Do some areas require all fire alarm systems to be voice evac?

I’ve heard some people on here say that in certain areas they had voice evac in even the smallest of buildings.

My area requires them in assembly occupancies and high-rises, for the most part.

I think as of NFPA 2016 schools have to have voice evac too, but older systems are grandfathered.

In my area, only buildings that are very tall are required to have a Voice+Evac tone systems, however I never saw any of these Voice/AFNOR Tone system (given that the costs for voice sounders are often prohibitive (in most if not all situations), normal AFNOR sounders are still preferred)

Only recently have I seen more new voice-evac systems being installed in my area. With the exception of some buildings downtown (are buildings legally defined as “high-rises” required to have voice-evac?), the university, a few malls and shopping centers, and some other random large buildings, voice-evac just never became popular around here. However, with recent changes in the code, and seemingly an increased liking for voice-evac systems, over the past few years I’ve seen voice-evac installed in buildings that I wouldn’t have expected five or ten years ago.

Pursuant to the latest NFPA codes, they’re required in all new school buildings, although this has long been a requirement before the 2016 version came out. My elementary school I was in for intermediate (grades 4-6), had horn strobes and that school was built in 2010. That was probably one of the last schools to have horn strobes as a couple years later EVAC became a requirement.

ECS/MNS capability in those isn’t required but it is recommended by NFPA, as those systems can do much more (i.e. Lockdown, active shooter, bomb threat, severe weather/tornado warning, etc.).

It’ll probably be in the new high school in my district which is scheduled to open at the start of the 2020-2021 school year. I graduate in 2019 from the existing building that’s about 67 years old and runs on FA devices from 1982 and 1993 in the '93-'95 additions and areas they did alterations in.

My school has been around for a while and got an upgrade to the fire alarm a few years ago. The entire school has TrueAlert horn/strobes and a few speaker strobes in larger areas like the gym. I was kinda surprised they didn’t put in voice evac, but if it isn’t in the code then I’m assuming they didn’t do it because they didn’t have to.

That’s because existing construction is grandfathered in and doesn’t need to meet current requirements. The latest codes only require it in new construction.

I think it was Chicago where it was said that all fire alarm systems were voice evac even those in the smallest, lowest occupancy buildings.

Yeah, I know. It’s kind of infuriating though. I really wish it was voice evac.

well that explains the wallgreens

Not true… while voice-evac is remarkably common in much of Chicago (especially the downtown area), systems with horn/strobes do exist. Granted, these make up a very small portion of the total systems, and seem to usually be reserved for ground-floor restaurants or shops, even when the rest of a building may have voice-evac. I’m not sure how long Chicago has required voice-evac, but I think you’re correct that it’s required in all new construction now, at least in certain neighborhoods.

For us its in the Ontario Building code where you need voice evac. It’s usually highrises (14 stories or higher), schools don’t require them here.