Notifying people about a fire and evacuating a dangerous area is a priority task of any fire alarm or automatic fire extinguishing system. The composition, functionality, and operational parameters of the fire warning and evacuation control system (SOUE) are regulated by NPB-104-63, NPB-77-98, and Federal Law No. 123-F3.

Classification of SOUE

There are 5 types of SOUE based on complexity of execution and functionality:

1. Detectors used: , . There is only one warning line, all devices work simultaneously and are uncontrollable.
2. Added a glowing direction indicator towards the exit. Two independent warning lines are implemented; they are controlled independently and can be switched on alternately to redirect the evacuation flow.
3. Added. It is possible to connect two lines, which can be turned on alternately.
4. An external control unit has been added to the previous structure. Switching of evacuation lines can be done from the control room;
5. The technical parameters of the detectors and their complete set remained the same. A more advanced software has been added, making it possible to select and implement automatic, sequential activation of multiple warning lines.

Depending on the type of activation and control of line switching, it happens:

• Automatic fire alarm system - where the warning devices are activated by the central controller of the fire extinguishing or alarm system. Activation occurs by a signal from the address detector;
• Semi-automatic, zone activation is controlled by a dispatcher;

According to the principle of operation and device, there are:

• Local monoblock - all modules, loudspeaker, speech unit (memory card), signal amplifier, fire alarm are mounted in one housing. The device is activated when a fire is detected or from a central controller, but can only reproduce the information that is recorded on its card.
• A centralized system can, upon command, broadcast information recorded on it. In semi-automatic mode, it transmits the operator’s voice from a control panel equipped with a microphone.

Depending on the location of the notification device, there are:

• Installation inside the building;
• Installation outside the building;
• Use in explosive industries.

Requirements for warning systems of any type

• Transmission of control signals to devices;
• Monitoring the communication line for a break;
• Limited access to control the entire system, protection against unauthorized access at the local device (alarm signal to the remote control);
• Monitoring battery charge, emergency power supply;
• Advanced functions, turning off sirens, without turning off the light indication of the evacuation direction;
• Adjusting the intensity and sequence of turning on the guide light indication;
• External testing system or internal self-diagnosis for quick troubleshooting;
• Automatic unlocking of emergency and fire exits;
• Automatic switching of power sources from the main to the backup and vice versa, if possible, quick blocking of the false alarm siren.
• Long operating time on backup sources, in standby mode up to 24 hours, in active mode 1 hour is enough.
• Power and communication cables must withstand high temperatures for as long as possible.

The use of autonomous detectors, transmitting information via radio signal, will not only greatly simplify installation, but will also make the system more resistant to communication failure.

Composition of the warning system

The basic fire warning system should have the following structure:

• A device that receives signals and sends commands according to a programmed program or under the control of an operator;
• Power amplification equipment. Divided into two types, central amplifier and local, remote devices;
• Devices for organizing a remote workplace, remote microphones or consoles;
• Evacuation light signs “EXIT”;
• Horns, wall or ceiling loudspeakers;
• Sources of alarm signal information: digital recordings, relay network, device that generates a tone signal (siren).

People's lives depend on the quality of sirens, their placement in the room and the fullness of the entire building with these devices.

MINISTRY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION FOR CIVIL DEFENSE, EMERGENCIES AND DISASTER ELIMINATION

NOTIFICATION AND CONTROL SYSTEM FOR EVACUATION OF PEOPLE IN FIRE

Preface

The goals and principles of standardization in the Russian Federation are established by Federal Law No. 184-FZ of December 27, 2002 “On Technical Regulation”, and the rules for applying sets of rules are established by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation “On the procedure for developing and approving sets of rules” dated November 19, 2008 No.

Information about the set of rules

1 DEVELOPED BY FGU VNIIPO EMERCOM of Russia

2 INTRODUCED by the Technical Committee for Standardization TC 274 “Fire Safety”

4 REGISTERED by the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology

5 INTRODUCED FOR THE FIRST TIME

SET OF RULES

Fire protection systems

NOTIFICATION AND CONTROL SYSTEM FOR EVACUATION OF PEOPLE IN FIRE

Fire safety requirements

Systems of fire protection.
System of annunciation and management of human evacuation at fire.
Requirements of fire safety

Date of introduction 2009-05-01

1 area of ​​use

This set of rules was developed in accordance with Article 84 of the Federal Law of July 22, 2008 No. 123-FZ “Technical Regulations on Fire Safety Requirements”, is a regulatory document on fire safety in the field of standardization of voluntary use and establishes fire safety requirements for warning systems and management of evacuation of people during fires in buildings, structures and structures (hereinafter referred to as buildings).

This set of rules can be used in the development of special technical specifications for the design and construction of buildings.

2 Terms and definitions

In this set of rules, the following terms with corresponding definitions are adopted.

2.1 automatic control: Activation of a warning system and control of the evacuation of people by a command signal from automatic fire alarm or fire extinguishing installations.

2.2 option for organizing evacuation from each fire warning zone: One of the possible scenarios for the movement of people to emergency exits, depending on the location of the fire, the distribution pattern of dangerous fire factors, space-planning and design solutions of the building.

2.3 fire warning zone: Part of the building where simultaneous and identical notification of people about a fire is carried out.

2.4 semi-automatic control: Activation of the warning and evacuation control system by the dispatcher (operator) upon receipt of a command signal from automatic fire alarm or fire extinguishing installations.

2.5 warning and evacuation control system (SOUE): A set of organizational measures and technical means designed to provide people with timely information about the occurrence of a fire, the need to evacuate, evacuation routes and priority.

2.6 connecting lines: Wired and non-wired communication lines that provide connection between fire automatic equipment.

2.7 fire safety evacuation signs: Fire safety signs designed to regulate the behavior of people in case of fire in order to ensure their safe evacuation, including illuminated fire alarms.

3 Fire safety requirements for the warning system and management of evacuation of people in case of fire

3.1 The emergency safety system must be designed to ensure the safe evacuation of people in case of fire.

3.2 Information transmitted by fire warning and evacuation management systems must correspond to the information contained in evacuation plans developed and placed on each floor of buildings.

3.3 The emergency control system must be turned on automatically from a command signal generated by an automatic fire alarm or fire extinguishing installation, except for the cases listed below.

Remote, manual and local activation of fire alarm systems may be used if, in accordance with fire safety regulations, this type of building does not require automatic fire extinguishing installations and (or) automatic fire alarms. In this case, the starting elements must be made and placed in accordance with the requirements for manual fire call points.

In types 3-5 SOUE, semi-automatic control, as well as manual, remote and local activation, can be used only in certain warning zones.

The choice of type of control is determined by the design organization depending on the functional purpose, structural and space-planning solutions of the building and based on the conditions for ensuring safe evacuation of people in case of fire.

3.4 Cables, wires of the SOUE and methods of their installation must ensure the operability of connecting lines in fire conditions for the time necessary for the complete evacuation of people to a safe area.

Radio channel connecting lines, as well as connecting lines in the SOUE with voice notification must be provided, in addition, with a system for automatically monitoring their performance.

3.5 The fire control system must be controlled from the fire station, control room or other special premises that meet the fire safety requirements for these premises.

4 Fire safety requirements for sound and voice warning and evacuation management

4.1 Sound signals of the SOUE must provide an overall sound level (the sound level of constant noise together with all signals produced by the sirens) of at least 75 dBA at a distance of 3 m from the siren, but not more than 120 dBA at any point in the protected premises.

4.2 Sound signals of the SOUE must provide a sound level of at least 15 dBA above the permissible sound level of constant noise in the protected room. Sound level measurements should be carried out at a distance of 1.5 m from the floor level.

4.3 In sleeping areas, the sound signals of the SOUE must have a sound level of at least 15 dBA above the sound level of constant noise in the protected room, but not less than 70 dBA. Measurements should be taken at the level of the sleeping person's head.

4.4 Wall-mounted sound and voice sirens must be located so that their upper part is at least 2.3 m from the floor level, but the distance from the ceiling to the top of the siren must be at least 150 mm.

4.5 In protected areas where people are wearing noise-protective equipment, as well as in protected areas with a noise level of more than 95 dBA, sound alarms must be combined with light alarms. The use of flashing light annunciators is permitted.

4.6 Voice alarms must reproduce normally audible frequencies in the range from 200 to 5000 Hz. The sound level of information from voice alarms must comply with the standards of this set of rules as applied to audible fire alarms.

4.7 The installation of loudspeakers and other voice alarms in protected premises must exclude concentration and uneven distribution of reflected sound.

4.8 The number of sound and speech fire alarms, their placement and power must ensure the sound level in all places of permanent or temporary residence of people in accordance with the norms of this set of rules.

5 Fire safety requirements for light warning and evacuation management

5.1 Fire safety evacuation signs, the operating principle of which is based on operation from the electrical network, must be turned on simultaneously with the main working lighting devices.

The 5th type SOUE may provide for a different procedure for including the specified fire safety evacuation signs.

5.2 Light annunciators “Exit” in auditoriums, demonstration, exhibition and other halls must be turned on while people are in them.

5.3 Light annunciators “Exit” should be installed:

in auditoriums, demonstration, exhibition and other halls (regardless of the number of people in them), as well as in rooms with 50 or more people staying at the same time - above emergency exits;

above emergency exits from building floors, directly outside or leading to a safe area;

in other places, at the discretion of the design organization, if, in accordance with the provisions of this set of rules, the installation of “Exit” warning lights is required in the building.

5.4 Fire safety evacuation signs indicating the direction of movement should be installed:

in corridors longer than 50 m, as well as in corridors of dormitories with a capacity of more than 50 people per floor. In this case, fire safety evacuation signs must be installed along the length of the corridors at a distance of no more than 25 m from each other, as well as in places where the corridors turn;

in smoke-free staircases;

in other places, at the discretion of the design organization, if, in accordance with the provisions of this set of rules, the installation of fire safety evacuation signs is required in the building.

5.5 Fire safety evacuation signs indicating the direction of movement should be installed at a height of at least 2 m.

6 Classification of warning systems and management of evacuation of people during fires in buildings

Depending on the notification method, division of the building into warning zones and other characteristics, the SOUE is divided into 5 types, shown in Table 1.

Table 1

Notes:

1 “+” - required; “*” - allowed; "-" - not required.

2 It is allowed to use the sound warning method for fire warning systems of 3-5 types in certain fire warning zones (technical floors, attics, basements, closed parking ramps and other premises not intended for permanent occupancy of people).

3 In buildings with permanent residence of people with hearing and visual impairments, flashing light alarms or specialized alarms should be used (including specialized alarm systems that provide sound signals of a certain frequency and pulsed light signals of increased brightness, as well as other technical means of individual warning of people). The choice of the type of sirens is determined by the design organization depending on the physical condition of the people in the building. At the same time, these alarms must exclude the possibility of a negative impact on human health and life support devices.

4 The choice of the type of fire safety evacuation signs indicating the direction of movement of people in case of fire (photoluminescent fire safety signs, illuminated fire alarms, other fire safety evacuation signs) is carried out by the design organization.

7 Fire safety requirements for equipping buildings (structures) with various types of warning systems and management of evacuation of people in case of fire

Buildings (structures) must be equipped with a fire safety system of the appropriate type in accordance with Table 2. It is allowed to use a higher type of fire safety system for buildings (structures) provided that the conditions for ensuring the safe evacuation of people are met.

table 2

Notes:

1 The required type of SOUE is determined by the value of the standard indicator. If the number of floors is more than allowed by a given type of SOUE for buildings of a given functional purpose, or there is no value for the standard indicator, then the required type of SOUE is determined by the number of floors of the building.

2 In these standards, the standard indicator of the area of ​​the fire compartment is understood as the area of ​​the floor between the fire walls.

3 At protection facilities where, in accordance with the requirements of the building, type 4 or 5 SOUE equipment is required, the final decision on the choice of SOUE is made by the design organization.

4 In rooms and buildings where people with impaired hearing or vision are located (work, live, spend leisure time), the educational system must take these features into account.

5 For buildings of categories A and B in terms of explosion and fire hazard, in which a type 3 SOUE device is provided, in addition to voice fire alarms installed inside the buildings, provision must be made for the installation of voice fire alarms outside these buildings. The method of laying SOUE connecting lines and the placement of fire alarms outside buildings is determined by the design organization.

6 In institutions where notification only to service personnel is required, the placement of voice alarms should be carried out in accordance with the requirements of this set of rules.

7 One-story warehouse and industrial buildings, consisting of one room (explosion and fire hazard categories B4, G, D) with an area of ​​no more than 50 m2 without permanent workplaces or constant presence of people, are allowed not to be equipped with an SOUE.

Keywords:safe evacuation, warning and evacuation management, fire alarms, fire safety signs

The purpose of creating fire protection systems, as follows from Article 51 of Federal Law No. 123-2009 “Technical Regulations of Fire Safety,” is “to protect people and property from the effects of dangerous fire factors and/or limit its consequences.” It is also determined here that “protecting people and property from the effects of dangerous fire factors and/or limiting its consequences is ensured by reducing the dynamics of the growth of dangerous fire factors, evacuating people and property to a safe area and/or extinguishing the fire.”

Thus, we have two main tasks of fire protection systems:

■ fire prevention measures that reduce the likelihood of a fire itself or limit its spread;

■ evacuation of people and property (if there is such a task) to a safe area and extinguishing the fire itself.

The main criterion for a facility’s compliance with fire safety requirements is the non-exceeding of the permissible fire risk established by Law, the calculated value of which is directly related to the likelihood of a possible timely evacuation of people.

Thus, as can be seen from the above requirements for a fire protection system, fire detection itself, including with the help of technical fire alarm systems, is not the ultimate goal, but only a necessary condition for the timely evacuation of people.

For these purposes, all facilities must have a fire warning and evacuation control system (SOUE).

SOUE is a set of organizational measures and technical means designed to provide timely information to people about the occurrence of a fire, the need to evacuate, evacuation routes and sequence.

The basic requirements for the SOUE are set out in Article 84 of Federal Law No. 123. Here are some of them:

“Notifying people about a fire, managing the evacuation of people and ensuring their safe evacuation in case of fire in buildings, structures and structures must be carried out in one of the following ways or a combination of the following methods:

■ supply of light, sound and (or) speech signals to all premises with permanent or temporary occupancy of people;

■ broadcast of specially designed texts about the need for evacuation, evacuation routes, direction of movement and other actions to ensure the safety of people and prevent panic in the event of a fire;

■ placement and provision of lighting of fire safety signs on evacuation routes within the required time;

■ turning on evacuation (emergency) lighting;

■ remote opening of emergency exit door locks;

■ providing communication between the fire post (control room) and fire warning zones;

■ other methods to ensure evacuation.”

The use of certain notification methods is specified in the set of rules SP3.13130.2009 and in NPB 104-03 (for facilities commissioned before 2009).

The information transmitted by fire warning and evacuation management systems must correspond to the information contained in the evacuation plans developed and placed on each floor of buildings, structures and structures.

It follows that the design and installation organization creates a notification algorithm in strict accordance with the already developed evacuation plan, and all responsibility for it lies entirely with the customer.

Classification, basic requirements, equipment composition

The warning and evacuation control system is one of the most important components of the security system. The main purpose of the warning system is to warn people in the building about a fire or other emergency, as well as to coordinate their actions during evacuation. SOUE is a complex of organizational measures and technical means designed to solve these problems.

The warning system and the conditions for its use must meet the requirements set out in a number of regulatory documents, among which the fundamental ones are: “Technical regulations on fire safety requirements “Federal Law No. 123-F3”, GOST R 53325-2009 “Fire fighting equipment. Fire automatic equipment. General technical requirements. Test methods", Code of Practice SP.3.131.30.2009 "Fire protection systems. Warning systems and management of evacuation of people in case of fire. Fire safety requirements."

The new regulatory documents that have come into force have significantly increased the level of requirements in the field of fire safety, but they do not address the issue of interfacing fire warning and evacuation control systems with the civil defense warning system. In the first edition of NPB 104-03, clause 3.2, it was stated that when designing an SOUE, the possibility of its integration with the civil warning system should be provided; in subsequent editions of NPB 104-03 this provision was absent. As a result, two independent systems may be built at the site, partially duplicating each other.

The SOUE produced today have the technical ability, first of all, to receive signals and commands from the centralized civil warning system and broadcast them via voice annunciators (“Blues”, “Octava-80”, “Orpheus”, “Strizh-2”, “Trombone” and etc.).

Classification of warning systems

Depending on the notification method, dividing the building into warning zones and other characteristics, the SOUE are divided into 5 types shown in the table. Clause 7. SP.31330.2009 sets out fire safety requirements for equipping buildings (structures) with various types of warning systems and management of evacuation of people in case of fire. It is permissible to use the sound warning method for fire warning systems of types 3-5 in certain fire warning zones (technical floors, attics, basements, closed parking ramps and other premises not intended for permanent occupancy of people).

In buildings with permanent residence of people with hearing and visual impairments, flashing light alarms or specialized alarms should be used (including specialized alarm systems that provide sound signals of a certain frequency and pulsed light signals of increased brightness, as well as other technical means of individual warning of people ). The choice of the type of sirens is determined by the design organization depending on the physical condition of the people in the building. At the same time, these alarms must exclude the possibility of a negative impact on human health and life support devices.

The choice of the type of fire safety evacuation signs indicating the direction of movement of people in case of fire (photoluminescent fire safety signs, illuminated fire alarms, other fire safety evacuation signs) is carried out by the design organization.

Composition and structure of the warning system

In SOUE of the 1st and 2nd types, notification is carried out using light and sound annunciators. Devices designed specifically for the 1st and 2nd types of notification (“Trombone-PU-2”) are already appearing on the market, providing monitoring of the health of communication lines with sirens, as well as powering the sirens from the battery when the main power is turned off.

SOUE types 3-5 are autonomous centralized complexes and are built on a modular basis. Depending on the architectural features of the building and its purpose, public address systems include devices for transmitting emergency messages or are supplemented with modules for broadcasting background music and general announcements across zones. In addition, fire warning systems differ in the number of warning zones, in the ability to program event logic, and in the ability to control the fire alarm system.

There are several blocks common to all fire warning systems:

• control and communication unit;
• amplification equipment (pre-amplifiers and power amplifiers);
• remote microphone consoles for organizing a remote workplace;
• signal sources (microphone installed on the dispatcher's console or on the alarm message unit, digital tape recorder with recorded alarm messages, tone generator, radio receiver, CD player, external broadcast network);
• loudspeakers (horn, wall, ceiling sirens);
• fire safety evacuation signs, warning lights.

The choice of the type of sirens is determined by the design organization depending on the physical condition of the people in the building. At the same time, these alarms must exclude the possibility of a negative impact on human health and life support devices.

To control the SOUE, specialized technical means must be used - a fire control device (FCU). In general, this is a technical means designed to generate control signals for actuators of automatic fire protection equipment and monitor the integrity and functioning of communication lines between the control panel and the actuators. In the case of PPU, to ensure the functioning of the SOUE, various types of sirens are used as actuators.

Requirements for sounders and fire alarm control systems are set out in GOST R 53325 “Fire automatic equipment. General technical requirements. Test methods" in sections b and 7, respectively, and the technical means themselves must have a certificate of compliance with this standard.

Fire alarm systems must be activated automatically by a command signal generated by an automatic fire alarm or fire extinguishing installation, with a recorded electronic message transmitted to the zones. If necessary, the dispatcher can transmit emergency messages himself from the microphone console or from the SOUE control unit (semi-automatic mode). In types 3-5 SOUE, semi-automatic control, as well as manual, remote and local activation, can be used only in certain warning zones.

The choice of control type is determined by the functional purpose, design features of the building and based on the conditions for ensuring the safe evacuation of people in case of fire. One of the main requirements for fire alarm systems of types 4-5 is the division of the building into fire warning zones for preliminary notification of personnel and the sequential organization of evacuation of people from warning zones. Distribution of the signal across warning zones is ensured by switching signal sources and warning zones. Signal sources are switched to notification zones in accordance with the established priority. The signal received from the dispatcher's microphone has the highest priority.

According to the design, warning systems can be divided into those in which the signal is switched across warning zones before amplification (Fig. 1), and those in which this occurs after amplification (Fig. 2). In the case of signal switching before amplification, fire alarm systems must contain one amplifier for each zone (“Blues”, “Strizh-2”). In the second case, several signal sources are connected to the amplifier input, and then the amplified sound signal is distributed among the warning zones (“Trombone”).

Basically, warning systems are analog wired, but at the same time there have appeared SOUEs in which the processing and transmission of audio information is carried out in digital form (Cybersystem, Strizh-2), as well as wireless SOUEs (Orpheus-R). This significantly increases the number of broadcast signals and allows you to transmit several messages in parallel over one line, as well as combine and manage several autonomous warning systems. In a wireless system, installation is greatly simplified, and most importantly, the survivability of the SOUE is ensured. To broadcast sound messages across warning zones, loudspeakers of various designs and sound annunciators are used. The number of sound and speech fire alarms, their placement and power must ensure the sound level in all places of permanent or temporary residence of people in accordance with the standards (GOST R 53325-2009, SP 3.131302009). The sound pressure level developed by sound fire alarms at a distance of (1.00 + 0.05) m should be set in the range from 85 to 120 dB, by voice fire alarms - in the range from 70 to 110 dB. The frequency of signals generated by audible fire alarms must be within the range of 200-5000 Hz; the range of reproduced frequencies of voice fire alarms should be no narrower than from 500 to 3500 Hz, with unevenness of the frequency response in the range of no more than 16 dB.

At any point of the protected object where it is necessary to notify people about a fire, the volume level generated by sound and voice alarms must be higher than the permissible noise level. Voice alarms must be located in such a way that at any point of the protected object where it is necessary to notify people about a fire, the intelligibility of the transmitted speech information is ensured. Light sirens must provide contrasting perception of information in a range characteristic of the protected object.

Thus, the placement of sirens and the choice of power supplied to them must be calculated taking into account specific installation locations, and this calculation must be given in the working documentation. Instead of calculations, to confirm the validity of the adopted technical solutions, you can use the results of control measurements when putting the system into operation.

One of the main requirements for fire alarm systems of types 4-5 is the division of the building into fire warning zones for preliminary notification of personnel and the sequential organization of evacuation of people from warning zones

When dividing a building, structure or structure into zones for warning people about a fire, a special sequence must be developed for notifying people in different rooms of the building, structure or structure about a fire.

The size of notification zones, the special sequence of notifying people about a fire and the start time of notifying people about a fire in individual zones must be determined based on the conditions for ensuring the safe evacuation of people in case of fire.

This case is usually used for objects with large numbers of people or having specific functioning (schools, boarding schools, hospitals, etc.), as well as when there are several evacuation routes from each point of the object.

Communications of fire warning systems and people evacuation control systems may be combined with the radio broadcast network of the building, structure and structure.
It seems that it is allowed to combine it with a radio broadcasting network, but the possibilities of using it as the basis of an SOUE are very limited.

As has already been noted here, when designing SOUE for newly commissioned facilities, the requirements of the set of rules SP3.13130.2009 must be fully taken into account, and for those introduced before 2009 - NPB 104-03. And based on this document, it turns out that depending on the notification method, dividing the building into warning zones and other characteristics, the SOUE is divided into 5 types:

■ 1 type - sound notification (siren, tinted signal, etc.);

■ Type 2 - sound notification (siren, tinted signal, etc.) and light using “Exit” sirens;

■ Type 3 - speech notification (transmission of special texts) and light using “Exit” annunciators;

■ type 4 - voice notification (transmission of special texts) and light using “Exit” annunciators and fire safety evacuation signs indicating the direction of movement;

■ Type 5 - voice notification (transmission of special texts) and light using “Exit” annunciators and light annunciators indicating the direction of people’s movement, with a changing semantic meaning.

For types 4 and 5, the building is divided into fire warning zones and the fire warning zones are connected back to the fire control room.

For type 5, it must additionally be possible to implement several evacuation options from each fire warning zone and coordinated control from one fire control room of all building systems related to ensuring the safety of people in case of fire.

The sirens must not have volume controls and must be connected to the power supply network and (or) to the warning lines using soldering or screws, and the terminals must be duplicated to ensure that the input and output wires are connected not by direct contact between the conductors, but through the fire alarm terminals . Sound warning signals must differ in tone from sound signals for other purposes. Light annunciators must provide contrast perception of information under illumination in the range from 1 to 500 lux.

The flashing warning light must have a flashing frequency in the range from 0.5 to 5 Hz. Connecting lines in SOUE with voice notification, as well as radio channel connecting lines must be provided with a system for automatically monitoring their performance.

In addition to traditional emergency exit signs, a new class of audible alarms, Exit Points, have appeared on the warning system market, which provide smoke evacuation when visual means become ineffective. Evacuation time is reduced by up to 75%. Unlike conventional sounders, Exit Point uses a broadband noise signal across the entire audio range. A person can easily determine the exact direction to this source even in closed rooms with reflections from surrounding objects.

A lot of questions arise when designing voice warning systems regarding the required reproduced frequency band. On the one hand, the set of rules SP3.13130 ​​stipulates that voice alarms must reproduce normally audible frequencies in the range from 200 to 5000 Hz. On the other hand, GOST R 53325 for speech annunciators provides for a range of reproduced frequencies no narrower than from 500 to 3500 Hz with an uneven frequency response in the range of no more than 1b dB, which seems to be significantly narrower than provided by the set of rules. But there is one difficulty: the set of rules does not define the unevenness of this frequency response. Therefore, we can conclude that any public address broadcaster that complies with GOST R 53325 will also comply with the requirements of the set of rules, it’s just that signals with frequencies from 3500 to 5000 Hz will be reproduced much quieter than signals in the frequency band from 500 to 3500 Hz, and no other required. And it's not scary at all.

In telephone communications, the band of effectively transmitted frequencies of the composite channel HF (voice frequency) was initially chosen, equal to 300-400 Hz with a maximum unevenness of the frequency response of 8.7 dB (GOST 21655-87 “Channels and paths of the backbone primary network of a unified automated communication system”) . This does not affect speech intelligibility, but economically it is completely justified. Moreover, in some communication systems the upper pass frequency is generally limited to 2700 Hz. If the facility does not have the task of using the voice alarm system also as a broadcast network, then the use of SOUE with a frequency band reproduced from 500 to 3500 Hz makes it possible to reduce power consumption from backup power sources (batteries), thereby reducing their costs.

Survivability of SOUE in case of fire

Fire warning and evacuation control systems must function for the entire time necessary to complete the evacuation of people from a building, structure, structure.

In terms of reliability of power supply, SOUE belong to the 1st category. At the same time, the public warning system must automatically switch from the main power source to the backup one. When using a battery as a backup power supply, the operating time of the emergency control system in standby mode from an undischarged source must be at least 24 hours; the operating time of technical warning equipment from a backup source in emergency mode is calculated from the time required to complete the evacuation of people. Thus, we need to operate from backup power sources in standby mode for at least 24 hours and in alert mode and control the evacuation of people for the time required to complete it. Based on this, it is necessary to include the capacity of backup power supplies into the system.

The maximum temperature at which the SOUE and voice alarms must remain operational must not be lower than 550 °C.

Cables, wires of the SOUE, as well as methods of their installation must ensure the operability of connecting lines in fire conditions for the time necessary for the complete evacuation of people to a safe area. Requirements for cable products are set out in GOST R 53315-2009 “Cable products. Fire safety requirements. Test methods". Clause 6 of GOST specifies the scope of application of the cable product, taking into account the fire hazard and type of execution. The national standard GOST R 53315-2009 includes the “cable fire resistance” parameter. A quantitative measure of this parameter is the “fire resistance limit,” which characterizes the time during which the cable (when exposed to a heat source regulated by standards) performs its functions (transmission of electricity, signals).

Sounders must not have volume controls and must be connected to the power supply and (or) to the warning lines by soldering or screwing

Other indicators given in the standard are also mandatory. In practice, the fire resistance of cable lines is determined not only by the design of the cable, but also by the method of its installation at the site. In this regard, the issue of checking the continued operability of the cable in fire conditions with real structural elements of the laying (trays, fasteners, junction boxes, etc.) becomes particularly important. That is, it is necessary to test not just one cable, but the entire cable system at once, as is, for example, carried out in accordance with the European standard DIN 4102-12 “Fire resistance of building materials and structures. Part 12. Reliability of electrical cable systems. Requirements and tests."

Monitoring of warning and control lines.

The main requirement for warning systems, which strikingly distinguishes Federal Law No. 123 from all previous regulatory documents, is monitoring their performance, in particular we are talking about monitoring the integrity of warning lines SP 3.13130.2009 clause 3.4 “.. Radio channel connecting lines, as well as connecting lines in SOUE with voice notification must be provided, in addition, with a system of automatic monitoring of their performance.” Control devices for warning and evacuation systems have many different functions, among which control of actuator circuits can be identified as one of the most important.

It is worth noting that most often there are four methods for monitoring load circuits in the general classification of control methods:

— control through additional lines;
— impedance control (based on installed power);
— control by address labels;
— DC control using blocking elements.

Manufacturers of voice notification units use various methods for monitoring the performance of notification and control lines; let’s look at each method in more detail.

1. Control through additional lines.

The general meaning of control through additional lines is contained in the very name of this method. The control is divided into two stages (see Fig. 3.). At the first stage, the first control line “L1” is checked using the second control wire “Control 2”. At the second stage of the test, the control line “L2” is checked using the first control wire “Control 1”. The control method itself is control of the alarm loop using direct current, while the terminal resistor is installed in the control panel.

Rice. 3. Control through additional lines.

Control through additional lines is justified if it is necessary to use sirens from different manufacturers in one system, and if this need is of greater importance than the cost of additional installation costs (the cost of control wires and their installation).

Advantages of the method:
— full control of lines along the entire length and the ability to control sirens for “passage”;
— sirens from different manufacturers are acceptable in one system.

Disadvantages of this method:
— additional costs for laying control wires.
— use of control panel to monitor the integrity of lines.

2. Impedance control.

The impedance control method is based on measuring the impedance of the AC warning line. Another name for the method used by some manufacturers is “installed power control”. The monitoring device measures the variable voltage and current in the warning line, and then calculates the power (as the product of current and voltage) or impedance (as the ratio of voltage to current). This value is fixed and subsequently the device calculates deviations from it (see Fig. 4.).

Rice. 4. Impedance control (installed power).

Since alternating current is passed through the circuit, so that the speaker systems do not reproduce the test control signal, the frequency of the alternating voltage is selected above the sound barrier audible to the human ear, that is, in the region of 20-30 kHz. A higher frequency will increase the contribution of the reactive component of the communication line to the overall picture and will require higher computing resources of the monitoring device.

The main problem in the practical use of the method is the significant inductive and capacitive components of the warning line, as well as the influence of environmental factors (temperature, humidity, electromagnetic interference). As a result of this influence, the error can be 20 percent or more.

Advantages of the method:
— the ability to control the warning line and sirens (especially if their number is small (20% error);

— no need for additional blocking elements.

Disadvantages of this method:
— high cost of the control device;
— high error of the control method, especially with a large number of sirens.

3. Control by address labels.

The operating principle of a system with control by address tags is very similar to the operation of addressable and addressable analogue fire alarm systems. The essence of the method is that each siren has its own address, which is transmitted to the control device. Along with the address, the siren can transmit its status and various other parameters in digital form. It should be noted that this is the most promising method of control today, although its distribution is rather narrow due to its high price (see Fig. 5.). The method has found its main application in radio channel voice warning systems.

Rice. 5. Control method using address marks.

Advantages of the method:
— automatic control of the broadcast line and sirens;
— monitoring the status of sirens and additional parameters.

Disadvantages of this method:
— high cost of equipment;
— use of sirens only from certain manufacturers.

4. DC control.

The direct current control method is implemented by increasing the resistance of the sounder (or the primary winding of the sounder transformer in broadcast warning systems) to direct current by sequentially connecting a blocking element (capacitor). The blocking capacitor is selected with a capacitance large enough to avoid narrowing the sound range reproduced by the speaker (see Fig. 6.).

Rice. 6. Direct current control method with blocking elements.

Advantages of the method:
— reliable control of the warning line along its entire length;
— control of removal of acoustic systems;
— two wires are enough for operation and control.

Disadvantages of this method:
— the difficulty of monitoring the performance of the sirens themselves;
— when using sirens from other manufacturers, it is necessary to install external capacitors for the control function to operate.

In general, all of the listed methods for monitoring warning lines have a right to exist and differ mainly in the depth of control, the complexity of the control device and the cost of installation work.

The following materials were used in writing this article:
http://arsec.ru (GC "Arsenal of Security")
Magazine "Security Systems" No. 1, 2010

1. Notifying people about a fire, managing the evacuation of people and ensuring their safe evacuation in case of fire in buildings and structures must be carried out in one of the following ways or a combination of the following methods:

(see text in the previous edition)

1) supply of light, sound and (or) speech signals to all premises with permanent or temporary occupancy of people;

2) broadcast of specially designed texts about the need for evacuation, evacuation routes, direction of movement and other actions to ensure the safety of people and prevent panic in the event of a fire;

3) placement and provision of lighting of fire safety signs on evacuation routes within the required time;

4) turning on evacuation (emergency) lighting;

5) remote opening of emergency exit door locks;

6) providing communication between the fire post (control room) and fire warning zones;

7) other methods to ensure evacuation.

2. Information transmitted by fire warning and evacuation management systems must correspond to the information contained in evacuation plans developed and placed on each floor of buildings and structures.

(see text in the previous edition)

3. Fire alarms installed at the facility must provide unambiguous information to people about the fire during the evacuation period, as well as the provision of additional information, the absence of which may lead to a decrease in the level of people’s safety.

4. At any point of the protected object where it is necessary to notify people about a fire, the volume level generated by sound and speech alarms must be higher than the permissible noise level. Voice alarms must be located in such a way that at any point of the protected object where it is required to notify people about a fire, the intelligibility of the transmitted speech information is ensured. Light sirens must provide contrasting perception of information in a range characteristic of the protected object.

5. When dividing a building and structure into zones for warning people about a fire, a special sequence must be developed for notifying people in different rooms of the building and structure about a fire.

(see text in the previous edition)

6. The dimensions of warning zones, the special sequence of notifying people about a fire and the start time of notifying people about a fire in individual zones must be determined based on the conditions for ensuring the safe evacuation of people in case of fire.

7. Systems for warning people about a fire and managing the evacuation of people must function for the time necessary to complete the evacuation of people from a building or structure.

(see text in the previous edition)

8. Technical means used to notify people about a fire and control the evacuation of people from a building or structure in case of fire must be developed taking into account the health and age of the people being evacuated.

(see text in the previous edition)

9. Sound signals alerting people about a fire must differ in tone from sound signals for other purposes.

10. Sound and speech devices for warning people about a fire should not have detachable devices, the ability to adjust the volume level and must be connected to the electrical network, as well as to other means of communication. Communication systems for warning people about a fire and managing the evacuation of people can be combined with the radio broadcast network of the building and structure.

MINISTRY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION FOR CIVIL DEFENSE, EMERGENCIES AND DISASTER ELIMINATION

NOTIFICATION AND CONTROL SYSTEM FOR EVACUATION OF PEOPLE IN FIRE

Preface

The goals and principles of standardization in the Russian Federation are established by Federal Law No. 184-FZ of December 27, 2002 “On Technical Regulation”, and the rules for applying sets of rules are established by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation “On the procedure for developing and approving sets of rules” dated November 19, 2008 No.

Information about the set of rules

1 DEVELOPED BY FGU VNIIPO EMERCOM of Russia

2 INTRODUCED by the Technical Committee for Standardization TC 274 “Fire Safety”

4 REGISTERED by the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology

5 INTRODUCED FOR THE FIRST TIME

SET OF RULES

Fire protection systems

NOTIFICATION AND CONTROL SYSTEM FOR EVACUATION OF PEOPLE IN FIRE

Fire safety requirements

Systems of fire protection.
System of annunciation and management of human evacuation at fire.
Requirements of fire safety

Date of introduction 2009-05-01

1 area of ​​use

This set of rules was developed in accordance with Article 84 of the Federal Law of July 22, 2008 No. 123-FZ “Technical Regulations on Fire Safety Requirements”, is a regulatory document on fire safety in the field of standardization of voluntary use and establishes fire safety requirements for warning systems and management of evacuation of people during fires in buildings, structures and structures (hereinafter referred to as buildings).

This set of rules can be used in the development of special technical specifications for the design and construction of buildings.

2 Terms and definitions

In this set of rules, the following terms with corresponding definitions are adopted.

2.1 automatic control: Activation of a warning system and control of the evacuation of people by a command signal from automatic fire alarm or fire extinguishing installations.

2.2 option for organizing evacuation from each fire warning zone: One of the possible scenarios for the movement of people to emergency exits, depending on the location of the fire, the distribution pattern of dangerous fire factors, space-planning and design solutions of the building.

2.3 fire warning zone: Part of the building where simultaneous and identical notification of people about a fire is carried out.

2.4 semi-automatic control: Activation of the warning and evacuation control system by the dispatcher (operator) upon receipt of a command signal from automatic fire alarm or fire extinguishing installations.

2.5 warning and evacuation control system (SOUE): A set of organizational measures and technical means designed to provide people with timely information about the occurrence of a fire, the need to evacuate, evacuation routes and priority.

2.6 connecting lines: Wired and non-wired communication lines that provide connection between fire automatic equipment.

2.7 fire safety evacuation signs: Fire safety signs designed to regulate the behavior of people in case of fire in order to ensure their safe evacuation, including illuminated fire alarms.

3 Fire safety requirements for the warning system and management of evacuation of people in case of fire

3.1 The emergency safety system must be designed to ensure the safe evacuation of people in case of fire.

3.2 Information transmitted by fire warning and evacuation management systems must correspond to the information contained in evacuation plans developed and placed on each floor of buildings.

3.3 The emergency control system must be turned on automatically from a command signal generated by an automatic fire alarm or fire extinguishing installation, except for the cases listed below.

Remote, manual and local activation of fire alarm systems may be used if, in accordance with fire safety regulations, this type of building does not require automatic fire extinguishing installations and (or) automatic fire alarms. In this case, the starting elements must be made and placed in accordance with the requirements for manual fire call points.

In types 3-5 SOUE, semi-automatic control, as well as manual, remote and local activation, can be used only in certain warning zones.

The choice of type of control is determined by the design organization depending on the functional purpose, structural and space-planning solutions of the building and based on the conditions for ensuring safe evacuation of people in case of fire.

3.4 Cables, wires of the SOUE and methods of their installation must ensure the operability of connecting lines in fire conditions for the time necessary for the complete evacuation of people to a safe area.

Radio channel connecting lines, as well as connecting lines in the SOUE with voice notification must be provided, in addition, with a system for automatically monitoring their performance.

3.5 The fire control system must be controlled from the fire station, control room or other special premises that meet the fire safety requirements for these premises.

4 Fire safety requirements for sound and voice warning and evacuation management

4.1 Sound signals of the SOUE must provide an overall sound level (the sound level of constant noise together with all signals produced by the sirens) of at least 75 dBA at a distance of 3 m from the siren, but not more than 120 dBA at any point in the protected premises.

4.2 Sound signals of the SOUE must provide a sound level of at least 15 dBA above the permissible sound level of constant noise in the protected room. Sound level measurements should be carried out at a distance of 1.5 m from the floor level.

4.3 In sleeping areas, the sound signals of the SOUE must have a sound level of at least 15 dBA above the sound level of constant noise in the protected room, but not less than 70 dBA. Measurements should be taken at the level of the sleeping person's head.

4.4 Wall-mounted sound and voice sirens must be located so that their upper part is at least 2.3 m from the floor level, but the distance from the ceiling to the top of the siren must be at least 150 mm.

4.5 In protected areas where people are wearing noise-protective equipment, as well as in protected areas with a noise level of more than 95 dBA, sound alarms must be combined with light alarms. The use of flashing light annunciators is permitted.

4.6 Voice alarms must reproduce normally audible frequencies in the range from 200 to 5000 Hz. The sound level of information from voice alarms must comply with the standards of this set of rules as applied to audible fire alarms.

4.7 The installation of loudspeakers and other voice alarms in protected premises must exclude concentration and uneven distribution of reflected sound.

4.8 The number of sound and speech fire alarms, their placement and power must ensure the sound level in all places of permanent or temporary residence of people in accordance with the norms of this set of rules.

5 Fire safety requirements for light warning and evacuation management

5.1 Fire safety evacuation signs, the operating principle of which is based on operation from the electrical network, must be turned on simultaneously with the main working lighting devices.

The 5th type SOUE may provide for a different procedure for including the specified fire safety evacuation signs.

5.2 Light annunciators “Exit” in auditoriums, demonstration, exhibition and other halls must be turned on while people are in them.

5.3 Light annunciators “Exit” should be installed:

in auditoriums, demonstration, exhibition and other halls (regardless of the number of people in them), as well as in rooms with 50 or more people staying at the same time - above emergency exits;

above emergency exits from building floors, directly outside or leading to a safe area;

in other places, at the discretion of the design organization, if, in accordance with the provisions of this set of rules, the installation of “Exit” warning lights is required in the building.

5.4 Fire safety evacuation signs indicating the direction of movement should be installed:

in corridors longer than 50 m, as well as in corridors of dormitories with a capacity of more than 50 people per floor. In this case, fire safety evacuation signs must be installed along the length of the corridors at a distance of no more than 25 m from each other, as well as in places where the corridors turn;

in smoke-free staircases;

in other places, at the discretion of the design organization, if, in accordance with the provisions of this set of rules, the installation of fire safety evacuation signs is required in the building.

5.5 Fire safety evacuation signs indicating the direction of movement should be installed at a height of at least 2 m.

6 Classification of warning systems and management of evacuation of people during fires in buildings

Depending on the notification method, division of the building into warning zones and other characteristics, the SOUE is divided into 5 types, shown in Table 1.

Table 1

Notes:

1 “+” - required; “*” - allowed; "-" - not required.

2 It is allowed to use the sound warning method for fire warning systems of 3-5 types in certain fire warning zones (technical floors, attics, basements, closed parking ramps and other premises not intended for permanent occupancy of people).

3 In buildings with permanent residence of people with hearing and visual impairments, flashing light alarms or specialized alarms should be used (including specialized alarm systems that provide sound signals of a certain frequency and pulsed light signals of increased brightness, as well as other technical means of individual warning of people). The choice of the type of sirens is determined by the design organization depending on the physical condition of the people in the building. At the same time, these alarms must exclude the possibility of a negative impact on human health and life support devices.

4 The choice of the type of fire safety evacuation signs indicating the direction of movement of people in case of fire (photoluminescent fire safety signs, illuminated fire alarms, other fire safety evacuation signs) is carried out by the design organization.

7 Fire safety requirements for equipping buildings (structures) with various types of warning systems and management of evacuation of people in case of fire

Buildings (structures) must be equipped with a fire safety system of the appropriate type in accordance with Table 2. It is allowed to use a higher type of fire safety system for buildings (structures) provided that the conditions for ensuring the safe evacuation of people are met.

table 2

Notes:

1 The required type of SOUE is determined by the value of the standard indicator. If the number of floors is more than allowed by a given type of SOUE for buildings of a given functional purpose, or there is no value for the standard indicator, then the required type of SOUE is determined by the number of floors of the building.

2 In these standards, the standard indicator of the area of ​​the fire compartment is understood as the area of ​​the floor between the fire walls.

3 At protection facilities where, in accordance with the requirements of the building, type 4 or 5 SOUE equipment is required, the final decision on the choice of SOUE is made by the design organization.

4 In rooms and buildings where people with impaired hearing or vision are located (work, live, spend leisure time), the educational system must take these features into account.

5 For buildings of categories A and B in terms of explosion and fire hazard, in which a type 3 SOUE device is provided, in addition to voice fire alarms installed inside the buildings, provision must be made for the installation of voice fire alarms outside these buildings. The method of laying SOUE connecting lines and the placement of fire alarms outside buildings is determined by the design organization.

6 In institutions where notification only to service personnel is required, the placement of voice alarms should be carried out in accordance with the requirements of this set of rules.

7 One-story warehouse and industrial buildings, consisting of one room (explosion and fire hazard categories B4, G, D) with an area of ​​no more than 50 m2 without permanent workplaces or constant presence of people, are allowed not to be equipped with an SOUE.

Keywords:safe evacuation, warning and evacuation management, fire alarms, fire safety signs