Absolutely, I have visited a military base that has a Wheelock version of this, but it goes the other way around (Fire on top, alert on bottom). I am not sure but they used the speaker system that was hooked to the fire alarm system, as part of the alert system. Not sure how it worked.
NFPA and many AHJs have started requiring mass notification and emergency communication capabilities be built into modern voice evacuation fire systems. They have allowed it for a while but it is now catching on – you can use a fire alarm system to announce a condition other than fire as long as it does not sound like a fire alarm and does not look like a fire alarm. The audible one is already satisfied since a speaker is a speaker and you can play a different sound through it. The yellow strobe satisfies the visual requirement.
Three examples of when a mass notification system would be useful:
Tornado / severe weather.
Dangerous conditions within the building other than fire.
Lockdowns or security alerts.
I looked at one of those at an ADI trade show and talked to the Gentex rep about it. He told me the strobe intensity is actually 3 candelas higher than it is rated, and said that is because the yellow tint reduces the light output slightly. He also said they tested a System Sensor model and found it only puts out 12 candela because they forgot to compensate for the tinted lens. But yeah, the Gentex one is designed to have one of their speaker/strobes installed on it.
The System Sensor and Gentex strobe extenders are kind of ugly in my opinion, but I’m waiting for Wheelock to invent multi-color LED strobes so that you don’t have to install an ugly plate. Think about it, it would certainly cut back on installation costs since you only have to install one strobe.
Is I t weird a school built 2 Years ago to not have a voice Evac? Instead the put up Crap-Alert Advances with a crappy SK system(Notifire, Simplex, Fire-Lite, ect. are all better)
If you looked very closely you would see on the existing plates that the yellow strobe is labeled “ALERT” while the clear strobe is labeled “FIRE”. They have to do that, which is why you need two separate strobes. So a strobe that flashes both clear and yellow from a signal that says “FIRE” would then become confusing.
I don’t think that would be ok either, since the alarm has to show what it is for. If I didn’t know better or if I was a child, I wouldn’t first think that the alarm was for a FIRE, I would think it could be an alarm for an oven or open door :lol: . That’s what all fire alarms say “FIRE” on them.
I’ve seen these before. They are strange, aren’t they? I first saw these on simplexgrinnells website. It looks like someone glued two truealerts together. I looked at them and was like “dosent make any sense to me”. Now I realize it saves money by combing a safety system with a fire alarm system without having to pay for two seperate systems. I’ve seen wheelock and system sensors versions. I think system sensors version is ugleee.
I saw some installed down at Tyco in Rhode Island. I had gone down there last month for a seminar and they had them installed above each sprinkler riser in the training room, all side by side. I may have a pic, if I do I’ll post it. It’s a really neat room.
I have one in my collection too, and its essentially two truealert strobes held together on a bracket in the back and a cover on the front.