# Notification Systems and Visual (Strobe) Appliances



## midwestFCO (Mar 23, 2011)

I have a large office building (700+ occupants) who has a mass notification system tied into their fire alarm devices installed in most of their facility.  In their conference rooms, however; they only have visual (strobe) devices.  They are wanting to use the fire alarm system to notify occupants of conference rooms in the event of a weather emergency, which they state will have them go to the corridors or large office areas where they will then get further instruction from the voice system.  They want to know of this is acceptable or if I will approve this.  My initial opinion was no, but after reading more about it I am not positive that is correct.

24.4.1.2.2.3    Audibility shall be required in all areas in accordance with Chapter 18.

18 talks about where the devices are required, so I am not certain if this is acceptable or not.  My concern is that the fire alarm device (strobe only) should be for only fire alarms.  If they want the conference rooms to be included, they should have those devices switched out to be speaker/strobes.

Thoughts?  Thank you!


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## Coug Dad (Mar 23, 2011)

Welcome to the board and your first post.  Is the system required?  MNS would typically use a different colored strobe (amber) from fire alarm (clear).  Do they only have clear strobes?


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## cda (Mar 23, 2011)

well I was going to give you a lenghty answer, but re read the post

I agree do not set off the fire alarm to get people into the hallway,     It should be, at least in the old days, for people to leave the building.

Also, if it is monitored fire dept would not want to run on a weather notification

have them add some more speakers!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## ghedrick (Mar 23, 2011)

Refer to the section in NFPA 72 on "Distinctive Sound" 4.4.3.6


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## FM William Burns (Mar 23, 2011)

Distinct signals for fire alarm in accordance with 72....period.


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## Gene Boecker (Mar 23, 2011)

Check out Section 908 in the IBC.

Its not a lot of help now.  If I recall correctly, the 2012 text will expand this to make is usable for a variety of emergency alarm notification situations.


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## midwestFCO (Mar 24, 2011)

Thanks for the welcome and the information....

This is a required system that only has clear strobes.  I too am leaning on making them install add'l speakers based on the intelligibility requirements of 18.4.10.  (NFPA 72 - 2010).  I guess they could perhaps contest that each individual conference room should not an acoustically distinguishable spaces.

Thanks again everyone!


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## cda (Mar 24, 2011)

So is this a voice evacuation fire alarm system or is there an added feature to it???


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## Paul Sweet (Mar 24, 2011)

Mingling voice notification with fire alarm systems could trigger the requirement for a fire command center.  Our state building fire safety reviewer said on a fire alarm shop drawing review: "If provided, the survivability requirements of Section 3-8.4 shall be met, including (but not limited to) a fire command center (Section 3-8.4.1.3.3, for instance)."


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## cda (Mar 24, 2011)

Still stuck in the 2002 edition

And have had very few classes on the mass notification

Guess have to do some homework


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## FyrBldgGuy (Mar 24, 2011)

Read the new NFPA 72.  Other types of notification systems are covered.  If you can not use the 2010 edition then you have a problem using for other types of emergencies.

IF the conference room has sound deading walls you also have a problem with sound pressure levels required in that space.


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