Writing for IFSEC Insider, Chris Francis, Chief Engineer at Alerter Group, explores some common queries about Emergency Voice Communication systems and what a compliant system should look like.
Chris Francis, Chief Engineer at Alerter Group – the company runs CPD accredited seminars on EVC systems
Everybody must have equal opportunity for safe egress from buildings – including people with disabilities and reduced mobility.
In the event of a building fire, how can you:
The answer to these questions is Emergency Voice Communication (EVC) systems.
Installing EVC systems in building refuge areas – in line with Building Regulations – helps protect lives by supporting safe evacuation for people who require assistance to egress a building.
From a building management point of view, using an EVC system helps both understand the locations of people in need of evacuation assistance, and minimise risk to them and the people assisting.
In doing so, it helps meet the requirement of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order with regards to the safe evacuation of all people from buildings.
An EVC system is, at its heart, built around real-time, person-centred communication.
The first purpose of an EVC system is to enable a person located in a refuge area to notify responders of their whereabouts and need for assistance, so that their safe evacuation can be organised.
In addition, the use of this system will provide an instant benefit to the person requiring help; the invaluable knowledge that they have made their position known.
Real-time updates can also be provided back to this person by responders (for example, details about what an evacuation will look like, and when assistance will arrive).
These are incredibly important pieces of information, not least in a situation where the outbound caller remains in a building which everybody else has already evacuated separately. Keeping in touch in this way helps protect both caller and responder by clarifying next steps and providing reassurance.
An example of an Emergency Voice Communication (EVC) System
Current Building Regulations state that refuge areas within buildings should be provided with EVC systems that facilitate communication between:
Building Regulations state that all EVC systems should comply with BS5839-9. This British Standard outlines the code of practice for systems’ design, installation, commissioning and maintenance, and delves into detail on topics such as battery backup, fault monitoring and more.
BS5839-9 also outlines how outstations may be connected to more than one master station. With such a setup, if the primary master station location was to itself be evacuated during an emergency, then calls could still be taken from a secondary location.
As well as ensuring your EVC system complies overall with this standard, you should consider what additional features may be best for your building and its visitors.
For example, some EVC system providers can integrate portable handsets into the EVC system, helping minimise risk further by enabling the evacuation team to communicate ‘on the move’.
Other additional features offered by some providers include:
There are two main types of EVC system:
Each type of system has its own strengths. For example, a hard-wired EVC system might offer high-cost efficiency in a small newbuild project.
On the other hand, a radio-based EVC system might be particularly suitable for use in places where new cabling can’t be run easily between outstations and master stations – such as occupied buildings where less intrusive installation is preferred, larger sites where multiple buildings are linked to a central security office, or listed buildings.
A good EVC system supplier should be able to discuss how its product will comply with the relevant regulations and standards, and also align with your specific needs.
To summarise the key points:
