I actually thought that was supposed to be a given. Or at least it was when I was in high school and they did it. I guess not.
[quote="Simplex 4051" post_id=80634 time=1527719531 user_id=18]
I actually thought that was supposed to be a given. Or at least it was when I was in high school and they did it. I guess not.
[/quote]
It was never a given when we had drills in high school - our middle school was smart enough to tell us that information.
A bit of an update regarding the email I sent:
So our district is putting our school on a pilot program for enhancing emergency preparedness for schools. Although the facilities manager didn’t give me details on what’s changing or being added, he said that there would be changes made to address the concerns I mentioned, those being malicious fire alarm activations and frequent false alarm occurrences, needed hardware upgrades, and the possibility of several upgrades to the alarms themselves (i.e. voice evac to be used as a mass notification system and connection of trailers).
For now, I’ll just wait and see what they do and perhaps give updates on how they can work things out.
[quote=WhelenSirenFan post_id=80612 time=1527630735 user_id=4540]
Even if manual activation was removed, the shooter could still activate a detector by the test switch or a match, or a sprinkler. There are just too many loopholes.
[/quote]
test switches don’t actually do anything, and by using matches you’ve hit on a very important yet critically under discussed topic… there are other ways to do harm.
a test switch normally just activates the relay on a duct housing, it’s really the most useless thing ever yet people are convinced they should still be put in for some reason. in hospitals in my state they aren’t even allowed because someone at the state level realized they were useless at least.
Yes that is also really true and if we did away with manual activation the shooter probably would end up damaging a sprinkler or a smoke or heat detector in order to activate the alarms. There really isn’t a way to COMPLETELY solve this.
[quote=chris+s post_id=80656 time=1527821931 user_id=3064]
test switches don’t actually do anything, and by using matches you’ve hit on a very important yet critically under discussed topic… there are other ways to do harm.
a test switch normally just activates the relay on a duct housing, it’s really the most useless thing ever yet people are convinced they should still be put in for some reason. in hospitals in my state they aren’t even allowed because someone at the state level realized they were useless at least.
[/quote]
I meant on the smoke/heat detector.
[quote=WhelenSirenFan post_id=80663 time=1527864600 user_id=4540]
I meant on the smoke/heat detector.
[/quote]
might depend on the system but most commercial detectors i’ve seen don’t have test switches like household smokes do.
[quote=chris+s post_id=80671 time=1527915433 user_id=3064]
[quote=WhelenSirenFan post_id=80663 time=1527864600 user_id=4540]
I meant on the smoke/heat detector.
[/quote]
might depend on the system but most commercial detectors i’ve seen don’t have test switches like household smokes do.
[/quote]
Magtest?
[quote=jelimoore post_id=80680 time=1527956635 user_id=4193]
Magtest?
[/quote]
lots dont even respond to those, smoke only.
[quote=chris+s post_id=80683 time=1527959995 user_id=3064]
lots dont even respond to those, smoke only.
[/quote]
What do you mean they don’t respond? Like they have a reed switch and don’t respond or just don’t have a reed switch?
[quote=jelimoore post_id=80684 time=1527962648 user_id=4193]
What do you mean they don’t respond? Like they have a reed switch and don’t respond or just don’t have a reed switch?
[/quote]
like lots of modern addressable smoke detectors don’t have a mag test option, there’s no reed switch.
Mag tests only test the electronics, they don’t test if the detector can actually detect smoke so it’s not even allowed by a lot of fire marshals.
[quote=chris+s post_id=80697 time=1528039451 user_id=3064]
[quote=jelimoore post_id=80684 time=1527962648 user_id=4193]
What do you mean they don’t respond? Like they have a reed switch and don’t respond or just don’t have a reed switch?
[/quote]
like lots of modern addressable smoke detectors don’t have a mag test option, there’s no reed switch.
Mag tests only test the electronics, they don’t test if the detector can actually detect smoke so it’s not even allowed by a lot of fire marshals.
[/quote]
Really? At my school we only have System Sensor 2251B smoke detectors, which does have the magnet test feature. Although the likelihood of a shooter to know this is somewhat low, being able to set off the alarm like that is not a good thing.