if not all) of the old Adaemco detectors with Simplex 2098-9201 photoelectric heads on the flat 2-wire bases. What’s strange is that these detectors were actually installed some time during this decade! Why they didn’t just go with conventional TrueAlarms, I don’t know. Perhaps they were clearing out old stock?
The Rondileau Campus Center was built in 1971, had a fire alarm upgrade in the mid-90s, and had the main lobby section renovated a few years back. Currently they have a Simplex 4100ES voice-evac system (three-bay, with a graphic annunciator map placed on one of the bays!) The system is actually half-conventional, half-addressable.
The non-renovated portions of the building have Simplex 4903-9219 electromechanical horn/strobes, even in restrooms! There is also a lone 4903-9219 in the auditorium. The “Bears’ Den” cafeteria, student life offices and the music/drama wing have TrueAlert horn/strobes (there is also a 4903-9219 in the cafeteria along with the TrueAlerts.) The renovated main lobby area has 4906-9151 TrueAlert speaker/strobes. It’s a rather unusual mix of horns and voice-evac.
The pull stations in the non-renovated areas are Simplex conventional dual-action 2099-9756s, while the renovated areas (main lobby, cafeteria, etc.) have 4099-9003 dual-action addressable pulls. In the renovated areas, the auditorium and at the elevator there are 4098-9714 addressable TrueAlarm smoke detectors on the -9792 bases. A few old Chemtronics/Standard heat sensors can also be found in the non-renovated areas. (I’m betting the original 1971 fire alarm system was a Standard system, as there are many old Standard clocks still in use throughout the building.)
Boyden Hall was built in 1924, and until a while back they had a Simplex system that had a 4100 panel that was probably replacing a Simplex 2001, with a small 4" 4080 bell above it used as an old trouble bell. The old alarms (installed around 1979-1980) were Simplex 4051+4050-85 horn/lights (with black “FIRE” lettering on the lens), the pulls were single-action 4251-20s, and the original smoke detectors were 4259-36s (with the thermal sensor), along with a few replacement 2098-9201 photoelectric detectors on 4-wire bases and a few conventional TrueAlarms. A few renovated rooms had TrueAlert horn/strobes and addressable TrueAlarm detectors.
The whole building had a fire alarm upgrade some time this decade. The existing 4100 may still be intact, but they probably replaced it with a new 4100ES or something, though there is a 4003 voice-control panel outside the auditorium. All the alarms are Simplex 4906-9151 TrueAlert speaker/strobes, the pulls are dual-action 4099-9003s, and the smokes are addressable 4098-9714 TrueAlarms.
Hunt Hall was built in 1936, but had an expansion and renovation early this decade. They have a Simplex 4020 fire alarm system that was installed in the early 2000s that was for the most part left as-is.
The alarms are, of course, Simplex TrueAlert horn/strobes. I believe the addition has the 4906-9127 multi-candela version.
Again, the pulls are dual-action 4099-9003s, and the smoke detectors are 4098-9714 TrueAlarms, along with Simplex-branded Bosch beam detectors in a lobby with a high ceiling.
The Science Center was originally built in 1964, probably with an old Gamewell system as there was a numbered Gamewell annunciator in the old main lobby. Then in the early 2000s, a Simplex 4020 system was installed with the same devices as the above system (TrueAlert horn/strobes, 4099-9003 dual-action pulls and 4098-9714 TrueAlarms, but classrooms had the heat sensor version.) In 2011-2012, the building underwent a massive expansion and renovation, and is now a very modern facility that is virtually undistinguishable from the previous version. They now have a Simplex 4100ES voice-evac system (red, three-bay) with a smoke detector graphic annunciator next to the panel (resembling the 80s-90s -style Simplex graphic annunciators.)
The alarms are mainly 4906-9151 TrueAlert speaker/strobes. But in a few locations, there is a 4902-9716 remote TrueAlert speaker next to a 4906-9101 TrueAlert strobe! There are also a few additional 4906-9101 remote strobes for additional coverage (like an occasional one in a hallway, or in restrooms.)
Like the previous system, the pulls are dual-action 4099-9003s, and the smoke detectors are 4098-9714 TrueAlarms.
Kelly Gymnasium was built in 1957 with an old Edwards fire alarm system with 382 projector Adapt-a-horns (some were red, others were blue, and a couple were brown!) and 270-SPO pulls. There were also some old IBM 4016 6" bells that probably served as class-change bells way back when. In 2008, the building upgraded to a Simplex 4100U InfoALARM voice-evac system (red, three-bay), with the panel installed right in the main entrance.
The current alarms are mostly Simplex 4906-9151 TrueAlert speaker/strobes, while restrooms have 4906-9101 remote strobes. The mens’ shower room has a Wheelock ET70WP speaker/strobe, and I assume the womens’ shower room has one as well. In the gyms, the speaker/strobes have the red wire covers over them.
The pulls are Simplex dual-action 4099-9003s, with sounder-less Stopper II covers over them in the gyms. The smoke detectors are, again, 4098-9714 TrueAlarms, along with Simplex-branded Bosch beam detectors in the swimming pool room.
The Library was built in 1971 with a Standard system with old-style Federal Vibratone 450 horns (mostly flush-mounted) and the round Standard 200177 pulls. During a 2005-2006 renovation, they mostly upgraded to a Simplex 4100U system.
The alarms are Simplex 4906-9127 TrueAlert horn/strobes, with a remote strobe in the main entrance and in the restrooms. On the ground floor there are still some old Standard 450 horns, but they are disconnected, as there are TrueAlerts mounted near them (one of them also didn’t have the Simplex or TrueAlert logos!)
The pulls on the ground floor are the old Standard 200177 pulls, but the floors above it have 4099-9003 dual-action pulls. Smoke detectors throughout the building are 4098-9714 TrueAlarms.
I have to admit that I’m surprised that my elementary school didn’t have their Simplex 4903-9219 horn/strobes in their bathrooms since that seems to be the horn that people see in the bathroom the most.
Starting in 2015, all of the schools in the district that I attend have begun to receive upgrades and renovations (with one elementary school being completely rebuilt, as most of the facilities were built from the early 60’s to the mid 70’s). Anyway, they decided to save my high school for last, so it is still under construction right now, which makes going to class difficult. Installed in 1993, the main fire alarm system consists of a Siemens MXL-IQ, UMMT horn strobes and strobes, as well as a couple of Wheelock AS’s and a ZNS strobe. Interestingly, the rest of the buildings except for one, which also has a Siemens MXL-IQ, have Simplex 4010 systems installed between 2010 and 2011. In the new areas of the school (science wing addition, new office, aux. gym, and a few other places) there are brand new Simplex Truealert ES speaker strobes, which I found odd. I noticed that the new annunciator was a 4906-9102 which I believe is exclusive to the 4010 ES! I guess that means that there is also a voice evac panel tied into it. I’m fairly certain that they will keep the MXL-IQ in action, as the other one is in a school that is already complete, and it is still being used along with what I assume is a 4010 ES. I don’t understand why they decided to put in a voice evac system, as they haven’t done that with any of the other schools, including the other high school.
The Dollar General that opened up and replaced a Dollar Depot next to the CVS where I go to get my prescription has a new System Sensor L-Series alarm next to the entrance. The first time I have saw an L-Series in person. Previous the store had Wheelock NS’s in it.
The usual System Sensor users in these parts are starting to get L-Series devices in new locations. https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21762402_10154931478528616_3056295002008169878_ohttps://cdn.thefirepanel.com/legacy/3092_6fd21bb48ddcf136c9e6c757ef70e19b.jpg?oh=60069975cc6df3ba0db00b22b20790a2&oe=5A593CF2 New Stewart’s Shops location in Clifton Park, NY with wall-mounted L-Series horn/strobe (posted on the chain’s Facebook page). Interestingly, the restrooms have Advance remote strobes.
