A voice evacuation, or voice alarm, system is part of a building's fire safety strategy. Because people rely on it in the worst moments, it is held to strict standards that ordinary audio systems are not. Understanding those standards explains why these systems look and cost different.
What the standards require
Standards such as EN 54-16 for control equipment and EN 54-24 for loudspeakers define how voice-alarm systems must perform and be built. They cover reliability, fault monitoring, power supply and the ability to keep operating under fire conditions.
Key requirements in practice
- Certified control equipment and loudspeakers
- Continuously monitored speaker lines, so a fault is detected at once
- Standby power sized for the required duration
- Automatic priority over music and paging
- Fire-resistant cabling on critical circuits where required
Why it cannot be improvised
An ordinary PA system can play a message, but it cannot prove it will still work with a cut cable, a power cut or a fire on one floor. That assurance is exactly what the standards, and the certified equipment built to them, provide.
Local approval
Beyond the standards, the design must satisfy the local civil defence authority. Confirming these requirements at the start avoids expensive changes at handover.
See the full scope of what we deliver.