AV system tied into FA controls

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
Do you have to tie in an AV system to FA controls in a public gym? I can't find anything about this.
Night clubs have a requirement for a hard shutdown of the sound system on fire alarm activation. I could see a similar requirement for a gym, especially if it is a multi-purpose space, but you'd have to check with your local AHJ.
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
I wonder how this can work with portable systems; I've never seen an FA connection to an arena (or stadium) traveling show system before. Does it even apply?
For portable systems, there would be designated receptacles for the roadies to connect to. Those would be on a contactor that operates off a relay on the FA system. Fire alarm goes off, relay trips, contactor drops out, sound goes off. Also, general lighting comes on full.
 
"Portable" is in the eyes of the people moving it :LOL: .

The systems I'm talking about are on >200a 3-phase feeds, and for stadium shows often supplied by multiple large generators- simply removing power isn't an easy option. To implement such a thing would required getting Mute signals to multiple large systems (e.g. mains, monitors, delay stacks, etc) around the building and interfacing them into multiple mix consoles, processors, amps, on-stage amps, or generator remote EPOs. Not saying it can't be done, just that I've never see such a thing. (More likely it's a verbal call from event safety staff to the stage manager, that's a lot easier.)
 

garebo10

Member
Location
sarasota
Occupation
electrician
For portable systems, there would be designated receptacles for the roadies to connect to. Those would be on a contactor that operates off a relay on the FA system. Fire alarm goes off, relay trips, contactor drops out, sound goes off. Also, general lighting comes on full.
makes sense, will investigate the scene tomorrow and report back!
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
"Portable" is in the eyes of the people moving it :LOL: .

The systems I'm talking about are on >200a 3-phase feeds, and for stadium shows often supplied by multiple large generators- simply removing power isn't an easy option. To implement such a thing would required getting Mute signals to multiple large systems (e.g. mains, monitors, delay stacks, etc) around the building and interfacing them into multiple mix consoles, processors, amps, on-stage amps, or generator remote EPOs. Not saying it can't be done, just that I've never see such a thing. (More likely it's a verbal call from event safety staff to the stage manager, that's a lot easier.)
Yeahhhhh, that's a little different. There is a requirement for stadiums over 15,000 to have message boards to annunciate the fire alarm condition, but nothing about shutting down the concert (IBC). The nightclub provision (occupancy A-2) is a NJ amendment, and I think maybe Connecticut and maybe NY and RI?
 

cabledawg

Member
Location
Boise, Idaho
Occupation
cable dude
I would think for Troubleshooting purposes, Id keep them separate. Thats like bringing messenger wire(OSP) into a building and leaving the messenger wire intact! 1 Lightning strike and your toast.
 
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