Conventional Fire Alarm System with Voice Annuciation?

[Shujinko]

I am doing the engineering design for a renovation of the 1st floor of a 5-story library building. The first floor is being converted from a space with book shelves to an open study area. The plans reviewer is stating that I need to provide an FA voice evacuation system due to the number of max occupants on the floor being renovated (more than 300).

The building is currently protected by a Conventional (non addressable) zoned fire alarm system.....Pyrotronics System 3 series FACP (CP-35)? How would I incorporate a voice evac system into this existing system? Is this even possible on a conventional fire alarm system? Never seen a voice annunciated conventional fire alarm system, does such a thing exist? All suggestions are appreciated.

 

[gadfly56]

I am doing the engineering design for a renovation of the 1st floor of a 5-story library building. The first floor is being converted from a space with book shelves to an open study area. The plans reviewer is stating that I need to provide an FA voice evacuation system due to the number of max occupants on the floor being renovated (more than 300).

The building is currently protected by a Conventional (non addressable) zoned fire alarm system.....Pyrotronics System 3 series FACP (CP-35)? How would I incorporate a voice evac system into this existing system? Is this even possible on a conventional fire alarm system? Never seen a voice annunciated conventional fire alarm system, does such a thing exist? All suggestions are appreciated.

Yes, this can actually be done. A separate voice panel is installed, and the amplifier zones are activated by relay outputs from each zone on the conventional FACP. EVAX makes a living offering such products or you can look to Safepath by Cooper-Wheelock (now part of Eaton). You might want to ask the plan reviewer for a code citation on the occupancy. I believe the model IBC voice requirement kicks in at 1,000. Local mileage will vary, of course.

All that said, you are probably better off putting in a new panel. Silent Knight has a relatively new offering based on their 5820 series panel and a slightly older one on their IFP series panels. You could also go whole hog with an XLS voice panel from Siemens which would allow you to keep the conventional devices on conventional device cards, but the cost of new devices will likely be trivial when all is said and done.

 

[Shujinko]

So if i go with the XLS option from Siemens i could use addressable devices on the 1st floor which is the only floor i'm renovating and keep the orher floors on the existing conventional zone devices? With the EVAX or Safepath option if i use this option...will these be compatible with a pyrotronics panel? No UL listing violations?

 

[gadfly56]

So if i go with the XLS option from Siemens i could use addressable devices on the 1st floor which is the only floor i'm renovating and keep the orher floors on the existing conventional zone devices? With the EVAX or Safepath option if i use this option...will these be compatible with a pyrotronics panel? No UL listing violations?

The short answers are "yes" and "yes".

To go with the XLS Voice option, you'd have to have a ton of conventional heats and smokes in the remainder of the building in order to justify the cost. On the other hand it's highly flexible. If there are other challenges beyond simply voice notification on the project it could be a very good choice, especially if this is a campus situation and there are other Siemens panels floating about.

You should know that the notification will have to be changed for the entire occupancy, not just the first floor. The AHJ is unlikely to allow mixed notification methods, especially since NFPA 72 prohibits them. Every place you have a horn/strobe you'll have to run another cable because the speaker and strobe for a combination unit are activated independently. If a location has a horn only, it gets a new speaker cable. This also doesn't address the issue of adding devices to bring the notification up to current standards. While it may have been OK to use "x" units previously when all you needed to do was create some noise to get people out, intelligibility standards may force you to increase device density.

The EVAX and Safepath products are specifically targeted for markets where there is an existing non-voice conventional panel. You shouldn't have any UL listing issues. Even with a unit as old (technology-wise, the panel is still in production) as the System 3 you can get done what you need. You'll probably learn more about the System 3 than you ever wanted to know, but I'm confident it can be done.

 

[MichaelGP3]

Very well thought out replies, Gadfly56.

Wayne D. Moore wrote an article that the OP might find useful. The main thrust of it is repair vs. renovation, but the information covered should make for easier communications with the project's AHJ.

http://www.ecmag.com/section/systems/sum-its-parts

 

[gadfly56]

Very well thought out replies, Gadfly56.

Wayne D. Moore wrote an article that the OP might find useful. The main thrust of it is repair vs. renovation, but the information covered should make for easier communications with the project's AHJ.

http://www.ecmag.com/section/systems/sum-its-parts

Thanks for the compliment.

I read the article at your link and found it interesting. There is definitely a LOT of gray involved when you are dealing with fire alarm systems. If it isn't a straight-forward repair you could be buying into a lot of work. We typically state up front that we are reusing existing devices and wiring and exclude any AHJ-required upgrades in our quote if we're replacing a panel. We note on the permit that we are reusing devices and wire as well. After that, it's all a matter of negotiation.