Lack of a message on voice systems?

Is there any specific reason as to why many voice systems (particularly in Massachusetts) don’t have a message?

In what setting are these voice systems are being installed/

In what setting are these voice systems are being installed/

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Mainly in schools.

I’m not sure about the code in MA, but as far as I know the national code requires new voice evac systems in schools.

Perhaps it wasn’t needed when it was installed at the time but they saw the future need should the school expand? It’s kinda interesting that they didn’t choose to opt in for voice messages when they have a system in place. I know of some systems that use speakers but it’s a multi-tone system to communicate different threats.

No, these are varying sizes of schools.
2003: Two elementary schools, both having Simplex 4100’s.
2011: A small school located inside an office building (in a different, but adjacent, city.) The system (a Notifier NFS2-640) was installed as part of the school, and the rest of the building still has horn/strobes.

The new building at my former college has a 4100U/ES voice system that doesn’t play a message - just slow whoop. The first addition was built in '06 or '07 and the second addition was completed in 2013.

There’s a 4003 with the labels stripped off in the older section, and from what I’ve heard the system originally used the default message. My guess is that they started feeding audio from the new 4100ES node once that new addition to the system was complete. The standalone library building still uses its 4003, which plays slow whoop and its default message.

It could be a New England thing. Maybe they figure that they don’t need a message in cases where there’s no specific instructions to follow other than “evacuate”. The college does have elevators, but it’s not a high-rise, and even the 4003 default message doesn’t mention elevators. Honestly, I think “whoop on loop” sounds better than it getting cut off at a random spot for the voice message.

I’m not sure about the code in MA, but as far as I know the national code requires new voice evac systems in schools.
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My interpretation is that as long as there are external microphones and the fire department has the ability to give instructions via the fire alarm system the actual default message can be whatever the building occupant wants it to be, whether that’s a voice or just a tone. I could be wrong on that though, that’s just my speculation.

I think since it’s in a smaller setting there is not as much of a need for voice evac messages. Where the voice aspect is probably used is for things such as announcing lockdowns, that would be announced over a standard PA system in a school with a non-voice fire alarm system.

I work in many apartment buildings that have the same setup, tone only over the speakers and a manual paging microphone, with fire phones. I always thought it was a cost issue, like adding automatic voice messages would cost more?

Prerecorded messages are intended for high rises more so than schools. Purpose of voice is for first responders to provide direction for evacuation.
That being said, I’ve done voice in Boston that only has tone. Prerecorded messages for high rises only.
Also have done prerecorded in NH, at the AHJS request though all of them were assembly occupancies

Something that varies with speakers that have messages is whether that message just plays once and then the alarm just does its tone afterwards until silenced or whether it keeps going from tone to message until silenced.