Your Essential Guide to Voice Alarm Systems
Voice Alarm (VA) systems, also known as Voice Evacuation systems, play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of individuals in a building or area during emergencies such as fires or evacuations. The systems are not just limited to emergencies; they can also enhance everyday operations by providing background music or making routine announcements.
The Importance of Voice Alarm Systems
During emergencies, clear and direct communication is essential to prevent panic and confusion. Research has shown that traditional fire alarms and bells often fail to elicit the necessary response.
While all buildings and venues employ fire alarms, research into people’s behavior in the event of a fire found that only 13% of people react promptly to bells – after all, how many times have you worried about a car alarm?
In stark contrast, 45% responded to written text displays, and 75% of individuals reacted to spoken messages delivered through a voice alarm system (1). This significant difference highlights how desensitised we are to noise alarms and emphasises the effectiveness of VA systems in guiding visitors and members of the public to safety.
Functions of a Voice Alarm System
VA systems are designed to operate under emergency conditions, ensuring constant monitoring and reliability. They incorporate battery backups so even in the event of a power failure the system will continue to operate. The system can deliver both pre-recorded messages and live announcements, which can be directed to specific areas to manage phased evacuations. Phased evacuations prioritise the evacuation of the most dangerous areas first, followed by other areas based on the level of danger posed.
These systems are autonomous but can be overridden by venue safety staff or fire officers if necessary. Besides emergency functionalities, VA systems can also be customised to play background music, advertisements, and announcements, making them versatile tools for enhancing the daily operations of various facilities.
Advantages of VA Systems
- Multi-lingual Announcements
- Background Music System
- Public Information Announcements
- Phased & Controlled Evacuations
- Override Capability: allowing safety personnel to take control of the system during critical situations.
- Supports Induction Loops: to assist individuals with hearing impairments.
- Revenue Generation: offering opportunities for revenue through advertisements.
Where Would You Use A VA System?
Voice Alarm systems are indispensable for modern safety protocols, providing clear, actionable instructions during emergencies, and contributing to everyday operational efficiency. The systems are highly adaptable and can be installed in a variety of settings including:
- Offices
- Factories
- Warehouses
- Shops
- Sports venues
- Cinemas
- Theatres
- Schools
- Outbuildings
- Public buildings
- Swimming pools
These systems can seamlessly integrate with existing fire alarm systems to automatically broadcast alert and evacuate messages, ensuring no dependency on human operators while retaining the option for manual overrides.
Voice Alarm System Design
At 2CL, we know that no two businesses are alike, which is why each voice alarm system we create is uniquely designed and built to meet specific requirements. Whether it’s for public address announcements, background music, or emergency situations, we can help you implement a voice alarm system that goes beyond traditional functionality.
(1) ‘Misconceptions about human behaviour in fire emergencies’, by Guylčne Proulx PhD. Published in Canadian Consulting Engineer, 1997. Also Studies of Human Behaviour in Fire: Empirical results and their implications for education and design, by David Cantor. Published by BRE, July 1985.
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