I may be the first person that spotted a 4003EC(updated one) in public, my School was built in 2011 and because the district now uses Simplex, it had a 4003EC placed in the system. I got a recording of it on Soundcloud: Stream Simplex 4003EC by Rodj | Listen online for free on SoundCloud
What panel does it supplement? A 4010/ES? I donât think the 4003 can be used as a stand alone panel. It might be able to do announcements by itself but I donât think it protect a school from fires by itself. Maybe Retired STR-SG can tell us more about it? 
A 4100U is the main panel there.
Fun fact: 4003EC series panels are rebranded (and reprogrammed for Simplexâs voices) Wheelock SAFEPATH voice evacuation panels.
NAS is correct that the 4003EC is private label manufactured for Simplex by Cooper Wheelock. It is a customized version of their Safepath product. The message chip is different than the chip supplied in Wheelock brand units and it has a few other minor changes.
On the first question, the 4003EC is not a complete fire alarm panel. It must be used as an adjunct to a host FACP. The microphone can be used for PA type announcements if the unit is set up for that.
Doesnât the 4100U have voice evac already? I wouldnât think it would need separate panel to do it, right?
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Not all 4100Us are set up for voice evac by default. Sure, it could have been, but for whatever reason the system was set up with two panels. Sometimes the reason is as simple as there simply isnât enough space for a large fire panel/VECU combo but maybe has enough space for a smaller panel and separate VECU.
Yep. A similar case would be if the system was initially just horns of bells among initial installation, and then voice-evac was added later (like in certain areas.)
A particular case would have to be Boyden Hall at B.S.U. They have a Simplex 4100 fire alarm panel located in the janitorâs closet (replacing a 2001), and initially when the panel was installed, all the alarms were Simplex 4051+4050-85 horn/lights (installed in 1979-1980, presumably with the 2001 panel), and all initiating devices were conventional (4251-20 single-action pulls and a variety of Simplex smoke detectors.) During the mid-2000s, a few rooms were renovated and had TrueAlert horn/strobes installed, along with addressable TrueAlarm detectors. Then in 2008, the auditorium went through an extensive renovation, and due to the occupancy thing, voice-evac alarms were installed in the auditorium wing (mostly TrueAlert speaker/strobes and even a few horizontal 4903 speaker/strobes!) Due to the size and capacity of the existing 4100, they went and installed a Simplex 4003 voice-evac panel outside the auditorium (probably for easier access for faculty and firefighters.) Of course, the renovated wing also had addressable dual-action Simplex pulls and TrueAlarm detectors installed. Then a few years later, they renovated the registrarâs office and installed TrueAlert speaker/strobes in there as well!
more likely itâs cost. wheelockâs safepath is probably cheaper than simplexâs voice options, especially if the entire building only requires a single safepath.
Iâm not too big on the default message on the 4003EC. âAttention! Attention! This is a fire alarm! Exit the building!â
If theyâre just going to use their own alert tones and such with it, Simplex should at least reuse the old 4003 default message on the 4003EC (though unlike the old one, the 4003EC includes the newer 4100U/ES-style Simplex slow whoop, chime tones, etc.)
It would be nice if a phrase was put into the evac message specifically dissuading people from ignoring the alarm. Something like âthis is a potentially life-threatening situation. Do not delay, evacuate the building now.â Something just to give that extra push to leave. Voice evac seems to be ignored much more often than horns, especially in places like malls, I suppose because it lacks the urgent âatmosphereâ that horns create.
many malls donât want fire alarm evac because people are dumb and want to go see the fire. if they announce fire in the food court⌠everyone is going to head to the food court. :lol:
the reason voice evac is used though is to help prevent panic since itâs not as chaotic as horns, creating a message with that extra push to leave defeats the purpose. a lot of army bases actually use a male voice for the evac inside since people are more likely to listen to it, obey, and get moving. Outside they use a female voice since it keeps people calmer. I canât remember if itâs base specific or part of the UFC codes, but Iâve ran into it on every military installation iâve done work at.