an introduction

About Voice Alarm

Doc. Ref. PPT01/01.22

 The Reasons
• Research has proven that in an emergency people will react
without confusion or panic if they receive a clear, intelligible
message.

• Bells and sounders only give a warning, they do not indicate

the nature of the emergency.

• Phased evacuation using clear, easily understood, pre-

recorded messages ensures that even untrained personnel are
evacuated speedily and efficiently.
 The Reasons
• Typical human behaviour:
• “Not applicable to me.”
• “It’s a test.”
• “No-one else is responding, so no need to act”.
• Don’t like interruption to task – leisure or work.
• Require a ‘leader’ to ‘follow’.
• ‘Gathering phase’, find family/mates.
• Exit by the same route as entered.

Vital seconds, or minutes, lost

Unsafe routes chosen
Lack of instruction – potential for chaos
 Voice Alarm - what is it?
• For use in life safety applications.
• An effective alternative to standard bells and sounders – using the spoken
word for evacuating premises during an emergency.
• Often referred to as ‘voice evacuation’, ‘VA’,‘VE’ or VACIE (Voice Alarm
Control and Indicating Equipment).
• Necessary for implementing ‘phased’ evacuations.
• Needs to be fully compliant with BS5839-8 & BSEN54-16.
• Serves as a general public address system during normal circumstances.
• Provides companies with facilities such as advertisement injection,
background music, timed message announcements – and much more.
 Voice Alarm – the fundamentals
• A site is ‘split’ into individual loudspeaker zones.
• Zones can be broadcast to individually, several at once or as an ‘all call’.
• Those most at risk can be evacuated first.
• Phased evacuation can be implemented.
• Pre-recorded emergency messages are broadcast by automatic or manual
means.
• Fire officers/building management can broadcast priority information ‘live’
at any time.
• People are informed – via speech – what is happening and what to do.
• Voice alarm is proven to be MUCH more effective than bell or klaxon
sounders which are frequently – and often fatally – ignored.
Quite simply: voice alarm helps save lives
System Overview
A Standard Fire Alarm System
 Voice Evacuation System

CIE VACIE

Fire alarm sounders are replaced with amplifiers & loudspeakers.

 Centralised Voice Evacuation

• Usually offered for single

building installations.
• Small/medium scale.
• All loudspeaker lines derived
from a single location.
 Decentralised Voice Evacuation

• Usually necessary on more complex and extensive installations

where multiple locations and central monitoring are specified.
Components & Layout
 VACIE
(Voice Alarm Control & Indicating Equipment)

• The voice alarm is interfaced to the fire

detection panel.
• The fire panel ‘cause & effects’ logic triggers the
VA system to broadcast evacuate/alert
messages.
• The voice alarm processes the Priority
Sequence routeing signals to the relevant
loudspeaker zones.
• Stores non-volatile digital messages.
• Provides full system status monitoring and fault
reporting.
• Contains everything required e.g. Amplifiers,
control equipment, batteries etc.
 Risk Determination
• The need for voice alarm is determined by the fire risk assessor referring
to a pre-determined Evacuation Plan.
• Ensure compliance with Standards and applicable Building Regs.
• Need for a voice alarm system is the responsibility of the owner, landlord,
occupier or employer as appropriate.
• Risk assessment inevitably requires:
• Fire-rated cables.
• Protection against mechanical damage.
• Run through areas of low fire risk.

• Minor variations may be acceptable if agreed by all responsible parties.

VA Classifications (From BS5839-8)
• V1 – an automatic evacuate broadcast only, following a pre-
programmed set of rules initiated by a fire panel.
• V2 – plus live ‘all call’ emergency microphone.
• V3 – plus ability to broadcast to separate zones. (Intended
where a pre-determined evacuation plan might not cover all
eventualities.)
• V4 – plus manual controls to direct alarm messages to
individual zones.
• V5 – Engineered system for applications outside the scope of
the above (typically stadia, transport terminals needing
special build, operation and maintenance procedures).
 Concept
• Site is divided into separate, addressable, zones matching the boundaries
of fire system compartmentation.
• Zones receive broadcasts individually, several grouped together, or as ‘All
Call’.
• Loudspeaker Zones may comprise of single or multiple circuits each
designated A, B, C, etc.
• Each circuit usually has its own amplifier feeding interleaved loudspeaker
layouts.
• Where multiple loudspeaker circuits are used, the circuits should not be
contained within a common cable sheath.
 Loudspeaker Zones & Circuits
• Zones can have regions possessing differing risk or Acoustic
Conditions, know as Acoustically Distinguishable Areas (ADA).
• Accordingly, zones may comprise differing ‘regions’ using
alternative speakers, equalisation, etc.
• Experienced person might specify loudspeaker types and
locations for simple acoustic spaces having low background
noise (>75dBA).
• Areas of high reverberation or noise need expert acoustic
knowledge.
 System Priorities
• A voice alarm system has prioritised inputs, this ensures that
the most important input – Fire Officer’s Microphone –
overrides all others.
• Remaining inputs are prioritised according to risk.
• Ensuring non-critical PA broadcasts are inhibited.
• Typical priorities are as follows:
 CRITICAL Broadcasts

Emergency Emergency
EVACUATION
Microphone 1 Microphone 2
Message
ALL CALL ZONE SELECT

Other
ALERT
Emergency
Message
Message
Bomb
Security
Chemical Leak
Radiation
Public Address (PA) broadcasts

Paging Spot
Background
Microphone Announcer
(advert injection) Music
 Side benefits
A Voice Alarm system is intended for safety, but has ‘side benefits’:

• Non-critical messages:
• Customer information, lost persons, left luggage
warnings etc. pre-recorded or uploaded on-site.
• Live paging announcements to selected zones.
• Background music:
• Interfacing to CDs, MP3, radio, satellite etc.
• All music broadcast is overridden by higher priority
voice messages.
Phased Evacuation
 Typical Office Block or Hotel
ROOF ROOF EVACUATE
7th floor 7th floor alert
6th floor 6th floor alert
5th floor 5th floor EVACUATE
4th floor EVACUATE
3rd floor 3rd floor EVACUATE
2nd floor 2nd floor alert
1st floor 1st floor alert
ground floor ground floor alert
GROUND LEVEL
BASEMENT 1 BASEMENT 1 EVACUATE
BASEMENT 2 BASEMENT 2 EVACUATE
THE STANDARDS
- The Product -
 BSEN54-16
Fire alarm and fire alarm systems.
Voice alarm control and indicating equipment.
 BS EN54-16
• Applicable throughout the EU and UK.
• Compliance demonstrated with CE or UKCA Marking
• All VA manufacturers must have their products
continually third party tested by an accredited test house
to EN54-16.
• All manufacturers must have relevant factory production
control procedures in place – i.e. EN ISO9001.
• Specifiers, consultants, installers and end users need to
ensure that the voice alarm equipment supplied has full
EN54-16 third party certification.
 BS EN54-16
• Power supplies need to meet EN54-4.
• Loudspeakers need to meet EN54-24.
• European system design and installation to meet EN54-32.
• Fulfilling requirement for CE or UKCA marking.
• Baldwin Boxall holds all relevant EN54 certificates.
THE STANDARDS
- The System -
 BS5839-8
”Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings. Code of practice for the
design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of voice alarm systems.”
 BS5839-8
• Have particular requirements for system:
• MONITORING:
Detection and display fault conditions.
• ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE:
Sound clarity / intelligibility.
 BS5839-8
Typical Examples – Refer to BS5839-8
• Dual circuits (interleaved A/B) are required for open areas/4,000m2 or if accommodating
more than 500 members of the public.
Baldwin Boxall comment: BS5839-8 (and EN54 certification) allow for single amplifiers /
circuits per zone, without standby/backup. However, this is a Life Safety system and, as such,
our recommendation is to specify dual amplifiers/circuits per zone. Or, single amplifier with
standby amplifier (typically 1 in 10 for VIGIL2/1 in 7 for VIGIL3). Both these methods will
ensure adequate coverage, should one circuit fail.
• Loudspeaker circuits should be such that adjacent loudspeakers are on different circuits –
INTERLEAVED.
• Cabling for dual circuits must not be contained in one single sheath.
• Loudspeaker zones should match the boundaries of fire detection zones.
• If assessed as necessary, reserve amplifiers must be monitored.
• During a single circuit fault, at least one loudspeaker should continue to be able to broadcast
an emergency message.
 BS5839-8
Typical Examples – Refer to BS5839-8
• System monitoring should include the following:
• Primary mains supply.
• Standby power supply.
• Batteries and battery chargers.
• Critical fuses and protective devices.
• Critical signal paths.
• Main and reserve amplifiers.
• Emergency microphones.
• Emergency messages.
• Loudspeaker circuits.
• Ambient noise sensing.
 BS5839-8
Typical Examples – Refer to BS5839-8
• The VA system should latch any input trigger from the F/P.
• Reset to be achieved by a separate signal from the F/P.
• Restricted access for system configuration data (ref EN54-16).
• Faults should typically be indicated within 100 seconds.
• Typically standby batteries to have minimum 24 hours + 30 minute
capacity.
• Standard PH30 Grade fire resisting cable may be acceptable for
loudspeaker circuits in un-sprinklered buildings:
• Typically provided the system is NOT networked or greater than 30m
in height, or requiring evacuation in 4 or more phases, unless
otherwise specified.
• More guidance in BS5839-8
 Aims of a good
voice alarm system
 Audibility
Refer to BS5839-8
• The ability to be heard among other (ambient) sounds.

• Subjectively – can the tone or message be heard at all?

• Broadcast sound level to be a minimum of 65dBA.

Or at least 5dBA above ambient.

• 60dBA is acceptable in stairways, cellular offices and ‘points of

limited extent’.

• At least 75dBA is required to rouse sleeping persons.

• Property assessed in the weekly fire test.

 Clarity
Refer to BS5839-8
• Property that permits a listener to identify the information bearing
components of a sound broadcast

• Enables persons to discern similar sounding words

• Depends on:
• Frequency response
• Reverberation time (RT60) <1.5 seconds
• Listener distance
 Intelligibility
Refer to BS5839-8
• Objective measure of degree to which speech can be understood.

• Measured on the Speech Transmission Index scale (0-1 STI) .

• Factors affecting intelligibility:

• Loudspeaker coverage and type.
• Overall frequency response.
• Reflected sounds – measured reverberation time (RT60).
• Background noise >75dBA.
• General acoustic considerations.
 Loudspeaker Types

Cabinet Ceiling

Projector

Column Horn
Concerning Cabling
Loudspeaker Installation Requirements
(by others)

• It is recommended that the loudspeakers be installed such that they are

parallel connected and in phase, i.e. that the same connections are used
throughout.

• It is the responsibility of the installer to select the correct power tapping

at each loudspeaker, from a schedule or drawing supplied by the
loudspeaker designer/supplier.

• Typically end of line transducers must be fitted at the last loudspeaker on

each circuit and spur.

• All loudspeaker circuits are to be tested for earth leakage, short and open
circuit faults prior to commissioning.
 System Installation Requirements
(by others)

• Separate field wiring marshalling boxes should be installed

adjacent to the VACIE. There should be one for the loudspeaker
circuits and one for the microphone control circuits. The
loudspeaker and microphone cables should be kept 500 mm apart.

• Connecting cables between the marshalling boxes and the

amplifier assembly should be fire protected and supplied by the
installer together with any necessary glanding. A minimum space
to the rear of the assembly of 1000 mm is required for ventilation
and serviceability. The ambient temperature of the equipment
room should not exceed 30 degrees centigrade.
 Fire Alarm Panel Requirements
(by others)

• In keeping with the current codes of practice, the fire panel is

required to provide initiation of loudspeaker zone together with
‘evacuate’ and ‘alert’ broadcast, which will be latched by the voice
alarm. A further de-latch command is required. All these are fault
monitored by the fire panel.

• Monitored sounder circuits are recommended, these can be in the

form of one circuit per zone giving a pulsed signal for ‘alert’ and a
continuous signal for ‘evacuate’.

• Clean contacts are available at the voice alarm rack to signal a

common fault condition to the fire panel.
 Fire Alarm Connection (Refer BS5839-8)
(by others)

• To maintain the integrity of the Fire Alarm interface the wiring should be
arranged such that a single fault does not disable the interface between the
Fire Alarm Panel.
• This can be achieved as follows:
• With a single loop driven interface protected against short circuits
directly and adjacent to the VA rack; or
• By using two diversely routed cables connected in such a way that a
fault on one does not cause an alarm signal fail to be received.
• Therefore, typically if the sounder circuit cables to the VA rack for Alert and
Evacuate exceed 10m, 2 x inputs will be required for each Alert and
Evacuate alarm zone, configured to broadcast to the same output, via
diverse routes.
• The Fire Alarm System will need to provide 2 x Alert and Evacuate sounder
circuits for each alarm zone.
 Typical Cable Requirements
Description Core (mm) No. of Cores Volts Fire Rated

Loudspeaker circuits 1.5* (x1) 2-core 150V Yes

20-core (typical
Fire panel interface 1 depending on no. of 24V Yes
zones)
Voice Alarm Microphone 1.5 (x2) 4-core screened 24V Yes

Paging Microphone CAT5 4 pairs screened 24V No

• Up to 4 mm can be specified (depending on distances involved). Our project engineers can advise.

Consult manufacturer documentation for further information

Testing & Maintenance
 Maintenance
(Refer BS5839-8)
• Periodic inspection & servicing to be carried out by competent person
with:
• Specialist knowledge of VAS.
• Adequate access to spares.
• Sufficient information regarding the system.
• Access to the system log book for record keeping

Non Routine Attention:

• Inspect when a new organisation takes over maintenance.
• Following repair of faults or damage.
• Modifications made or changes in occupancy.
• Following a fire.
 Typical Routine Maintenance
(Refer BS5839-8)

Performed by the client’s ‘Nominated Person’:

• Weekly intervals (weekly fire test):
• Broadcast a pre-test announcement.
• Operate a manual call point, confirm correct message broadcast in
relevant zone.
• An emergency microphone checked for correct operation in at least
one zone.
• Suggest occupants are requested to report deficiencies.

• Any defects to be reported to premises management.

 Typical Scheduled Maintenance
Six Monthly Intervals (Refer BS5839-8)

• Check log book & response.

• Visual inspection for structural occupancy changes.
• Inspect & test ALL emergency mics ensuring intelligible zonal, broadcast.
• Operate >1 fire alarm call point, ensure broadcasts are intelligible.
• SPL to be recorded & compared to previous results recorded in logbook.
• Check ANS operation.
• Confirm operation on primary mains and standby supplies.
• Check batteries are serviceable and in date.
• Test fault indicators and operation by creating simulated faults.
• Further checks as recommended by manufacturer, such as:
• Download configuration file and archive.
• Record loudspeaker circuit impedances and monitoring criteria.
 Typical Scheduled Maintenance
Annually (Refer BS5839-8)
• As previously, plus:
• All fire alarm triggers to check correct zonal message broadcast,
intelligible /audible.
• Confirm correct cause & effect logic.
• SPL to be recorded & compared to previous results recorded in
logbook.
• Check all loudspeakers operation, orientation or damage.
• All phased emergency messages should be operated (EVAC & Alert).
• Visual inspection confirming all cable and equipment is secure and
undamaged.
• Any further checks as recommended by manufacturer.
• Issue certificate of testing.
Basic System Elements
Emergency Microphone (EN54-16)
• Robust enclosure.
• Fist microphone.
• Highest priority – overrides all other
microphones and inputs to the voice
evacuation system.
• Used by firemen/building control to
override emergency broadcasts – either
as a ‘zone select’ or ‘all call’.
• Any other messages being transmitted
to zones will be interrupted when the
fire microphone is activated.
Voice Alarm Control Microphone
(EN54-16)
• Operated by the designated person to
control the evacuation using voice
announcements – live or recorded.
• Can also be used as an emergency or
paging microphone.
• Selects music source.
• Ability to test the system via pre-
recorded ‘start’ and ‘end’ test messages.
• During an emergency, assumes
‘emergency mode’ and is given a higher
priority (Key Switch).
Audio Routing Matrixes (EN54-16)
• The voice alarm audio routing matrix is
connected to the fire detection system of a
building.
• The fire detection system triggers the VA
system to evacuate and alert automatically.
• Provides full system status monitoring and
fault reporting.
• The voice alarm routing matrix receives
various inputs including microphones, spot
announcers, etc.
• It outputs the ‘priority’ signal, via the
amplifier(s), to relevant loudspeaker circuits
(zones).
Amplifier (EN54-16)
• Receives the input from the microphone
(or other source) (via the audio routing
matrix) and amplifies (broadcasts) it to
the relevant zones.
• Several amplifiers will be built into a
voice alarm rack, with each amplifier
broadcasting to specific zones (circuits)
within the building.
• Available in different power options to
suit system requirements.
 Batteries (EN54-4)
• A voice evacuation system must work during an emergency –
even if the mains power has failed.
• Backup batteries included in the system must be of a suitable
‘size’.
• Calculations for battery sizes are made at the design stage of a
system.
• Typically, the system is capable of being battery-backed for 24
hours quiescent and 30 minutes at full power (to meet the
requirements of BS5839-8).
Power Supply / Charger (EN54-4)
• Continually checks and charges the
batteries to ensure that they are able, in
the event of a mains failure, to power
the voice alarm system as required.
• Indicators on the front panel show any
faults detected and also confirm when
the supply is healthy.
 Messages (Refer BS5839-8)
• Non–volatile storage.
• Digital WAV files. Alert

• High quality.
Evac
• Limited duration for understanding.
• Constantly monitored.
Test
• Triggered by fire panel or manually.
 Music Input
• A source of music which is installed in the voice alarm rack –
such as an MP3 or CD player.

• Used to broadcast background music to zones selected.

• Typically the lowest priority in a voice alarm system.

• Will be overridden in the event of an emergency.

 End of CPD Presentation
(please see separate presentation for Baldwin Boxall VIGIL3)

www.baldwinboxall.co.uk