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Shared Documents:
Example of noise analysis and alarm/alert signal design.
NFPA 72 permits a more
precise design of audible alarm and alert signals when an octave or
one-third octave band analysis of the noise is performed. This allows a
designer to specify one or more specific frequencies for the signal to
overcome the ambient noise level at specific octave or one-third octave
bands. The human ear can discriminate distinct frequency bands. These bands
can be thought of as pickets in a fence. The noise levels in each band must be adjusted
to account for a masking effect. To know that the fire alarm signal is
there, we need only “see” one of its pickets behind the adjusted noise data
(threshold masked level). This option allows an alert or warning
signal to be "designed" for both audible efficiency and for maximum
detection and discrimination by the human ear and brain. We have the
precision equipment to conduct detailed noise surveys and the software to
process, display and design signals. The linked document is a sample
report for a measurement location.
Performance-Based Audible Notification
Occupant notification
is not just about being able to hear or see a signal. It’s all about trying
to change the behavior of the target audience in the most efficient and
effective way possible. It’s also about trying to balance costs versus
mission. Prescriptive code-based methods work for most situations, but not
for challenging environments. This presentation handout is focused on
audible notification but also emphasizes the importance of integrating other
forms of notification.
Performance-Based Audible and Visual Notification
This presentation handout shows how engineered
solutions for occupant and staff notification can meet goals and reduce
system costs. How can a system for tone and voice be optimized for high
noise environments? How can you provide visual alerting and visual
information in large, congested spaces such as big box stores? It’s really
quite easy and cost effective. But, it requires you to actually do some
analysis and engineering – more than just applying simple prescriptive code
requirements and industry rules-of-thumb. This file is more detailed
than
Performance-Based Audible Notification and addresses visual
notification, not just audible notification.
Strategies and Tools for Planning, Design and Use of Emergency Communications
Systems
This file contains
handouts from a presentation by Robert P. Schifiliti, P.E. at the 2011 NFPA
Conference & Expo. Effective communication in an emergency is a lot more
than just in-building voice systems and telephone calling/text message
systems (distributed recipient mass notification is the term used in NFPA
72.) Emergency Communications Systems (ECSs), which include Mass
Notification Systems (MNSs) continue to rely on the use of voice as the
primary messaging and communication strategy. However, there are other
communications channels that can and must be used during the different
stages of an event and to communicate with different target audiences.
There has been a tremendous advancement and evolution of communications
needs, strategies, codes, standards and delivery platforms. The changes
have been rapid and have permeated disciplines and industries that
previously had little or limited need, knowledge or contact with emergency
communications and ECSs. It’s no wonder that planners, designers,
authorities, installers and users are struggling to understand and apply the
changes. This presentation focuses on tools, options and strategies,
including those in the 2010 edition of NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and
Signaling Code, that planners, designers, authorities and users can use
to affect the implementation of a quality and compliant ECS. A structured
quality process for planning, design, installation and use is emphasized as
a means to ensure effective performance of the systems when they are called
upon. Emergency communication is a lot more than just in-building voice
systems and telephone calling/text message systems (distributed recipient
mass notification is the term used in NFPA 72.) See why a single event
might require 90 different messages delivered using five different
communications channels.
Speech Intelligibility Engineering
This file contains
handouts from a presentation by Robert P. Schifiliti, P.E. at the 2011 NFPA
Conference & Expo. The presentation given was based on a program prepared
for NFPA as a “Web Extra” (now called NFPA Journal Live) follow-up to a
Nov./Dec. 2010 article in the NFPA Journal titled “Can you Hear (and
Understand) Me Now?, 10 key issues affecting the intelligibility of voice
communications”. This presentation focuses on how to calculate the spacing
of loudspeakers for an Emergency Communications System (ECS) to achieve a
desired uniform sound pressure level – a key to reducing reverberation
effects on intelligibility. The presentation also reviews the 10 key issues
from the article and then presents a strategy and tool for preparing
effective emergency messages.
NFPA members can click here to read the full article.
NFPA members can click here to view the presentation on NFPA’s web site.
Intelligent Notification Communication –
Using Emergency Communications Systems to Alert, Notify and Inform Occupants and
Emergency Forces
This file contains
handouts from a presentation by Robert P. Schifiliti, P.E. at the 2010 NFPA
Conference & Expo. To be effective, fire alarm systems and emergency
communications systems (ECS) need to do more than make noise and flash
lights. They need to reliably alert people. They ought to convey
information about what has happened and, combined with training and
preplanning, they must effect a desired behavior. The systems include
people – both the emergency forces that use them and the people that are the
intended recipients of the instructions and information. This presentation
outlined strategies for planning, design, installation, testing and use that
help ensure that the whole system performs as needed during various stages
of an event.
Intelligibility
– Extended Bibliography
UPDATED: Revised November
2010. The original speech intelligibility bibliography was compiled in January 2002 with the help of William Keezer,
WJ Keezer Associates, Inc. Sherborn, MA. This updated bibliography contains
almost 100 references including the latest codes and standards by the
International Standards Organization (ISO), American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
The
Strobe Project Looking for information on the application of
fire alarm and emergency or mass notification strobe lights for occupant notification in large volume spaces such as big-box
stores, departments stores and warehouses?
Click here.
The Top 10 Reasons for Walking Away from the First Scheduled Acceptance Test of
a Fire Alarm System. It's great when a test goes well. There
will almost always be a few problems that need to be taken care of. This
list can be used by contractors pre-test to be sure some of the most common
mistakes are fixed before the big day. This list applies to fire detection
and alarm systems as well as Emergency Communications Systems, which includes
Mass Notification Systems.
The Top 10 Reasons for Rejecting the First Set of Submittals for a Fire Alarm
System. In most cases, a submittal is the first chance for a contractor
and vendor to tell an engineer how they interpreted the design documents and how
they intend to meet the project requirements. Attention to detail shows your
competence. A poor submittal is not a good start for a project and might
predict overall performance. Of course, this assumes that the engineers did
their job in communicating the project needs in the first place. This list
applies to fire detection and alarm systems as well as Emergency Communications
Systems, which includes Mass Notification Systems.
It's Not Your
Father's Fire Alarm Code Anymore Presentation at the 2007 AFAA
Annual Breakfast during the NFPA World Safety Congress and Exhibition.
Discusses the history of fire alarm codes and standards and the possible future
for signaling system standards.
Understanding
15/75 cd Strobes This short paper discusses the origin and
performance of fire alarm and emergency or mass notification strobes that are rated as 15/75 cd. The paper also points
out issues with NFPA 72 strobe tables versus the performance based methodology
in the code.
NFPA 72,
2002 Notification Appliances, Chapter 7, Changes, Handouts from the National Fire Protection Association's World Fire Safety
Congress and Exposition, May 21, 2002. The presentation highlighted major
changes going from the 1999 edition of NFPA 72 to the 2002 edition.
Understanding Supervision of Fire Protection
Systems What
is Supervision? The building and fire protection communities have adopted
the word supervision to mean the oversight of fire protection systems.
What is supervision? How does supervision contribute to fire protection
goals? What are the goals of supervision? What are the requirements
for supervision of fire protection systems? How is supervision
achieved? This is a draft paper and has not peer reviewed as of this
posting.
“Fire
Detection Modeling, The Research – Application Gap” Slides and notes for presentation at the
12th International Conference on Automatic Fire Detection, AUBE ’01, 28 March
2001, by Robert P. Schifiliti, P.E.
NOTE: The paper published in the conference proceedings was edited due to
size restrictions.
“Understanding
Speech Intelligibility and the Fire Alarm Code”, by Kenneth
Jacob, Chief Engineer, Bose ®
Professional Systems, May 2001.
Keywords: fire alarm emergency communications system mass notification system
voice intelligibility speech intelligibility.
Audibility
and Audible Signaling, Selected Bibliography.
Keywords: Fire alarm audible signaling audibility sound pressure level loudness.
To
Leave or Not to Leave: That is the Question! Slides and notes for
presentation at the National Fire Protection Association's World Fire Safety
Congress and Exposition, May 16, 2000.
To
Leave or Not to Leave: That is the Question! Outline/handout for
presentation at the National Fire Protection Association's World Fire Safety
Congress and Exposition, May 16, 2000.
Restricted Documents:
None posted at this time.
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