Have you ever gone to a school/workplace when the fire alarm system was being replaced? I have.
Yes. I was in WSVH (Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped) when their system was replaced.
Old:
Unknown Simplex panel.
4040 horns, muffled bells behind grills in the HS area, a chime in the nurse’s office and a couple of FIRE HORNs.
4251 pulls, older Notifier pull in the music building’s entrance.
old Pyrotronics F3/5A smokes.
Replacement:
Again, unknown Simplex Panel
2901-9833s on surface-mount 2903 light plates. System did Simple Coding.
Same pulls.
Newer Fenwal smokes. They looked like this,
except no vertical vents.
Gentex GX-100 smokes in the dorm rooms.
I remember seeing a box of detectors once in the music building.
Evidently they have a newer system now, I inquired in the WSVH Alumni FB group and someone said there are newer alarms.
Yep. Two grocery stores. This was before my interest took off though.
Massasoit Community College, definitely. This is what they all originally had:
Student Center, Business, Science, Technology and Maintenance (built in 1971-1972)
Standard Electric Time “Alarmatic” systems
Standard Vibratone 450 horns on flush-mount light plates
Standard 200177 round pull stations
Standard mechanical heat sensors
Liberal Arts, Humanities, Fine Arts, Field House and Administration (built in 1978)
Simplex 4207 fire alarm systems
Simplex 4051 horns on 4050-80 light plates (one alarm in the Fine Arts building had a 2901-9833 horn instead of a 4051; there was also probably a Standard horn/light in Liberal Arts somewhere too)
Simplex 4251-20 pull stations (there was also a Standard 200177 pull at an entrance to the Liberal Arts building)
Older ESL smoke/heat detectors, Simplex 4255-1 and 4265 heat sensors
When I started going there in 2006…
Student Center
Notifier AFP-200 system
Standard Vibratone 450 horns on flush-mount light plates, at least two had newer Faraday strobes replacing the light, one had a Faraday 6120 horn mechanism behind the grille, SpectrAlert horn/strobe in computer lab, Simplex 2903+2901-9833 horn/light in the cafeteria
Standard 200177 round pull stations, a couple of Faraday Chevrons
Standard mechanical heat sensors, Chemtronics 600 heat sensors in certain ground floor areas, Simplex 4255-5 heat sensor in library
Technology, Science
Faraday FireWatch II systems
Unknown Faraday horns with black sounder plate behind Standard light plates (at least one in the Technology building had a Faraday strobe), U-MMT horn/strobe in Science building basement
Standard 200177 pull stations, a couple Faraday pulls in the Science building
System Sensor 2451TH smoke detectors, Notifier and Standard heat sensors
Business
Fire-Lite MS-4424B system
Faraday horns with silver sounder plate behind Standard light plates, Faraday 6120 pre-ADA horn/strobe in basement
Standard 200177 pull stations
Standard mechanical heat sensors
Liberal Arts and Humanities
Faraday MPC-7000 system (located in Humanities)
Space Age VA4 electronics horn/strobes (one room in LA had a 4051+4050-80 in it prior to early 2007, when it was removed and a VA4 slapped in its place)
Faraday F1G addressable Chevron pulls (most of them became dual-action in the summer of 2008)
Faraday FireSmart addressable smoke/heat detectors (LA had an old Simplex heat sensor in one room prior to summer 2009)
Fine Arts
Faraday MPC-2000 system (old Simplex annunciator in main entrance)
Simplex 4051+4050-80 horn/lights in several areas, 2901-9833+4050-80 in Little Theater, Space Age VA4 horn/strobes in other places
Simplex 4251-20 pull stations with Stopper II covers, there was also a Faraday F1G Chevron in the auditorium
System Sensor 2451TH smoke detectors, System Sensor i3s in some areas, old ESL smoke/heat detector in elevator machine room, 80s ESL smoke detector in main entrance, Simplex 4255-1 and 4265 heat sensors, System Sensor heat detectors in restrooms
Field House
Faraday MPC-2000 system (with RDC-700 annunciator in main entrance)
Space Age VA4 horn/strobes in most areas, Simplex 4051+4050-80 horn/light in small room adjacent to the mens’ locker room
Simplex 4251-20 pull stations, many with Stopper II covers
System Sensor 2451TH smoke detector in electrical room, Simplex 4255-1 and Chemtronics 600 heat sensors in other areas
Administration
Simplex 4020 system (old Simplex annunciator in main entrance)
Space Age VA4 horn/strobes in most areas, two Simplex 4051 horns on Faraday 2701-K strobe plates, U-HN-MCS horn/strobe in computer room
Simplex 4251-20 pull stations, all but one with Stopper II covers
System Sensor 2451TH smoke detectors in several areas, old ESL smoke detector in one stairwell, Simplex 4255-1 and 4265 heat sensors
But NOW:
Student Center
Notifier AFP-200 system
Standard Vibratone 450 horns on flush-mount light plates with newer ADA Faraday strobes replacing the lights on most but one, three U-HN-MCS horn/strobes, two U-MMT horn/strobes (one replacing the SpectrAlert in the computer lab), Simplex 2903+2901-9833 horn/light in the cafeteria
Faraday F1G Chevrons on ADA-extension adapters, at least four old Standard pulls intact
Notifier FSP-851 smoke detectors for elevator recall, Standard mechanical heat sensors, Chemtronics 600 heat sensors in certain ground floor areas, Simplex 4255-5 heat sensor in library
Technology, Science
Notifier NFS2-640 system (panel located in Science building, rebranded by Johnson Controls)
Space Age VA4 horn/strobes on Code-3, Wheelock ASWP horn/strobes outside
Notifier/JC NBG-12LX pull stations on ADA-extension adapters
Notifier 2151 addressable smoke detectors
Business
Notifier NFS-320 system
Space Age VA4 horn/strobes on Code-3
Notifier/JC NBG-12LX pull stations on ADA-extension adapters
Notifier 2151 addressable smoke detectors
Liberal Arts and Humanities
Same Faraday MPC-7000 system, but it looks like it will be replaced this summer with another Notifier system
Fine Arts
Faraday MPC-2000 system tied into Notifier NFS-320 panel(old Simplex annunciator in main entrance)
Space Age VA4 horn/strobes in most area, SpectrAlert Advance horn/strobe near one exit, Simplex 4051+4050-80 in radio production room(?)
Simplex 4251-20 pull stations with Stopper II covers, Faraday F1G Chevron in the auditorium
System Sensor i3 smoke detectors in many areas, 2451TH detectors in some areas, 2151T smoke detectors in other areas, old ESL smoke/heat detector in elevator machine room, Simplex 4255-1 and 4265 heat sensors in a few areas, System Sensor heat detectors in restrooms
Notifier duct detectors
Field House
Fire-Lite MS-9600UDLS system
SpectrAlert Advance horn/strobes
Simplex 4251-20 pull stations, a few Faraday F1G Chevron pulls, many with Stopper II covers
Fire-Lite SD-355T smoke detector in main lobby, System Sensor 2451TH smoke detector in electrical room, Simplex 4255-1 and Chemtronics 600 heat sensors in other areas
Administration
Notifier NFS2-640 system (FDU-80 annunciator in main entrance)
Space Age VA4 horn/strobes in most areas, one Simplex 4051 horn on Faraday 2701-K strobe plate in one hallway, U-HN-MCS horn/strobe in computer room
Simplex 4251-20 pull stations, all but one with Stopper II covers
System Sensor 2151 smoke detectors in most areas, 2451TH smoke detectors in a few places, 4265 heat sensors
Yeah, probably around 2003-present, they are replacing most of the FA systems in mainly the schools in my city. Most of the school’s FA systems were around 20-50 years old. The one at my old elementary school was an Edwards 6500, with Edwards 10" Single Stroke Adaptabels, Edwards 270-SPOs and A variety of Edwards smokes/heats. The panel was replaced with a Mircom FX-2000, and the Adaptabels were replaced with Mircom Select-A-Horn/Strobes in 2005. Buildings in my city don’t go all out when replacing/renovating a FA system. Usually the panel and alarms are only replaced, sometimes just the panel. In one occurrence at my Grandpas apartment, only the alarms were replaced. The Edwards 6500 still services his building, except with Mircom Select-A-Horns instead for the signalling. Most of the schools had their systems replaced, except a couple schools built in the 90s, and my high school, which still has its ancient FA system.
Maybe they also wanted the fire alarm to be a completely different sound from a bell. I think kids would recognize the blaring security sirens and Mircom horn/strobes on Code-3 as a fire alarm more easily than a single-stroke bell.
I know in America, bells for fire alarms are getting even more rare due to them often being replaced with horn/strobes or voice-evac during upgrades and/or renovations.
Sort of.
By the time I got to UA, the main buildings had all been upgraded, but one summer at a time, they’d upgrade a quad. As of now, all quads are upgraded to ADA-compliant systems. However, with the exception of a summer program, I never stayed in the dorms.
At MHS, the system wasn’t replaced, but the school was added onto from 2002-2003 and because the 4002 didn’t have enough zones on it, they added a second sytem (EST 3) for the new additions they were constructing and the panels were set up to “interact” with each other. Also shortly after the additions, they rennovated the main HS office, guidance office, and nurse’s office due to a mold problem over the summer of 2004 and while those areas did have detection coverage, none of them had signal coverage, so during the rennovations they added additional bell/strobes and remote strobes (in the restrooms).
Yeah, most of the schools in my city had single stroke bell systems. The security sirens in my old elementary school were installed when they had the Edwards system, and went off with the FA during fire drills. The only place you can find bell systems in my city is most likely commercial buildings, i rarely see those systems getting replaced.
I have before, once at Edgewater Public Elementary and once at Spruce Creek Elementary School, both these were for replacing the pull stations (plus perhaps adding on a few smoke detectors, and a new FACP), however the signals remained the same in both schools (Edgewater Public on the other hand upgraded their system sometime after I left, as they replaced the signals with Gentex Commander Horn/Strobes).
Huh…I never noticed this topic before.
But anyways, yeah, when I was younger I used to go to different construction/renovation sites and got plenty of neat local stuff. A lot of my alarms and sprinklers are from area establishments.
UPDATE: The smokes are evidently 2098-9507s, there’s an http://www.ebay.com/itm/SIMPLEX-2098-9507-DETECTOR-HEAD-WITH-2098-9502-BASE-YELLOWED?item=251035553710&cmd=ViewItem&_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D5%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8945397545736832482 eBay BIN listing for some with 2098-9502 bases.
What about that K-8 school you went to, that was originally two separate buildings; an older one with Standard horn/lights and the round 200177 pulls, and a newer one with Simplex 4051+4050-80 horn/lights and 4251-20 pulls, and then when both buildings were connected and renovated, they replaced both systems with a Simplex 4100 voice-evacuation system?
Unfortunately I never got anything from that school. I was too young when it was done over, like 8 or 9 years old. I really didn’t have any interest in collecting the stuff until I was about 13. No matter. At this point I have a 4050-80, both types of pulls and a Standard horn/light…albeit a different model.
I know this is an older topic which I am bumping, but I don’t want to get in trouble by making a new topic.
CCRI Flanagan Campus in RI had Simplex 4051+4050-80s before they started getting replaced by Wheelock Exceeders. Then they turned around, decided that they weren’t gonna go with them, and instead installed ceiling SpectAlert Advanced speaker/strobes on ceilings and some walls.
And guess what? The Fine Arts building at Massasoit College also got another fire alarm upgrade! The Faraday MPC-2000 from 1992 was replaced with a Notifier NFS2-640 panel (with the larger LCD display), but they kept the smaller NFS-320 for the JC-rebranded duct detector units, and the old Simplex battery case from back when they had a Simplex 4207 system (the building was built in 1978.) The old Simplex annunciator in the main entrance is now gone, and replaced with an FDU-80 LCD annunciator. They also went and replaced all of the Space Age VA4 horn/strobes (and one remaining Simplex 4051+4050-80 horn/light) with SpectrAlert Advance horn/strobes, and the system is also now on Code-3 instead of Continuous. I also noticed a few more System Sensor i3 detectors being replaced with 2151T smoke detectors. The other detectors and the Simplex 4251-20 pulls from 1978 are still intact.
The Administration building also had all of its VA4 horn/strobes and the one Simplex 4051 horn on a Faraday strobe plate replaced with SpectrAlert Advances.
And as if THAT weren’t enough, the Business/Science/Technology building systems (addressable Notifier systems rebranded by Johnson Controls) had THEIR VA4 horn/strobes replaced with Wheelock Exceder horn/strobes!
I am now pretty sure the Liberal Arts and Humanities buildings are due for a fire alarm upgrade very soon. They currently still share an addressable Faraday MPC-7000 system, but it’s having troubles, and the college and the service companies don’t really like Faraday anymore…