Fire Alarm System and Mass Notification System Over Ride

[Shujinko]

I am designing a buiding that will have a Fire Alarm Voice Evacution System and Mass Notification System, in this building these systems are 2 different systems (not integrated). My question is....which system takes priority, I am assuming that anytime the FA Voice system is annunciated it will over ride the Mass notifications system from annunciating. Am I wrong here? What code would define this?

 

[gadfly56]

I am designing a buiding that will have a Fire Alarm Voice Evacution System and Mass Notification System, in this building these systems are 2 different systems (not integrated). My question is....which system takes priority, I am assuming that anytime the FA Voice system is annunciated it will over ride the Mass notifications system from annunciating. Am I wrong here? What code would define this?

Why on earth would you WANT to design this as two separate systems? All the big boys (Siemens, Simplex, Notifire, EST) have integrated systems. Heck, even Silent Knight has gotten into the game. In fact, the only difference between fire alarm voice evac and mass notification is the kind of messages you have programmed and the inputs you use to trigger them.

In any event, usually the highest priority is the microphone. After that, its a risk analysis. If a fire breaks out during a tornado event, is it more dangerous to keep people in the building and fight the fire or send folks out to face the twister?

 

[jusme123]

Life safety (FA) always overrides any other separate system

 

[Shujinko]

Life safety (FA) always overrides any other separate system

...show me exactly in the code where it clearly states that the fire alarm system overrides the mass notification system. NFPA 72 states about a risk analysis like the previous post commented.

 

[Shujinko]

Why on earth would you WANT to design this as two separate systems? All the big boys (Siemens, Simplex, Notifire, EST) have integrated systems. Heck, even Silent Knight has gotten into the game. In fact, the only difference between fire alarm voice evac and mass notification is the kind of messages you have programmed and the inputs you use to trigger them.

They are separate systems because the fire alarm system is an existing system and the mass notification system is a new system fed from a campus loop.

 

[gadfly56]

They are separate systems because the fire alarm system is an existing system and the mass notification system is a new system fed from a campus loop.

So you're tacking on a SafePath or EVAC's to an existing panel? What is the existing panel brand/model?

 

[ron]

The manual announcement takes precedence. In there is a manual pull station activated in order to drive people out of the building, you want the mass notification system manual microphone to override to tell people to stay put.

 

[iwire]

After the events of 9-11 there would be no manual announcement that could make me stay put if I thought it was time to go.

 

[LEO2854]

After the events of 9-11 there would be no manual announcement that could make me stay put if I thought it was time to go.

Many people saved their own lives by ignoring those orders that day and got out in time, keep in mind a normal day there would be as many as 50,000 people in those buildings.

 

[ron]

After the events of 9-11 there would be no manual announcement that could make me stay put if I thought it was time to go.

When I'm in the office, it takes me almost 7 minutes to run down the stairs (highrise). I often start going right away on many false alarms. They generally start evacuation on the "fire floor" and floor above.

 

[Shujinko]

So you're tacking on a SafePath or EVAC's to an existing panel? What is the existing panel brand/model?

Yes, adding it to a Pyrotronics Systems 3 existing FACP. The Mass Notification System is a campus Standard, Informacast, IP based type speakers. Any suggestions?

 

[gadfly56]

Yes, adding it to a Pyrotronics Systems 3 existing FACP. The Mass Notification System is a campus Standard, Informacast, IP based type speakers. Any suggestions?

Well, if you really want to put a 450 V-8 in a Model "T", I suppose you can do that. I looked at the Informacast web site and I see that you can trigger it from an external input, such as a relay from the System 3. Is the intention to replace the existing notification appliances in the areas covered by the System 3? On a quick look, I can't see where they address whether or not their product meet the requirement of NFPA 72. I'd use the 2010 or 2013 editions as my guide.

 

[Shujinko]

Well, if you really want to put a 450 V-8 in a Model "T", I suppose you can do that. I looked at the Informacast web site and I see that you can trigger it from an external input, such as a relay from the System 3. Is the intention to replace the existing notification appliances in the areas covered by the System 3? On a quick look, I can't see where they address whether or not their product meet the requirement of NFPA 72. I'd use the 2010 or 2013 editions as my guide.

Yes, the area being remodeled will be provided with new FA speaker/strobes driven off the Safepath Voice panel. My jurisdiction is still under the NFPA 72 2007 version.

 

[Shujinko]

Well, if you really want to put a 450 V-8 in a Model "T", I suppose you can do that. I looked at the Informacast web site and I see that you can trigger it from an external input, such as a relay from the System 3. Is the intention to replace the existing notification appliances in the areas covered by the System 3? On a quick look, I can't see where they address whether or not their product meet the requirement of NFPA 72. I'd use the 2010 or 2013 editions as my guide.

In the end, the risk assessment mentioned in NFPA 72 would determine what takes presedence the FA system or the Mass Notification System? If this is the case I will need to get this risk assessment from the campus personnel of where my building is located.

 

[gadfly56]

Yes, the area being remodeled will be provided with new FA speaker/strobes driven off the Safepath Voice panel. My jurisdiction is still under the NFPA 72 2007 version.

Well, is it SafePath or Informacast? Since you are going to use new speaker strobes and the speakers are going to be driven by a "foreign" system it has to be listed for fire. The UL standard for mass notification is not identical to the one for fire alarm voice systems. IIRC, SafePath is listed for both. One of many particulars is are the speaker circuits supervised so if a speaker is disconnected it will alert the fire alarm panel?