Well, I’m doing an observation this semester at an elementary school in the district I went to school in. Last week, their FA system was completely upgraded from the original system that was installed during construction in 1991. I hate to see the old one go, but the new system is very nice and the quality/finish of the installation is absolutely top-notch.
Original System–1991-2020
Control Panel
Cerberus Pyrotronics System3. 8 Zones (3 ZU-35 cards), 3 NACs (2 AE-30U cards), not sure how many relay/accessory cards. Installed flush-mount in the front office, 3 row enclosure, blue door with black pinstripes.
Initiating Devices
Pull Stations
Cerberus Pyrotronics MS-51. All hallway exits and other “usual spots” in the main building. Classroom exit doors have no pulls. Zones 1-7 of the System3.
Fire-Lite BG-12. Hallway doors of the modular building (circa 2004). Zone 8 of the System3.
Smoke Sensors
Cerberus Pyrotronics DI-3. Fire doors, closets, “the usual spots”. Zones 1-7 of the System3.
System Sensor i3 2W-B. “Usual spots” of the modular building. Zone 8 of the System3.
Notification Appliances
Cerberus Pyrotronics HSD-24F (Wheelock 7001T). Hallways, cafeteria, gym/multipurpose room, media center, “all the usual spots”.
Cerberus Pyrotronics U-HN-S17. Only one; installed in the kindergarten hallway between HSD-24Fs. Definitely added after the original install.
System Sensor SpectrAlert Classic P1224MC horn/strobes//S1224MC remote strobes. Modular building. Horn/strobes in hallways and classroom. Remote strobes in restrooms. Controlled by a Fire-Lite FCPS in the closet of the modular.
Cerberus Pyrotronics HDC-24//Cerberus Pyrotronics HN-S//Siemens U-HN//Siemens AH horns. Exterior signals scattered around the building.
Signal coding was continuous for the main building, Temporal 3 for the modular.
New System
Control Panel
Siemens Cerberus PRO FC922. Red cabinet. Installed into the old System3 cabinet. Custom-fabricated sheetmetal covers the rest of the System3 enclosure.
Siemens PAD-5 NAC Controller installed right above the panel, covering the footprint of the old HSD-24F horn/strobe that was there.
Initiating Devices
Pull Stations
Siemens HMS-D. Installed in place of all old MS-51s and BG-12s. Every classroom has new HMS-Ds on new conduits and back boxes next to the exit doors.
Smoke Sensors
Siemens OH921 Photo+Thermal Detectors. Replaced all DI-3 and 2W-B sensors.
Notification Appliances
Siemens ZH-MC-R horn/strobes. Installed over existing HSD-24F back boxes with RP-R trim plates. Surface mounted in all classrooms directly above the whiteboards.
Siemens ZH-MC-CR horn/strobes. Main office and select hallways for additional coverage.
Siemens ZR-MC-R and ZR-MC-CR remote strobes. Restrooms, offices and other small spaces.
System Sensor SpectrAlert Classic P1224MC horn/strobes//S1224MC remote strobes. Carried over from the System3 in the modular building. I assume there is a control element or separate trigger NAC from the Cerberus PRO to trip the modular’s Fire-Lite FCPS power supply.
Exterior signals are unchanged.
Signal coding is Temporal 3 across the board and all strobes are synchronized.
Security system is a fairly new InterLogix NetworX system, and the PA and phone systems systems are a Bogen Quantum system, which still uses most of the original 1991 Bogen equipment. Clocks are on the TV system and bells are through the Bogen PA.
Again, I really hated to see the System3 go, but the new Cerberus PRO is light-years ahead technologically and the new installation is impeccably done. I applaud our local Siemens dealer, as their installations are always top notch. They’ve been in business since 1968 and have installed Pyr-A-Larm//Pyrotronics//Cerberus Pyrotronics//Siemens since they opened. They also carried and installed the Faraday (by Siemens) MPC-6000 and MPC-7000 systems until they were discontinued. The company also carries InterLogix (formerly GE/ESL) security equipment, Bogen Quantum complete school solution systems, Apogee entertainment systems for home and business, and other stuff that escapes me at the moment.