Fire Alarms in Buildings (2.0)

[Simplex 4051]

Is the revamp coming because you are going back or because they are upgrading their system?

[Fire alarms are cool]

Is the revamp coming because you are going back or because they are upgrading their system?

Family vacation. My folks own a million timeshares and they have a 5 star on the Daytona coast. It’s nice there

[firedriller]

Universal Studios
(Going off of memory from summer 2017)

Honeywell BG-12s
System Sensor ceiling mount advances
EST 278-Bs
EST Integrities
Honeywell S464A in area between moving sidewalks

(I most likely forgot many, revamp will come)
(Many SC locations will come soon)

Wheelocks et70s at hogwarts
Lots of spectralert advances

[Fire alarms are cool]

Universal Studios
(Going off of memory from summer 2017)

Honeywell BG-12s
System Sensor ceiling mount advances
EST 278-Bs
EST Integrities
Honeywell S464A in area between moving sidewalks

(I most likely forgot many, revamp will come)
(Many SC locations will come soon)

Wheelocks et70s at hogwarts
Lots of spectralert advances

oh thanks!

[EdwardsFan]

Funny I'm reading this because I was just in Florida, at Universal! Basically everything you said, although I think they are all the speaker versions of the alarms. Also was pretty cool to see the amount of outdoor buildings and how most alarms/sprinkler systems were just out in the open. A lot of newer systems in the states I notice compared to older ones.

[randomperson]

Funny I'm reading this because I was just in Florida, at Universal! Basically everything you said, although I think they are all the speaker versions of the alarms. Also was pretty cool to see the amount of outdoor buildings and how most alarms/sprinkler systems were just out in the open. A lot of newer systems in the states I notice compared to older ones.

I was there in 2016...
All the Honeywell stuff is accurate, ranging from FS90's (possibly even older, I don't know much about 1980's Honeywell panels) to rebranded EST and Notifier systems.
There are also some Johnson Controls-branded Notifier systems.
The Cabana Bay Beach Resort hotel has an "official" Notifier system. (not rebranded)
All of their newer systems are, in essence, Notifier.
It wouldn't surprise me if some Simplex systems appear sooner than later, because there's some Johnson Controls stuff.





Also, I know the inevitable "Did you also go to Disney? If so, what are their fire alarms?" question is coming, so I'm going to answer it.
Yes, I went to Walt Disney World every year from 2010-2016. Their fire alarm systems are mostly Siemens/Cerberus Pyrotronics (often with Gentex signals, interestingly enough), although there is some EST, and even a Simplex system.
For voice systems, the messages are the manufacturer's defaults. (You'd think Disney, of all places, would use custom, themed messages, but apparently not...)
I know this because not only are there videos, I even heard one of their systems go off in person!

[Simplex 4051]

Why did you stop going to Disney in 2017?

[randomperson]

Why did you stop going to Disney in 2017?

Family matters which I won't discuss.

[El Chupacabra]

Last month, I came back from a cruise during which I spotted a rather peculiar setup at one of the ports of call (Costa Maya, Mexico).

I visited this port last year. At that time, I had spotted a single BG-12LSP pull station (pictured below) that happened to be in poor condition. A "classic" SpectrAlert horn/strobe was mounted above it. Notice the wiring sticking out behind the pull station.



This year, I noticed that both devices had been replaced with cheap knockoff versions of the BG-12 and SpectrAlert (pictured below). I was glad to see that the non-functional devices had been repaired, but I was disappointed to see knockoff devices installed in an actual fire alarm system.

Due to the manner in which the pull station is mounted, I don't even know if it's possible to operate it properly. There doesn't appear to be sufficient clearance beneath the station to allow the lever's plastic tab to stick out upon activation.

[Simplex 4051]

Just another way that Mexico lowers peoples expectations especially about fire safety.

[cerbpyro]

Well, I'm doing an observation this semester at an elementary school in the district I went to school in. Last week, their FA system was completely upgraded from the original system that was installed during construction in 1991. I hate to see the old one go, but the new system is very nice and the quality/finish of the installation is absolutely top-notch.

Original System--1991-2020

Control Panel
Cerberus Pyrotronics System3. 8 Zones (3 ZU-35 cards), 3 NACs (2 AE-30U cards), not sure how many relay/accessory cards. Installed flush-mount in the front office, 3 row enclosure, blue door with black pinstripes.

Initiating Devices
Pull Stations
Cerberus Pyrotronics MS-51. All hallway exits and other "usual spots" in the main building. Classroom exit doors have no pulls. Zones 1-7 of the System3.
Fire-Lite BG-12. Hallway doors of the modular building (circa 2004). Zone 8 of the System3.
Smoke Sensors
Cerberus Pyrotronics DI-3. Fire doors, closets, "the usual spots". Zones 1-7 of the System3.
System Sensor i3 2W-B. "Usual spots" of the modular building. Zone 8 of the System3.

Notification Appliances
Cerberus Pyrotronics HSD-24F (Wheelock 7001T). Hallways, cafeteria, gym/multipurpose room, media center, "all the usual spots".
Cerberus Pyrotronics U-HN-S17. Only one; installed in the kindergarten hallway between HSD-24Fs. Definitely added after the original install.
System Sensor SpectrAlert Classic P1224MC horn/strobes//S1224MC remote strobes. Modular building. Horn/strobes in hallways and classroom. Remote strobes in restrooms. Controlled by a Fire-Lite FCPS in the closet of the modular.
Cerberus Pyrotronics HDC-24//Cerberus Pyrotronics HN-S//Siemens U-HN//Siemens AH horns. Exterior signals scattered around the building.
Signal coding was continuous for the main building, Temporal 3 for the modular.

New System

Control Panel
Siemens Cerberus PRO FC922. Red cabinet. Installed into the old System3 cabinet. Custom-fabricated sheetmetal covers the rest of the System3 enclosure.
Siemens PAD-5 NAC Controller installed right above the panel, covering the footprint of the old HSD-24F horn/strobe that was there.

Initiating Devices
Pull Stations
Siemens HMS-D. Installed in place of all old MS-51s and BG-12s. Every classroom has new HMS-Ds on new conduits and back boxes next to the exit doors.
Smoke Sensors
Siemens OH921 Photo+Thermal Detectors. Replaced all DI-3 and 2W-B sensors.

Notification Appliances
Siemens ZH-MC-R horn/strobes. Installed over existing HSD-24F back boxes with RP-R trim plates. Surface mounted in all classrooms directly above the whiteboards.
Siemens ZH-MC-CR horn/strobes. Main office and select hallways for additional coverage.
Siemens ZR-MC-R and ZR-MC-CR remote strobes. Restrooms, offices and other small spaces.
System Sensor SpectrAlert Classic P1224MC horn/strobes//S1224MC remote strobes. Carried over from the System3 in the modular building. I assume there is a control element or separate trigger NAC from the Cerberus PRO to trip the modular's Fire-Lite FCPS power supply.
Exterior signals are unchanged.
Signal coding is Temporal 3 across the board and all strobes are synchronized.

Security system is a fairly new InterLogix NetworX system, and the PA and phone systems systems are a Bogen Quantum system, which still uses most of the original 1991 Bogen equipment. Clocks are on the TV system and bells are through the Bogen PA.

Again, I really hated to see the System3 go, but the new Cerberus PRO is light-years ahead technologically and the new installation is impeccably done. I applaud our local Siemens dealer, as their installations are always top notch. They've been in business since 1968 and have installed Pyr-A-Larm//Pyrotronics//Cerberus Pyrotronics//Siemens since they opened. They also carried and installed the Faraday (by Siemens) MPC-6000 and MPC-7000 systems until they were discontinued. The company also carries InterLogix (formerly GE/ESL) security equipment, Bogen Quantum complete school solution systems, Apogee entertainment systems for home and business, and other stuff that escapes me at the moment.

[firedriller]

Funny I'm reading this because I was just in Florida, at Universal! Basically everything you said, although I think they are all the speaker versions of the alarms. Also was pretty cool to see the amount of outdoor buildings and how most alarms/sprinkler systems were just out in the open. A lot of newer systems in the states I notice compared to older ones.

I was there in 2016...
All the Honeywell stuff is accurate, ranging from FS90's (possibly even older, I don't know much about 1980's Honeywell panels) to rebranded EST and Notifier systems.
There are also some Johnson Controls-branded Notifier systems.
The Cabana Bay Beach Resort hotel has an "official" Notifier system. (not rebranded)
All of their newer systems are, in essence, Notifier.
It wouldn't surprise me if some Simplex systems appear sooner than later, because there's some Johnson Controls stuff.





Also, I know the inevitable "Did you also go to Disney? If so, what are their fire alarms?" question is coming, so I'm going to answer it.
Yes, I went to Walt Disney World every year from 2010-2016. Their fire alarm systems are mostly Siemens/Cerberus Pyrotronics (often with Gentex signals, interestingly enough), although there is some EST, and even a Simplex system.
For voice systems, the messages are the manufacturer's defaults. (You'd think Disney, of all places, would use custom, themed messages, but apparently not...)
I know this because not only are there videos, I even heard one of their systems go off in person!

Just had one at Caribbean beach

[idontwannaknow]

There's a [ROADNAME] animal hospital less than a mile away from where I live. Inside, there's a Wheelock 7002T-24 horn/strobe mounted above a Fire-Lite BG-10 pull station, along with an i3 smoke in both the lobby room and the back room plus an unknown heat detector with a grille (possibly installed before the FA system). There is also a spectrAlert Advance ceiling mount near where the pet cages are, and I hope to GOD that it's a chime/strobe because otherwise that would be torture.
The animal hospital is in a small connected plaza, where every door has a weathered WH3T strobe outside of them (one was replaced by a SpectrAlert Advance strobe). This likely means all the locations have 7002Ts as well.

[Simplex 4051]

If the 7002T is still in service then something tells me unfortunately that the alarm near there is probably a horn/strobe so I hope its not set to loud because I doubt owners will be happy if it goes off and their pet has a heart attack.

[randomperson]

Weston Community Center - Weston, MA
This building houses the Council on Aging (senior center) and the recreation offices and programs.
Panel: Simplex 4100
Pull stations: 4099-9003's
Detectors: TrueAlarms
Signals: 4903 speaker/strobes

This building is quite small (less than 30,000 square feet). I don't understand why the system is voice-evac or a 4100.

This system was tested on Monday, and I was lucky enough to stop by at exactly the right time! Here's a video.

I'm assuming that it's voice-evac because they thought horn/strobes might have been too loud for the elderly people at the Council on Aging.

Also, sometime in the past few months, a patio door was added to the Council on Aging. A 4099-9006 was installed next to that door.