S.H. COUCH fire alarm system pics!

A while back I had the good(?) fortune of coming across a few Couch fire alarm systems still mostly intact and operational! This surprised me, as I often see places that formerly had Couch systems (i.e. with the Couch pulls, but newer signals and detectors of some sort.) Since Couch fire alarm systems are so rare (ever since Faraday bought them out), I thought I’d share these…

The first come from a local temple where they have a model railroading show every year (I’m not Jewish, but I like model trains, so I come to this every year.) This temple was built in 1964, and they have an old Couch system. It reminds me of an old Standard Electric Time system…


I don’t know what Couch called them, but I know the horns are older Federal Vibratone 450s. Seems a lot of companies used them as a fire alarm horn back in the 1960s and early 1970s (like Gamewell, Standard, Cerberus Pyrotronics, Simplex, Autocall, even Edwards on occasion!) That Edwards Adapt-a-bel next to it is a school bell used for the Sunday school wing (only found in that section of the building.)


Older Chemtronics mechanical heat sensors. Again, IDK what Couch called them. In one room I saw a newer Edwards heat detector (complete with Edwards logo on the side!)


Naturally, the pull stations are Couch’s classic F1G Chevrons! This one didn’t have the glass rod, but others did.


Some annunciator. I think it’s a 1980s or 1990s Fire-Lite annunciator, suggesting the old Couch panel was replaced (or maybe these annunciators actually dated back to the 1960s?)


A Vibratone horn in the auditorium area missing its grille! This was the ONLY horn in this room (signals were actually sparsely placed in several areas!

This next set is from a former medical center that was probably built in the early 1970s, but is now used for occasional training by the nearby hospital…


An OLD Couch fire alarm panel. I’m surprised this was still intact. I thought maybe there would be some Faraday or CP/Siemens panel in its place.


Again, the alarms are Federal Vibratone 450 horns, but this time they are on semi-flush plates. They also have those red remote “FIRE” lights. I am sure that is Couch’s version. Faraday, Edwards and Simplex made their own versions too but with a few differences (Edwards’ has a longer light and “FIRE” written horizontally instead of vertically, and Simplex’s has black “FIRE” lettering in a different font (same as the “regular” 4050-80 light plates.)


Pull stations are Couch Chevrons, with Stopper IIs added.


This time the light is mounted below the horn. An obvious early audible/visual alarm setup!


ESL smoke detector. There were also some System Sensor and older Pyrotector smoke detectors around the building.

Nice find! You don’t see too many of these old fire alarm systems still operational.

Awesome pictures! It’s always cool to see photos of rare, older systems like these; the pics of the old panel and remote lights at the medical centre especially caught my attention. I’ve never seen S.H. Couch systems in my area but I know that there are a few older Standard Electric Time/Unelco systems lurking around here.