printer friendly version

Voice evacuation is no longer a grudge purchase

Voice evacuation is no longer the ‘grudge purchase’ it used to be in the past.

Fire detection and alarm systems with built-in voice evacuation are finding application across the spectrum of South African industrial and commercial markets - particularly in the larger office blocks, complexes, factories and industrial sites.

Fire detection with integrated voice evacuation addresses two key areas of fire safety - saving lives and protecting property.

The benefits are many. Many organisations have a number of audible alarms and signals used for different purposes, which can be confusing at the best of times, without having to rely on yet another alarm for something as critical as a fire alert.

Clearly understood instructions

Voice evacuation is a human message in a human voice and, better still, it can communicate in whatever language is appropriate for the application. The system communicates a message that is audible, delivering clear and easily understood instructions.

This approach reduces confusion in times of panic in emergency conditions and - particularly critical where personnel are present - it can control the evacuation process, prioritising exit from high risk areas first, followed by less critical areas. Systematic evacuation is far more preferable to the entire employee body moving out of the building at once.

Types of systems

While some voice evacuation and PA systems are fully integrated with the fire detection system, there are two types of voice evacuation system. There is not a great deal of cost difference between these two options, but in the longer term each has advantages and disadvantages which should be taken into account when planning the installation.

The first is centralised voice evacuation, where the system is installed at a central point, such as a control room or reception area. Here cabling is carried through the entire complex to this centralised point. All the equipment is contained in one section of the building, but on the down side, failure or damage to the master unit can compromise the entire unit.

Distributed voice evacuation is a system where the equipment is distributed throughout the building or complex and essentially networked back to a front-end. This is more easily installed than the centralised option and gives flexibility in the case of future building expansions.

In the event of a failure in one part of the system, only that part would be affected, while none of the other evacuation messages operating in other sectors of the building would be compromised. This option also facilitates separate billing for each sector.

The only disadvantage of distributed voice evacuation is that the cost of material could outweigh that of a centralised system if labour and installation costs are not carefully considered at the start of the project.

For further details contact Shane Nefdt, TeqTrader on tel: 011 403 3002.

Share this article:

Further reading: