I found another recording of my former school’s fire alarm system that I made many years ago.
I took this recording in the newer part of the school, built around 2008.
This part of the school actually had its own fire alarm panel with full voice evacuation that was connected to the Esser fire alarm panel.
I’m actually surprised that they didn’t use the large Esser fire alarm system for that part of the school, which was in the principal’s office and was therefore pretty close to the new part of the school.
I don’t know what panel they used or where it was located in the school.
It also didn’t have a whoop tone like the Esser, but rather a high-low tone that sounded exactly like Simplex’s.
That’s why I’m wondering whether Simplex still exists in Germany or whether there are at least German versions of their newer fire alarm panels.
I’ve also seen some Simplex 4100 parts for sale in Germany on eBay a few times.
I have never heard this voice evacuation message in Germany except in this school.
Modern voice evacuation systems in Germany usually all have the same whoop tone and evacuation message.
This system only had sounders with the whoop sound, which is widespread in Germany. The message would be “Achtung, achtung, ich bitte um ihre aufmerksamkeit. Aufgrund einer Technischen störung möchten wir sie bitten das Gebäude zu verlassen. Benutzten sie dazu die nächstgelegenden Rettungswege. Achtung, achtung, ich wiederhole”.
This is an almost exact translation of the voice evac message:
Ein Feuernotfall wurde im Gebäude gemeldet. Bitte verlassen sie das Gebäude über den nächstgelegenden Ausgang oder Treppenausgang.
A fire emergency has been reported in the building. Please leave the building by the nearest exit or stairway exit.
Here is also a picture from one of the call points from the newer part of the school.
These where probably made by Siemens.
But they are defenetly newer than the ones in my current school.
Going by the exact same voice message being available in the “Simplex” section on firealarmcollector.com (thesdx’s former website), that is indeed a Simplex voice system: not sure about how much they are/were in the life safety industry outside Canada & the US though (not much as far as I know).
I know that Simplex did have their own branch(es) in Germany dating back to the 70s or older, as I have seen a 4208 system that was installed in Germany, with a manufacturing date of 1975 I believe.
That sounds like a Simplex 4100ES system that your new part of the school uses. The high low tone sounds like something that would be used in France since Germany has it normally high to low pitch but it’s also a tone that comes with Simplex systems. The voice message repeats 3 times before sounding the tones so it most likely a Simplex 4100ES from that.
Yes, I also saw a Simplex 4208 system in an older shopping center here in Germany, which unfortunately was replaced at some point.
But I think Simplex was more known for their clock systems.
The school I currently attend (the one with the old card based Esser FACP) also had an old Simplex Master Time Panel before it was replaced with an old Dynacord Master Clock System, so the school’s entire PA system is now on Dynacord Devices from the 70s.
I found a company that appears to be importing new Simplex panels into Germany.
I think they also offered Simplex 4100ES systems.
Nevertheless, it is interesting that newer Siemens call points were used in the new part of the school instead of the British-style Simplex call points, which I believe are now allowed to be used in Germany as a new shopping center near us has the same call points that are rebranded by Apollo.
