What alarm do you have at work/school

[EdwardsFan]

After staying in a high-rise hotel, those kinds of systems have always interested me. What floor were you on?

I was on the 26th floor during the alarm. I've been told that the second stage alarm automatically sounds on the floor where the alarm was initiated (along with the floors above and below) while the first stage signal is broadcast on all other floors.

I'm also quite interested in high-rise fire alarm systems! This was my first real-life experience with this type of setup.

That's cool, I learned a ton about these systems in my fire alarm course, but have yet to see one in action. I have worked on high-rise systems, but they were installed before this requirement. The one building in my city is a 28 floor condo building, which has a Mircom FX-2000, but it is a single stage system.

[El Chupacabra]

Today, I heard this system sounding during a false alarm. I only heard the first stage signal (60 BPM chime) as the alarm had been initiated a few floors below mine. After about one minute, an automatic bilingual message was broadcast, indicating that the fire alarm had been activated on the 18th floor and asking all occupants of the 17th, 18th and 19th floors to evacuate immediately without using the elevators. The signals were silenced about five minutes later and a live all-clear announcement was made.

Another false alarm occurred this week and I was able to get an audio recording of the event. The recording includes the first stage signal and message along with two different all-clear messages (and some commentary from my coworkers, unfortunately). I wasn't quick enough to get a full recording of the second all-clear message, which indicated that the building systems had been reset; only the French portion of this message is featured in the video.



Hopefully the video will work properly!

[randomperson]

NOT SAFE FOR DIAL-UP
So, this summer I'm attending a programming course (DO NOT ASK for more details) at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. (but not this upcoming week, thanks to something which you'll be able to figure out from my next post.)

Here are the fire alarm systems at Harvard I've seen so far...

Gutman Conference Center
Panel: Simplex 4100 (there's an annunciator at the entrance)

Pull stations: 4099-9001's, and 4099-9006's in renovated areas.

Detectors: Newer TrueAlarms

Signals: TrueAlert speaker/strobes

There are also many Edwards Adaptahorns, which are now obviously disconnected.




53 Church Street
Panel: FCI FC-72, located at the entrance
Pull stations: Sigcom SG-32's rebranded by Mammoth Fire Alarms

Detectors: Fenwal PSD-7155's (?)

Signals: Gentex Commander 2 horn/strobes



Also, something happened on Wednesday... (drumroll, please!)
I was walking near Porter Square (also in Cambridge) when I heard something beeping. I first thought it was a timer in a restaurant, but then I noticed it was in code-3! So I went to investigate.
It was SpectrAlert Classics, at a multi-family home. (I could also hear what sounded like mini-horns in the background.)
When I got there, someone who looked like a manager had just arrived and was on the phone with someone for a few minutes, and then silenced the alarm. (Didn't see the panel, but it kept chirping every few seconds once silenced.)

[Simplex 4051]

Sucks that they disconnected the Adaptahorns because I really would have liked to see more of them. But then again, look it how low to the ground they are!

[RSSAlarms]

My high schools fire alarm system (1995-2016)

Panel: Notifier AM-2020/AFP-1010

Pull stations: Notifier BGX-101l

Notification appliances: a mix of Wheelock AES-EL1-WS-24s and AES-EL1-LSM-24s, remote strobes: Wheelock WS1T-24 remote strobes

Smoke/Heat sensors: Notifier SDX-551s and FDX-551s (not sure if there were FDX-551s, but I’ll check the OEM manuals stored in the custodial office)

In 2005, they added on to the school and another panel was added

New panel: Notifier NFS-640

Pull stations: Notifier NBG-12LX

Notification appliances: System Sensor P12/24MC horn strobes and System Sensor S12/24MC remote strobes.

Smoke/Heat Sensors: Notifier FSP-851 smoke/heat detector.

Most of the pull station had Stopper IIs mounted over them to prevent false fire alarms.

Both systems were replaced in 2016 for a new system when another addition was added to the performing arts center.

New panel: EST3

Pull station (only one is installed in the office, code in my area allows one pull station): EST SIGA-278

Notification appliances: EST GC-S7VMH ceiling speaker strobes, EST EGC-VM ceiling strobes, EST G4F-S7VM wall speaker strobes, EST G4F-S2 wall speakers, and EST G1-VM remote strobes.

Smoke/heat sensors: EST SIGA2-PHS smoke/heat sensors.

[idontwannaknow]

2019-2020 school alarm changes

there's not much going on here, except for many rooms have been modernly renovated. A couple classroom-turned-science labs have one speaker/strobe and one remote strobe, which is strange considering all the other ones have two speaker/strobes. Triple classroom labs, found in the brand new extension have two speaker/strobes by the doors and a remote speaker in the middle. all alarms listed are ceiling mount.

unfortunately, my theory on the other building fell flat, when the only changes were the removal of any devices left off from the older CP system. The ZH horns are still intact.

[Simplex 4051]

Well give them time. I'm sure that they will eventually get around to them when they have a bit more time.

[wiley209]

This summer, they've been going with Phase 2 of my college's Student Union cafeteria renovation. As part of it, they even installed an outdoor fire alarm signal on the building! They put a System Sensor SpectrAlert Advance P2RK weatherproof horn/strobe on the side of the building facing the outdoor Student Quad. Inside the cafeteria, they have been installing P2RL horn/strobes, and I also saw some System Sensor/Notifier smoke detector bases installed. They'll either have FSP-851 or maybe FSP-951 heads go on the bases, and they'll also install at least a couple more NBG-12LX pulls in the process, as the existing Notifier AFP-200 system is remaining unaffected by the renovation, though it appears they did need to provide some kind of NAC extender. As of now, the Faraday U-HN-MCS horn/strobe and F1GT Chevron pull are still intact, but either this week or next they'll be removed, and most likely put into my fire alarm collection! Also, in the copying center on the ground floor, I saw that one of the Edwards heat sensors was replaced with a System Sensor 5601 heat detector. Of all the prominent use of System Sensor's detectors being installed on the campus for the last couple of decades, this is the first 5601 heat detector to be installed. I'm also hoping they go forward with installing Stopper II covers over the rest of the pull stations in the Student Union, so they don't have any more accidental false alarms caused by students' backpacks catching onto pull stations!


Similarly, I was in for a big surprise when I stopped at my first elementary school (which became a K-8 school in 2006, as I mentioned.)

2019-08-21 14.17.12.jpg (133.17 KiB) Viewed 384 times

They actually still have the Simplex 4010 fire alarm panel installed during the last decade controlling the whole system, despite getting rid of all the Simplex alarm signals in favor of SpectrAlert Advances (they also replaced the Wheelock MT-24-LSM horn/strobes in the modular building with Advances when that happened.) I was expecting a Notifier NFS2-640 or maybe a Fire-Lite MS-9600UDLS to be there, like some of Brockton's other schools and my college had gotten during this decade. The old Simplex 4208 panel has since been gutted and is probably used for terminal wiring, as I mentioned before the 4208 panel started failing nearly five years ago, hence the old alarms getting replaced with Advances (for some reason, despite using Simplex 4051 horns that ran on 24 VDC, the 4050-80 light plates apparently were 125 VAC, and the 4010 alone could not power the light plates and they needed adequate visual signal coverage.) Prior to the 4208 panel failing, the 4208 was basically used as a slave panel tied into the 4010, for the existing pull stations and heat sensors and one ionization smoke detector, along with providing power for the light plates, while the 4010 covered the added-on duct detectors, the modular building and signal coding. The original Simplex battery cabinet for the 4208 was also removed, and replaced with two EST booster power supply panels. I was also surprised to see those, as if having a Simplex 4010 system running SpectrAlert Advance horn/strobes wasn't enough! (Now I just hope they don't end up putting in a full EST fire alarm system; getting rid of the first fire alarms I ever heard in my life and replacing them with something so mundane like Advances was bad enough...)

[idontwannaknow]

On my first day of school, I had noticed a interesting looking device located outside the staff office building facing the football field. It looked to be similar to the blue lockdown alarms (there was one already installed near it, so I assumed that maybe they installed two for whatever reason) but when I got closer I concluded that it was just a newly installed security camera for the field.

Skipping to today's 5th period PE, there was a substitute teacher so she had us walk or run laps around the football field. I realized i was gonna be like 5 feet away from whatever this was so I ready. But when I got there, I realized something crazy...

... It was a Siemens speaker/strobe-- a weatherproof wall mounted SET with ALERT lettering to be exact-- on a 150x50 foot single floor office. huh

And the weirdest part is that there's a Siemens AS horn/strobe facing the road, but that might be a sprinkler alarm. There isn't another speaker on the other side of the field on the actual school, so one small speaker is used to cover the entire full sized football field. I still don't know if the interior of the office has horns or speakers but considering they did massive renovation to that building which added the two devices I'm conflicted. Yeah it isn't the smallest building I've been to with (a) speaker(s) but it's around there.

[EpicFireAlarms]

I don't know that this counts since it's technically not my school, but another high school in my district just completed a new $105 million dollar campus that is unsurprisingly much nicer than my high school or any other school in my district. In any case, the building has massive Siemens voice-evac system (a first for any school in my district), with mainly Wheelock LSPSTW and LSPSTWC speaker/strobes. The pool area has Wheelock ET-70WP speaker/strobes, and for whatever reason the auditorium and a few other areas have Wheelock LSPSTR speaker/strobes. Smoke detectors are all Siemens FP-series. In keeping with district practice there are no pull stations in public areas, but I'd imagine if there are any they're probably Siemens MS-5(0)1s. I'm not sure on the Panel, but I'm thinking that it's a Siemens FireFinder XLS or something similar.

[EpicFireAlarms]

I don't know that this counts since it's technically not my school, but another high school in my district just completed a new $105 million dollar campus that is unsurprisingly much nicer than my high school or any other school in my district. In any case, the building has massive Siemens voice-evac system (a first for any school in my district), with mainly Wheelock LSPSTW and LSPSTWC speaker/strobes. The pool area has Wheelock ET-70WP speaker/strobes, and for whatever reason the auditorium and a few other areas have Wheelock LSPSTR speaker/strobes. Smoke detectors are all Siemens FP-series. In keeping with district practice there are no pull stations in public areas, but I'd imagine if there are any they're probably Siemens MS-5(0)1s. I'm not sure on the Panel, but I'm thinking that it's a Siemens FireFinder XLS or something similar.

Believe it or not, at the same time that my district built a new high school, the next district over also built a new high school. This school also has a Siemens FireFinder XLS system, with the same smoke detectors and pull stations as the school in my district, but the main difference falls to the notification appliances. The audible component of the system is tied to the PA system, and as such the only notification appliances are Siemens ZR remote strobes throughout the entire building (except the exterior, which has Siemens-branded ET-70WP speaker/strobes). Next to every Siemens ZR, there is an unmarked Wheelock RSSA amber-colored strobe that I'd assume is used for lockdowns (that also probably has an audible component with the PA system).

[wiley209]

Last week they finished the cafeteria/dining hall renovation at my college's Student Union, and everything is up and in operational order. System Sensor P2RL horn/strobes inside the dining hall with a few NBG-12LX pulls and FSP-851 smoke detectors (blinking red, due to the Notifier AFP-200 panel the building has), and a P2RK weatherproof horn/strobe outside facing the new outdoor dining area. The old Standard light plate is still on the wall, but the Faraday U-HN-MCS horn/strobe that was on it was removed and the horn grille and light socket plated over, and they also removed the Faraday F1GT "Chevron" pull, but left the ADA-extension adapter backbox in place and simply plated over its' opening on the bottom. Now I just hope they'll start installing Stopper covers over the pulls in this building, as they have had quite a few accidental false fire alarms over the years cause by students' backpacks catching onto the pulls.

[randomperson]

There seems to be a trend of Cerberus Pyrotronics/Siemens systems in this topic. And it looks like I'm continuing this trend...

Panel: Cerberus Pyrotronics MXL, located in the main office. (there are also annunciators at some of the entrances)

Pull stations: MSI-20B's in most areas, RSG RMS-1T's rebranded by Siemens in the new science areas.


Detectors: ILP-1's (addressable PE-3's) and FirePrints.


Some classrooms and restrooms have ILT-1 heat detectors.

The cafeteria kitchen has Chemtronics 604 heat detectors.

The library, auditorium, and gym have unknown beam detectors.

Signals: Wheelock AS horn/strobes

Some have been replaced with Exceders.

Smaller rooms have RSS strobes.

The cafeteria, gym, auditorium, library, and IT office have E70-24-SLM (NOT a typo - the synchronized version) speaker/strobes.

The new science areas have E70 speaker/strobes.

The greenhouse has an ET70WP speaker/strobe.

[Simplex 4051]

It is gonna be really cool to hear the AS's go off over the voice evacuation message when you have a fire drill I am sure.

[El Chupacabra]

Another building at my university received an upgrade during the summer. The building in question featured what was perhaps the oldest remaining system on campus. The previous system consisted of an Edwards Custom 6500 (judging by the annunciator at the main entrance) with older 270-SPOs, 6200-series smoke detectors and 6” 6VAC Adaptabels.

The new system is a Simplex 4100ES with bilingual 4099-9001 pull stations, TrueAlarm smoke detectors and a mix of TrueAlert horn/strobes and remote horns. Instead of replacing the Edwards annunciator with a Simplex annunciator, the new 4100ES panel was mounted next to the old annunciator’s location.

Surprisingly, despite this system being brand new, the pull stations are 4099-9001s instead of 4099-9004s and the signals are “classic” TrueAlerts rather than TrueAlert ES models. This is the fourth new Simplex system installed on campus within the last two years to feature previous-generation Simplex devices. I’ve noticed a similar trend with other buildings in my area that are equipped with newer Simplex systems; in fact, I have yet to see a single TrueAlert ES device in person (and I've only seen one 4099-9004 pull station).