Rincon/Univerity High School (RUHS) Fire Alarm System

[MrFireAlarm]

This is Rincon/University High School Campus, this severes Rincon High, a Tradational High School, and Univesity High, a Seperate Accelerated Insituation. The Campus usually has around 2600 People in it total.

Here is some History.

The school was built in 1958 as Rincon High with a 4 Buildings and a Powerhouse building. Univesity High came later.

The assumption is that there was a Pull Rod System of some sort in the school at this time, But its Unclear.

The school, In 1958.

The Oldest device I could find, is a Simplex 4262-5 ionization smoke detector. Which was probably a holdout of this Old system.

Simplex 4262-5 Smoke Detector, In the Library

After construction of the North Gym and Auditorium, nothing was really changed. (Although how those Two Buildings are at risk for collapse right now and how they are evacuated, is another story.

Areal Shot of the North (Right) and South (Ahead) Gyms, Circa 1967.

In 1985, Univerity High School was moved to this Campus, thus creating RUHS.

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In the Early 1990s, my school district installed a replacement system which Contained 4251-30 Pull stations, 2908-9201 and Wiffle Ball Smoke Detectors, and 4903-9101 Strobe Plates with 2901-9806 Horns, Set to Continuous.
The Panel was a 4100 Classic or +.

A 4903-9101/2901-9806 in the library (U Building.)

A 4903-9101/2901-9806 in the U Building.

A 4903-9101/2901-9806 in the T Building.

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In the 2000’s, my district built rebuilt the Fine arts Part of the school. Constructing a band/choir Room, Little Theater, and rebuilding the Auditorium.

These devices are 4903-9237 (Or Similar) Horn Strobes, and 4099-9003 Pull Stations, Id assume there are TrueAlarm Smoke Detectors, but I haven’t Looked.
The Panel was most Likely converted to a 4100U at this time.

A Simplex 4903-9237 Horn Strobe in a Cage Protector.

A Wheelock HS-24-R Outside the Band Room.

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The Language Building, Built with the 2004 Bond Project, with the Smokestack of the Powerhouse behind it.

After the Passage of the 2004 Bond Project, my school received a New Language Building, and Science Classrooms. These Classrooms contain Wheelock NS’es, RSSes, and Simplex 4099-9003 Pull Stations, With True Alarm Smoke/Heat Detectors out and about.

Wheelock NS and Simplex 4099-9003 in a newer Science Classroom.

A Wheelock NS in a Bathroom in the Language Building, Apparently, they have these at Concessions, too. Don’t want to be in here during a drill.

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There is another System in the Portables, which Contains Simplex TrueAlerts and Simplex 2901-9838s, Ive never been in there, so I don’t know.

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This system has some Oddities, for example it has Wheelock 7002ts and Edwards 270 Pulls in the ELA Portables (Part of the Main System, not the Portable System)

It also has a Model L Siren Attached to the Auditorium. Ive Never Heard it Go Off, and its just sitting there. Its fate remains Unknown as the Auditorium has Structural Issues currently and Is considered unsafe.

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System List

U Building

• Simplex 4903-9101 Strobe Plates
• Simplex 2901-9806 Horns
• Simplex Wiffle Ball Smoke Detectors.
• Simplex 4262-5 Smoke Detector (Library Only)
• Simplex 2908-9201 Smoke Detectors
• Simplex 4251-30 Break Glass Pull Stations
• Simplex 4904 Strobes (Restrooms)
• Wheelock NS Horn Strobes (Science Rooms)
• Wheelock RSS (Some Science Rooms)
• Simplex 4099-9003 Pull Stations (Science Rooms and Replacements)
• Simplex TrueAlarm Detectors (Science Rooms)

Offices/Auditorium/Cafeteria

• Simplex 4100U Fire Alarm Control Panel
• Simplex 4903-9101 Strobe Plates
• Simplex 2901-9806 Horns
• Simplex Wiffle Ball Smoke Detectors.
• Simplex 4251-30 Break Glass Pull Stations
• Simplex 4903-9237 Horn Strobes (Auditorium)
• Simplex 4099-9003 Pull Stations (Auditorium)
• Federal Signal Model L (Outside Auditorium)

T Building

• Simplex 4903-9101 Strobe Plates
• Simplex 2901-9806 Horns
• Simplex Wiffle Ball Smoke Detectors.
• Simplex 4251-30 Break Glass Pull Stations

South Gym

• Simplex 4903-9101 Strobe Plates
• Simplex 2901-9806 Horns
• Simplex Wiffle Ball Smoke Detectors.
• Simplex 4251-30 Break Glass Pull Stations
  (Have not been there much)

North Gym

• Simplex 4903-9101 Strobe Plates
• Simplex 2901-9806 Horns
• Simplex Wiffle Ball Smoke Detectors.
• Simplex 4251-30 Break Glass Pull Stations
  (Have not been there much)
• Simplex 4903-9237 Horn Strobes (Band Room Extension)
• Simplex 4099-9003 Pull Stations (Band Room Extension)
• Simplex 4904 Strobes
• Wheelock HS-24-R (Outside)

Language Building

• Simplex 4099-9003 Pull Stations
• Wheelock NS Horn Strobes
• Wheelock RSS Remote Strobes
• Simplex TrueAlarm Detectors

Portables

• Simplex TrueAlerts
• Simplex 4099-9003 Pull Stations
• Simplex 2901-9838 Horns
• Simplex Conventional Panel, 4006?

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After the Passage of the District of the 2023 Bond project, the district will be installing a new 3.5 million Dollar Fire Alarm System for this High School in the next 10 years. It will most likely be a Simplex Voice Evac System, but its unclear. The school will also get new Buildings to replace the portables, so That will also be something.

[SpectrAlert]

See if you can save the old devices!

[TheCarson116]

@MrFireAlarm

The Oldest device I could find, is a Simplex 4262-5 ionization smoke detector. Which was probably a holdout of this Old system.

That’s a rebranded Statitrol detector: the same kind formerly in the Davis K-8 school in fact (which is the kindergarten school @wiley209 used to go to).

The 4903-9101 + 2901-9806 combos are definitely unique: most of the time 2901-9838s would be used with those strobe plates instead.

You didn’t put a caption for the one pull station photo, but that’s a 4251-30 with the break-glass frame removed.

@MrFireAlarm

In the 2000’s, my district built rebuilt the Fine arts Part of the school. Constructing a band/choir Room, Little Theater, and rebuilding the Auditorium.

The TrueAlert-series was supposedly introduced in 2001 so why the installers would have used 4903-series devices I have no idea (unless Simplex didn’t discontinue the 4903-series right away).

@MrFireAlarm

A Wheelock HS-24-R Outside the Band Room.

That’s an odd choice if you ask me, moreso in that it’s an HS-series horn & not an MT-series horn.

@MrFireAlarm

A Wheelock NS in a Bathroom in the Language Building, Apparently, they have these at Concessions, too. Don’t want to be in here during a drill.

One word: headache.

@MrFireAlarm

It also has a Model L Siren Attached to the Auditorium.

Hmm, wonder what that would be used for (unless it’s the outdoor fire alarm signal, & even though such a thing might seem overkill at first a campus that large might need something that loud for adequate exterior warning).

@SpectrAlert

See if you can save the old devices!

Indeed: always good to do if you ask me.

[MrFireAlarm]

@TheCarson116

The 4903-9101 + 2901-9806 combos are definitely unique: most of the time 2901-9838s would be used with those strobe plates instead.

Oops, but yea. Thats a 4251-30 In the North Gym.

@TheCarson116

The TrueAlert-series was supposedly introduced in 2001 so why the installers would have used 4903-series devices I have no idea (unless Simplex didn’t discontinue the 4903-series right away).

I suppose Old Stock, but I am only assuming the building age by the design, (As these have no Records that I have Access to) it also could be late 90s, as it gives that vibe as well.

@TheCarson116

Hmm, wonder what that would be used for (unless it’s the outdoor fire alarm signal, & even though such a thing might seem overkill at first a campus that large might need something that loud for adequate exterior warning).

There are Cold War Era Bunkers under the Auditorium, U Building, and the North and South Gym. That Siren is close to a Bunker Entrance for the Auditorium, So I assume it was used for Civil Defense Drills of some sort.

It Looks Disconnected for a while, so idk…

I was told that there are tunnels between Buildings as well.

@SpectrAlert

See if you can save the old devices!

Its a gamble of Hope, as we don’t know when the Fire Alarm System is planned to be replaced. I think that the Mechanical Horns will be replaced with speaker strobes, but I think the NSes might stay, because they are newer and meet ADA requirements. The Bond project was voted in on the 7th, so Its going to be a while.

[randomperson]

@TheCarson116

The TrueAlert-series was supposedly introduced in 2001 so why the installers would have used 4903-series devices I have no idea (unless Simplex didn’t discontinue the 4903-series right away).

The 4903 series remained available for a long time (it might even be available today!)

[googleuser3212 (Max Dutiel)]

@MrFireAlarm

This looks like a metal version of an sd355

[TheCarson116]

@MrFireAlarm

I suppose Old Stock, but I am only assuming the building age by the design, (As these have no Records that I have Access to) it also could be late 90s, as it gives that vibe as well.

Yeah.

@MrFireAlarm

There are Cold War Era Bunkers under the Auditorium, U Building, and the North and South Gym. That Siren is close to a Bunker Entrance for the Auditorium, So I assume it was used for Civil Defense Drills of some sort.

Ah, yeah, that might be it.

@randomperson

The 4903 series remained available for a long time (it might even be available today!)

Really? I honestly figured that Simplex would have largely discontinued it once they introduced its successor the TrueAlert-series (though you are right about that last part: Simplex still sells 4903-series devices, albeit with TrueAlert horns in them, supposedly to be used as replacements for older/original 4903-series devices (along with I think some ceiling-mount applications).

@googleuser3212

This looks like a metal version of an sd355

It’s not: heck Statitrol made those detectors decades before the SD355 would even be designed.

[googleuser3212 (Max Dutiel)]

@TheCarson116

It’s not: heck Statitrol made those detectors decades before the SD355 would even be designed.

I know, I am just saying that it kind of reminds me of the sd355 a bit. Also it reminds me of one of the types of in building antennas. Something like this: Galtronics 02121304-05491U 380-6000MHz Broadband In-Building Antenna (02121304-05491U) | Solid Signal

[MrFireAlarm]

Yea, Thats why I second Guessed that it was a smoke detector.

[WheelockNS (Wheelock)]

Gotta love TUSD and their diverse systems! Let’s hope it doesn’t go off as much as my schools system!

[MrFireAlarm]

After Digging Deep, I found this image from 1960 of the hallway.

Is that Black speck (Towards the end of the hall) A horn? Or am I seeing things.

Im still looking for more pictures, but whatever it is, its long gone now…

[Kai_Bannon]

It could have been a bell the school would use for class change.

[_Shiloh]

@TheCarson116

One word: headache.

for sure wheelove fire alarms did a vid on that

[KBM_Fire_andSecurity (SlyFox Alarms)]

@MrFireAlarm

There are Cold War Era Bunkers under the Auditorium, U Building, and the North and South Gym. That Siren is close to a Bunker Entrance for the Auditorium, So I assume it was used for Civil Defense Drills of some sort.

Do you mean fallout shelters? In the cold-war they did not have bunkers because if you were anywhere near the spot you would certainly die, but the shelters were designed to protect from nuclear fallout hundreds of miles away from the spot.
The shelters would have signs like these

Not my photo

[MrFireAlarm]

Yes, I meant a Fallout Shelter, “Bunker” is the term used by staff and Students, so I went with that.

And since the Fallout Shelters were designed for the just the school and not for public use, those signs were never there.

A reddit post from years ago that mentions this: