What alarm do you have at work/school

Fire Alarm General Discussion
362

Huh, I guess it is, all I know is that it sounds like a 9833 and have only heard it go off once, and is EXTREMELY loud, even during lunch, which is very loud. And btw it’s a strobe not a light.

Same here, all the other schools I have attended had these awful things. Very common for schools in my area.

363

Then that makes it a 2903-9101, which is the strobe version. I’m certain the one at my college was the light version (2903-9001). The reason for them installing that there was I’m guessing because Simplex serviced your school’s system at one time back in the '80s or early '90s.

364

They serviced the whole district from I think 1995 until 2 years ago. I believe the school had a ESL 1500 or Simplex 2001 before, But in the 3 years i have been there it was a Afp-200 then due to the generator frying everything it was NFS-320 then was AGAIN replaced with another NFS-320 due to the old one catching fire from the generator turning on. The school used to have a 4-4 mechanical system with Bells very very old T bar style pull stations that somewhat resemble modern T-Bars . Can’t find a picture of one online thogh

365

About the 6120’s being loud, the ones I’ve heard were normal volume to quiet. We had 2 of them in our gym (which have since been removed), and they weren’t loud at all (and they sounded really cool together). The emergency exit was torture, though. It was probably 7 feet wide, not very long, and all tile and brick (which made it seem louder), but the installers decided to put a signal there (idiots).

BTW, is there any way you can film the 6120’s going off?

366

Sorry, I can’t film or record it. It’s in the cafeteria which is a “restricted” locked area not during lunch. And plus they wouldn’t allow me to do it and would think I was weird. However if I happen to be in lunch or at a dance and it goes off, I usually have my phone 24/7 which has a pretty nice camera and microphone on it.

367

It’s okay if you don’t film it. I really don’t mind.

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De La Salle Collegiate High School (formerly Holly Junior High School, Warren, MI)

Alarms:

  1. The majority of the alarms here consist of gray Standard Electric 4-350 horns (rebranded Simplex 4040 horns) on backplates.

  2. A 2004 addition to the school features National Time branded Gentex Commander horn/strobes.

  3. Some of the renovated classrooms at the school feature ceiling-mounted alarms of some sort (unknown manufacturer).

  4. Inside the student commons area, there is a flush-mount National Time branded Faraday horn/strobe from a 1990s addition.

  5. In a hallway near the commons area, there is a Notifier 6" fire bell.

Pulls:

  1. The main entrance to the school has a National Time t-bar pull station (unknown model number).

  2. The rest of the pull stations here are a rarity; Thorn Autocall t-bar pull stations! There are t-bars in the gymnasium protected by Stopper II’s; the rest of the pulls have no protection.

  3. Evidenced by a metal plate under a 4-350, is what may have been the location of a Standard Electric 200177 pull station.

Panel:

Inside the main office, is a National Time panel of some sort that replaced a much larger panel from the past.

369

Madonna University-Academic Building (Livonia, MI) I have already mentioned this school, but I have decided to do a revision since I have a couple of updates to share about the system.

Alarms:

  1. Flush-mount National Time 411F horns in older sections of the school, such as one in the Take 5 Lounge, three in the music wing, and one in the art wing.

  2. Renovated sections of the school feature Gentex Commander horn/strobes and strobes.

  3. Outside of a mechanical room on the exterior of the school (near the Take 5 Lounge), there is a gray Edwards Adaptahorn, likely used if there is an incident inside the mechanical room.

  4. Inside the school, outside of another mechanical room, there are two Wheelock 7002T-24 horn/strobes next to each other, one of which is National Time branded; a 411F is not far from these two. My assumption is that one of the horn/strobes is used if there is an incident in the mechanical room, and the other one is being used as a replacement for the 411F; if so, then the old horn is disconnected but is still there.

  5. You have probably heard me mention an unknown fire alarm when I first talked about the system here. Just today, I found out what the alarm is; it is a National Time 514 audible horn. It looks exactly like this one, except that it is flush-mounted:Electronic Fire Alarm | Eric L | Flickr There is one horn inside Kresge Hall, however, that is behind a grille designed for a 6" bell!

Class Change Bells:

  1. 6" National Time P806 bells throughout most of the school; most, if not all of them, are located next to the 411F horns.

  2. The hallway near the Kresge Hall has what appear to be these National Time 6" bells, but I could not get the model number as it was faded. These bells are behind silver grilles.

  3. Outside, around the school, are some 10" bells (unknown manufacturer) with protective guards on the gongs.

Detectors:
One old ESL detector near the main entrance to Kresge Hall.

Pulls:

  1. National Time 620M pull stations throughout most of the school; these are non-ADA compliant.

  2. Renovated sections of the school have National Time t-bar pull stations.

  3. At the top of a stairwell near the Take 5 Lounge, there is a General Electric branded 270-SPO that replaced a 620M from the past.

  4. The lobby, and stage area of Kresge Hall have National Time 641 pull stations; these ones are ADA compliant.

Expect some additional revisions of my other schools that I have been to soon.

370

Doing some revisions now for some of the Livonia Public Schools district buildings that I have been to…

Buchanan Elementary School

Alarms:

  1. Although probably a National Time system, I do remember seeing one FOS branded Faraday horn/strobe. Some of the classrooms had these to; this is not a place I would want to be if the fire alarm went off! :shock: Signal coding is continuous.
  2. Some of the other select rooms (speech room) feature Faraday strobes.
  3. I think the original system consisted of National Time 411F horns, non-flush mount.

Class Change Bells:

  1. I do remember there being one gray 6" bell outside my classroom.
  2. Near the office area, is this double-gong setup of golden 4" bells.
  3. There are also some 10" bells scattered around outside (playground, for example).

Pulls:
National Time 641 pull stations.

Cass Elementary School

Alarms:

  1. The original system consisted of National Time 411F horns, flush mount. This system, although disconnected, is still entirely intact today. One interesting think you can find about the old system is that the 411F mounted way high up in the gymnasium is painted over with white paint!
  2. The current systems, installed in the 1990s, feature National Time branded Faraday horn/strobes in the hallways, including one horn/strobe in every other classroom; my 5th grade classroom had one, and it was pandemonium for me when it came to fire drills! :shock: Signal coding is continuous.
  3. There are National Time strobes that can be found in all the other classrooms that don’t have a horn/strobe installed, there are also some of them in the hallways and LMC area as well.
  4. I don’t know if this is an alarm or not, but across from a class change bell (see below) in a hallway near the office, is what may have been this gray 4" National Time P804 trouble bell, like the one in this photo:Fire Bell | Eric L | Flickr It certainly is a strange place to put a trouble bell, though… :roll:

Class Change Bells:

  1. What I believe are 6" National Time P806 bells behind silver grilles; there is one in a hallway with specialty classes, three in a very long hallway with the LMC, one in the kindergarten wing, one in the gymnasium (painted over with white), and one outside P806 next to my 5th grade door.
  2. One 8" or 10" bell is in the rear playground behind a protective guard, another similar bell is outside of the boiler room, except with no guard.

Detectors:
Scatted around the school are older System Sensor 2400 series photoelectric detectors.

Panel:
Unknown manufacturer, but is located inside the main office.

Pulls:
National Time 641 pull stations with National Time’s answer to the Stopper II:http://www.natsco.net/PDFs/405.pdf The pull stations originally did not have protective covers while I was here.

More revisions to come soon!

371

Riley Upper Elementary School (Livonia, MI) {Revision}

Alarms:

  1. The original system, when the school first got its own building in the late 1950s, consisted of gray Authentic Electric Company 1786-C horns, and there are two survivors of the old system today, although they are disconnected; one in the North Gym and one in the Choir Room. It’s possible, however, that they may have been branded by National Time as the 331 horn.
  2. A band room annex constructed in the 1960s has a surviving National Time 411F horn inside; that horn as well is also disconnected.
  3. The current system consists of National Time branded Faraday horn/strobes and strobes throughout the school; most classrooms, some hallways, and smaller rooms have strobes, and there are horn/strobes in the hallways, both gymnasiums, the cafeteria, and in larger rooms, such as the Resource Room (ex-computer lab), and one of two of the school’s band rooms, to name a couple. Signal coding is continuous.
  4. I can remember one courtyard area that may have had a weatherproof National Time branded Faraday horn/strobe.
  5. The South Gym annex, constructed in the mid 2000s along with a connecting hallway, features Gentex Commander horn/strobes, including 8 of them in the gymnasium. It is no joke, either; this would NOT be a place to be if the fire alarms went off! :shock:

Class Change Bells:

  1. The school likely had, and still has, these black 6" Autocall bells, which can be found around the school, the cafeteria, and the North Gym, just to name a few.
  2. The band room (including the hallway annex that goes with it), and the choir room, along with a few other select places, have these unknown golden 4" bells (it looks like a 6" bell, but sounds like a 4" and is also uniquely shaped).
  3. There may have been a National Time P806 bell in the other band room.
  4. Outside, around the school, are these black 10" bells behind protective covers; they are likely Autocall branded, and may have had the model number RV8.
  5. The lobby inside the school has a golden 4" double gong setup (not like the bells I mentioned above).
  6. The resource room has this unknown gray 6" bell inside; it would struggle to work while I was there.

All of these bells had a unique way of ringing. Most schools with bell systems would ring the bells all at once. But at Riley, some of the bells (North Gym bell) would only ring during the beginning and at the end of the day, and when they did ring, they were often on a 1 or 2 second delay. For example, at the beginning of the day, the hallway bells would ring, followed by an Autobell bell outside the SACC room about 1-1.5 seconds later. Then, after those bells rang, the North Gym bell would go off. Do you see what I am talking about here?

Pulls:

  1. One surviving pull from the old system can be found in the stage area located inside the cafeteria; I think it may have been an Autocall branded Chevron!
  2. The rest of the pulls here are National Time 641 pull stations; most of them are behind Stopper II covers, with the exception of both band rooms, for example.
372

My middle school did something similar with the bells when I was there. The school was built in 1957 and initially had a mix of Edwards 6" Adaptabels and single-stroke chimes (also made by Edwards.) Outside there was another 6" Adaptabel, a 4" Adaptabel and several 10" Adaptabels behind protective covers. When I went there, they had a Simplex 2350 master time panel controlling the clock/bell system, and it was set up in a unique way; first many of the indoor bells and chimes would ring, excluding the cafeteria, the auditorium and music room, and the wood shop room. Then 1.5 seconds later after those bells started up, the outdoor bell (only two or three of the outdoor bells would work when I was there, usually the 6" Adaptabel) would sound, in addition to the bells in the auditorium, music room and wood shop room. 1.5 seconds after that (by then the majority of the indoor bells had finished ringing) the bell in the cafeteria would ring. The Simplex time system was programmed so that many of the indoor bells would be on the first circuit, the outdoor bells and the auditorium, music room and wood shop room on the second circuit, and the cafeteria on the third circuit.
Additionally, a few of the 6" Adaptabels were disconnected when I was there, and are still disconnected to this day (including one in the lobby outside the auditorium, one not too far from the main office, and one outside the cafeteria.) The old bells in the wood shop and one of the computer labs were replaced in the early 1990s with beige 6" Simplex bells, and recently two of the chimes on the second floor were replaced with newer 6" Adaptabels. Also, last year the old Simplex 2350 time panel broke, so they replaced it with a new digital master clock by American Time and Signal. So far this one just rings all the bells at once, but it can be programmed so the bells sound on separate circuits.
Though on a similar note, the fire alarm system is also equally as old; it is an ancient Gamewell fire alarm system with flush-mount Federal Signal horns with the explosion proof-style grille (I think National Time rebranded these too, I’m not sure). The system is going to be replaced probably some time this summer.

373

Holmes Middle School (Livonia, MI) {Revision}

Alarms:

  1. The original system consisted of National Time 411F horns; most were located in the hallways, gymnasiums, and cafeteria, although there was one in the band room, choir room, and two larger classrooms. The horns in the band room and current world language room (ex-choir room) are still there, although disconnected. There is also a surviving 411F in the hallway with these rooms.
  2. Right next to the 411F in the hallway, is a red 10" bell! I don’t know what its purpose may have been (nor do I know the manufacturer), but I am going to assume it was used for class change (see below). This bell never worked while I was here.
  3. The current system consists of National Time branded Faraday horn/strobes in the hallways, cafeteria, one in the library, etc. There are National Time branded Faraday strobes in most classrooms as well, such as each computer lab, and some are also scattered in the hallways. Signal coding is continuous.
  4. In two classrooms that were remodeled from an older multi-purpose room, there is one National Time branded Gentex Commander horn/strobe in each (both rooms have very high ceilings).

Class Change Bells:

  1. National Time P806 bells throughout most of the school, mostly in the hallways, gymnasiums, cafeteria, etc.
  2. There are also some National Time P804 bells as well; two in the front lobby, one in the band and world language rooms, two in the library, and one in the West Gym.
  3. There are two double gong setups also; one black 4" setup in the front lobby, and one golden 4" setup in a hallway nearby. But get this; one of the golden 4" bells must have fallen off or something, because it was retrofitted over with a red 6" bell! Now that is a bad installation job right there! :o
  4. Outside, there are some 10" bells spread around the building; I can only recall one of these that worked.

Pulls:
National Time 641 pull stations, some with with Stopper II covers (primarily near the gymnasiums) and others with these old-fashioned covers installed on them. There are some exceptions, though; the pull stations in the front lobby, cafeteria, and main office (next to the panel) have no sort of protection.

374

Stevenson High School (Livonia, MI) {Revision}

Alarms:

  1. The original system probably consisted of gray Standard Electric 3-450 horns (rebranded Simplex 4040 alarms) throughout the school; most of them were in the hallways, original LMC (now computer labs and offices), gymnasium, both cafetoriums, and other large rooms (band room and choir rooms, for example). The band room storage area, along with the practice room separating the band/choir rooms, actually had these installed inside; their wires are still exposed as of today!
  2. The current system, probably installed in the early 1990s, consists of National Time branded Faraday horn/strobes (most rooms mentioned above) and strobes (most bathrooms, some smaller renovated offices, classrooms). Most of these are not flush-mount, save for additions constructed onto the science and English/mathematics wings during the 1990s, renovated science classrooms, and one in a connecting hallway to the band room. Signal coding is continuous.
  3. One horn/strobe in the science wing has “FIRE” lettering on the front, possibly a non-ADA alarm and may have replaced an older Standard horn before the upgrade.
  4. There is one red National Time 4" bell in the main office; it is near an annuciator and I assume is used as a trouble bell.
  5. A fieldhouse annex constructed at Stevenson during the 2000s has National Time branded Gentex Commander horn/strobes.

Annuciator:
One big black National Time annuciator inside the main office.

Class Change Bells:

  1. The school still boasts these 6" Standard Electric bells originally installed when the school first opened. Most of these work, while others were removed (choir room, practice room, band storage room, a hallway near the pool area). They can be found behind white, gray, or dark blue grilles.
  2. Additions to the school were given 6" National Time bells; two in the library, and one in each computer lab, for example. To my knowledge, about half of them do not work or were disconnected. These are behind silver grilles.
  3. Outside, are a mix of these National Time 10" bells behind grilles or protective guards; I do believe that none of these work.
  4. The fieldhouse annex features National Time 4" bells.

Detectors:
Some areas of the school have these System Sensor 2400 series smoke detectors near these wide fire-proof doors leading into additions to the school.

Pulls:

  1. The original system consisted of Standard 200177 pull stations behind protective covers; there are no survivors of these today.
  2. The current system consists of National Time 641 pull stations behind Stopper II covers, save for the band room.
375

At work: Edwards Integrities

376

I finally found out the horns in my dorm are: Simplex 9238.

377

Macomb Community College South Campus - Sports & Expo Center (Warren, MI) {Revision}

Alarms:
A mixture of National Time branded Faraday horn/strobes and strobes throughout the building. Some of the alarms have flush-mount plates while others don’t, and some of them are flush-mounted into the wall while others have the back box sticking out. The alarms in the gym/exposition center have metal protective covers.

Annuciator?:
The lobby at the entrance to this building has what might be a National Time annuciator (it is a very large building).

Detectors:
System Sensor 2400 series heat detectors in the ticket booth and kitchen area.

Pulls:

  1. National Time t-bar pull stations in the general area of the building.
  2. National Time 641 pull stations exclusively in the gym/exposition center area.

Churchill High School (Livonia, MI) {Revision}

Alarms:

  1. National Time branded Faraday horn/strobes and strobes throughout the building, with horn/strobes in the hallways, gymnasium, and large classrooms.
  2. National Time branded Gentex Commander horn/strobes in the Fieldhouse annex of the building.

Class Change Bells:
This school, next to Frost Middle School, is one of the only buildings in the district to no longer use bells to signal class change. There is no class change tone played over the PA system, either; students are just dismissed from their classrooms whenever the teacher lets them go. However, I did spot two survivors of the old system; a ceiling-mounted National Time P804 bell in one hallway and a 4" double gong setup outside of the cafeteria.

Detectors:
One System Sensor 2400 series heat detector outside an entrance to a school wing.

Pulls:
National Time 641 pull stations, some of them with Stopper II covers.

378

I have a new job and today I was able to take a better look at the system. It’s a Gamewell-FCI | Honeywell Building Technologies Gamewell-FCI E3 Classic voice evac system. The signals vairy widely. For audible/visuals, they have http://www.coopernotification.com/content/dam/public/safety/notification/products/Life%20Safety%20Notification/Large/ET70_R.jpg E70s, http://www.coopernotification.com/content/dam/public/safety/notification/products/Life%20Safety%20Notification/Large/E90-24MCC-FW.jpg E90s, http://www.wheelock-products.com/images/products/E60-24MCCH-FW.jpg E60s, and a few http://www.coopernotification.com/content/dam/public/safety/notification/products/Life%20Safety%20Notification/Large/E50_24MCW_FR.jpg E50s. The strobes are few and far between. One bathroom near the breakroom has a http://www.summit-st.net/new/media/productlinepic/ZRSm.jpg ZRS. The bathroom down the hall after that has an http://www.coopernotification.com/content/dam/public/safety/notification/products/Life%20Safety%20Notification/Large/E50_24MCW_FR.jpg E50 in it, and the bathroom just off of my office has a http://www.coopernotification.com/content/dam/public/safety/notification/products/Life%20Safety%20Notification/Large/RSS_24MCW_FR.jpg wall-mount RSS on the ceiling. The smokes are that of the Gamewell-FCI | Honeywell Building Technologies velocity series and are only placed in the office and hallway areas. The pulls are Gamewell-FCI | Honeywell Building Technologies MS-7s (rebranded BG-12s). I’d say they’re addressable, but for some reason, they don’t flash like the datasheets say they should.

Also, this is a high security facility, so don’t expect any pictures from this building from me. For the record, I work in the area that has the E60s.

379

My new school has Spectralert Advance Strobes, Horn/Strobes and Speaker/Strobes. Pulls are Fire-lite (dont know model) and the Main panel is Fire Lite. I haven’t seen the EVAC panel, as they were still working on installing it when I saw the main panel. We also have annunciators in a couple of places as the main panel is in an electrical room elsewhere in the school.

380

I work at two places…

My first office located in the Silicon Valley has no fire alarm system in it, at least none that I know of. I do know that the sprinkler system has a communicator tied into the security system, so I guess that counts. But there’s no pulls, no alarms (other than the sprinkler bell), etc. In other buildings around the plant that I work at, the systems are sporadic, but generally based off of some Honeywell offspring. This building has been around since I was born.

The other office I work at, near my college, has a fully addressable Notifier system. Complete with AS horn/strobes and RSS strobes. The pulls are NBG-12LXs, and the smokes are generic Notifiers before they went to the cone style. The only one I’ve seen though is right above the communicator for the standpipe. This building is about 5 years old I’d say.

At school everything is Cerberus Pyrotronics, Pyrotronics, Siemens, etc. Buildings range from brand new to 40 years old. Most of them have been retrofitted with modern systems with the standard MXL. A lot of the signals are wheelocks, whether they be NS, AS, RSS, the brand new clip ons, chimes, you name it…they’ve got it. You’ll even see a rare 34T sighting, or some of the older horn/strobes pre-1990s. In some buildings they have Siemens horn/strobes with U-MMTs and U-MCSs. Some of the buildings instead of generic sprinkler bells will use U-HNs. Sporadically placed along campus you’ll also see some Gamewell pulls, but those are slowly being replaced as well.

In the dorms we’re starting to see a replacing of aging detecters with brand new Gentex 8240 series detectors, the ones that interconnect locally and with the building system. Some are just local though if it’s just a single older detector that needs to be replaced in an apartment or dorm. In some apartments there are ESL 449CSTEs, but that’s in rare cases when they don’t have the Gentex detectors.

381

At Symonds School, we had bells made by Edwards and Edwards classic pull stations (changed in 1973 to buzzers and round Standard pulls). At St. Joseph School, we had the old “break glass” pulls (changed that summer -1973- to Space Age horns and Kidde pulls). At Jonathan Daniels, we had either Federal Signal or Wheelock buzzers and round Standard pulls, same at the Junior High. At KHS, we had Wheelock buzzers and round Standard pull stations in the main part of the building; in the CVC we had Simplex beepers and Simplex T-bar pulls; in the Steel Building, Wheelock 34-24s + strobe or 7002s with Couch “chevron” pulls and in the Annex, Space Age horns with Gamewell “full moon” pulls. The whole school was switched over to new Wheelock beepers and Edwards 278 pulls in 2000.