by Honeywell

VOICE ALARM GUIDE

Pocket Design & Installation Guide
 by Honeywell

This guide is aimed at supporting designers

on Voice Alarm (VA) and Public Address (PA)
systems and their use in conjunction with
advanced fire detection systems.

Incorporating the requirements of BS 5839

Part 8: 2013. It highlights some of the main
considerations in system design. This guide is
intended is as an aid and there is no substitute
for reading the full standard.

Contents
Voice Alarm System Design
4. Regulations for Voice Alarm
5. Why do we need Voice Alarm
8. Customer Requirements
11. System Architecture

Loudspeaker Design
17. Loudspeaker Layout
19. Loudspeaker Types
24. Loudspeaker Settings
 VOICE ALARM GUIDE

Checklist – For designing Voice

Alarm Systems
VA System Design Checklist
To achieve the right VA design a number of simple steps
need to be followed. This guide leads you through the
steps in a sequence that will deliver a good design.

✔ Regulations for Voice Alarm

✔ Why do we need Voice Alarm?

✔ Voice Alarm System Selection

✔ Management of Evacuation

✔ Voice Alarm System Types

✔ Customer Requirements
✔ Voice Alarm and Public Address

✔ Microphones and other inputs

✔ Background Music and Entertainment

✔ Messages

✔ System Architectures

✔ Loudspeaker Design
 by Honeywell

Regulations for Voice Alarm

There is no substitute for a sound knowledge
of the standards. BS 5839 Part 8: 2013 is
the code of practice covering the requirements
for the design, installation, commissioning and
maintenance of Voice Alarm Systems.

It sets out in great detail the steps that should be followed to achieve a system meeting
the needs of the application. This guide does not attempt to cover all of the detail of the
standard but does set out to highlight the key considerations.

Other standards are also relevant and should be consulted:

BS EN 5839 Part 1 Design,

Installation, Commissioning and
Maintenance fire detection and
alarm systems

BS EN 54 Part 16 Design of Voice

Alarm Control and Indicating
equipment

BS EN 54 Part 24 Requirements
for the design and construction of
Loudspeakers

BS 7827 Code of practice for sound

systems at sports venues
 VOICE ALARM GUIDE

Why do we need Voice Alarm?

Voice Alarm is the future for Fire Alarm Systems
There is some well documented research1 2 into the
behaviour in the event of fire.
Most striking is the variation in the response to alarm
signals:
l 13% of people react in a timely manner to bells
l 45% of people react to text information
l 75% of people react in a timely manner to voice messages

What’s that noise? I’m out of here! “Fire! Please leave the
building immediately

Further research shows that people’s *Source of research data

behaviour varies dependant on the 1: Guylène Proulx, Ph.D,’Misconceptions about
environment, and in an emergency human behaviour in fire emergencies’ published
may exit the building using the same in Canadian Consulting Engineer, March 1997,
door they used to enter. The use of a pp36, 38.
clear voice message greatly increases 2: David Cantor, ‘Studies of Human Behaviour
response time and provides the in Fire: Empirical results and their implications
opportunity to advise occupants of the for education and design.’ Published by BRE,
July 1985.
safest emergency route.
 by Honeywell

Checklist – Management of
Evacuation
Before deciding on a VA System design the
evacuation requirements of the building must
be established
- Is the building to be evacuated all at once (one out all out)?
- or does the building require a phased evacuation plan?

l In the example
opposite only part
of the building is Front Office Public bar Bar & Store
evacuated
immediately Alarm zone 1 Alarm zone 2 Alarm zone 2

l
Circuit 1 Circuit 2 Circuit 2
Whilst other areas
will have an alert or
standby message Public lounge Staff room
Alarm zone 3 Alarm zone 3

Circuit 3 Circuit 3
Note: For the Voice Alarm
System only 3 circuits are
needed to allow separate
messages to be broadcast
Loudspeaker Location VA Zone
simultaneously. Circuit
1 Office 1

2 Bar 2

2 Bar store 2

3 Lounge 3

3 Saff room 3
 VOICE ALARM GUIDE

Voice Alarm System Types?

Once the evacuation strategy of the building is
understood, the designer should assess the type of voice
alarm system that should be used.
The level of manual control and the need for live
messages versus automated messages will drive the
decision on the type of system installed. BS 5839 Part 8
defines 5 types of systems and these are summarised below:

Types of Systems Type V3: Zonal live emergency

messages
Type V1: Automatic evacuation
In addition to the functions of the Type V2,
This system offers automatic operation the facility to broadcast live emergency
of the voice alarm system against messages in pre-determined emergency
a pre-defined evacuation plan. The zones, or groups of zones. This allows
system may also have facilities for the evacuation control in specific areas of the
manual operation of non-fire emergency building where a pre-determined evacuation
messages, provided that these are plan might not cover all eventualities.
automatically overridden by emergency
messages. Type V4: Manual controls
Type V2: Live emergency Type V4 system has the facility to select
and direct stored emergency messages
messages to individual zones as well as the ability to
disable or enable emergency broadcast
In addition to the automatic facilities messages and display their status. This
provided by the Type V1 system, the allows a well trained and disciplined
Type V2 system provides the facility staff to follow a pre-planned evacuation
for automatic message initiation as strategy when the automatic mode needs
well as the facility to broadcast live to be overridden.
emergency messages by means of an
all-call emergency microphone situated
at a strategic controlpoint. This allows Type V5: Engineered systems
supplementary live announcements to aid
safe evacuation. Where the application falls outside the
scope of type V1-V4, a type V5 system
allows the design of a tailored solution
based on the assessment of special or
mutable risks.
 by Honeywell

Checklist – Customer
Requirements
Voice Alarm and Public Address?
Is the system to be used only for Voice Alarm or a
combination of Voice Alarm and Public Address, and
maybe even music?

If so, the zoning requirements for Voice Alarm Evacuation may be different from Public
Address.

l In the example shown opposite there Front Public bar Bar & Store
is a requirement for 3 separate
paging zones and 2 areas for Office Alarm zone 2 Alarm zone 2
music, aswell as 3 alarm zones. Alarm
Music Paging
However there are only 2 No paging No music
zone 1 Circuit 2 Circuit 3
evacuations zones. Paging
No music Public lounge Staff room
Note: For the Voice Alarm System only 3 circuits
Circuit 1
Alarm zone 3 Alarm zone 3
are needed to allow separate messages to be
Music Paging
broadcast simultaneously. However once the No paging No music
PA and background music requirements are Circuit 4 Circuit 5
added the minimum number of circuits required
increases to 5.

Loudspeaker Location VA Zone PA Zone Music
circuit
1 Office 1 1

2 Bar 2 1

3 Bar store 2 2

4 Lounge 3 2

5 Staff room 3 3
 VOICE ALARM GUIDE

Checklist – For designing

Voice Alarm Systems
Customer Requirements –
Microphones & Other Inputs
How many microphones are needed and what are they
used for? Microphones may be used to broadcast live
messages both in an emergency and in normal public address.

For emergency use, microphones must be operated and be monitored in accordance

with BS 5839 Part 8, and be certified to the requirements of EN54-16.
Identify opportunities to broadcast
miscellaneous announcements.
Examples include:

l Spot announcements
l General paging
l Landlord input in shopping centres
l Adverts

l Pre-recorded messages on a PC
l Audio visual presentations

Customer Requirements
– Background Music and
Entertainment
Does the system need music, if so how
many sources and how is it to be routed?
Different areas of a building may need to
be linked to entertainment systems. You
need to identify the type and location of
the music source eg. CD Player, Satellite
TV, HiFi System etc.
 by Honeywell

Checklist – Messages
What messages do I need to meet the needs
of the building?
Recommended messages are defined in the standards,
and meet the needs of most buildings. In some cases
messages may be tailored to suit special applications
and may even involve coded alerts to warn staff ahead
of the public.

l
If a special message is to be used, its content and repetition frequency should
be agreed with the fire officer, the user and other interested parties. Coded alert
broadcasts should continue until manually silenced or until superseded, manually

or automatically, by an evacuate broadcast or by an appropriate alert broadcast.
Recommend sequence of message and tone
Attention-drawing signal lasting 2 s to 10 s followed by

Brief silence lasting 1 s to 2 s followed by

Evacuate message followed by

Silence lasting 2 s to 5 s

Example of an evacuate Example of an alert

message: message:
“Attention, please. Attention, please. “May I have your attention, please.
Fire has been reported in the building. May I have your attention, please.
Please leave the building Fire has been reported in the
immediately, by the nearest exit. building.
Do not use a lift.” Please listen for further instructions.”
 VOICE ALARM GUIDE

Checklist –
System Architectures
Architecture – Centralised or Distributed
The system architecture may be selected to suit the
building.

Some of today’s solutions

Three main variations of providing voice messages are available today, these are:

l Stand Alone Voice sounders All these types have possible use
dependant on the type and size of
l Central Rack Systems the building where they are being
installed.
l Distributed Rack Systems

Voice sounders
Although these devices can not be
considered a true VA they do offer voice
messages, with each device containing
a ‘memory’ chip that has a number of
pre-recorded standard messages,
that are operated direct from the fire
alarm control panel.

It is important that the control panel

has a ‘synchronisation’ capability so all the independent
recorded messages are delivered at the same time.

A V1 System is needed.
 by Honeywell

Central Rack systems

Central Rack systems consist of a rack of
amplifiers that control all the loudspeaker circuits
that are radially wired as shown. This rack
can also contain facilities for zone selection,
music input, emergency and general paging
announcements.

Considerations when
using rack systems:
l The link between the
fire control panel and
the rack must be fully
protected and
monitored
l The correct cables
sizes must be Fire Loop
provided for the
loudspeaker circuits
particularly if they
extend across many
floors
l The battery standby
capacity must be
properly calculated
with some capacity
to extend in the
future
Control
Rack System

Fire Control
Panel
 VOICE ALARM GUIDE

Distributed Rack Systems

Distributed Rack Systems are the latest
innovation that allow the loudspeakers to be
connected to local amplifiers often connected
on the fire system loop cables, as shown.

Graphical
Fibre Optic Management

NETWORK
CD Player

Configuration

The benefits of this approach are:

l There is a lot less cable required l The system can easily be
for the loudspeaker circuits extended as additional
l Shorter cable runs to localized racks Distributed Racks can be added
to the Voice Alarm network
l The cables will often be smaller in
size and therefore cost less
 by Honeywell

Loudspeaker Design –
What you need to know...
Which loudspeaker should I use?
There are potentially several ways of providing intelligible
coverage for any particular space. The selection of the
type, quantity, location and orientation of loudspeakers is
a critical part of voice alarm system design and is based
on information about the use of the building such as:

l Acoustic environment
• floor plans
• building sections
• material finishes
• reverberation time
l Ambient noise level
l Climatic environment
l Area coverage requirement
l Mounting arrangements, for
example ceiling tiles, wall, pole etc.
l Architectural design and relevance
of the appearance of the
loudspeaker

l Type of broadcast, i.e. if it

is used for purposes other
than voice alarm, such as
commentary, background
music etc.
l Inter-relationship between
loudspeaker zones and
fire compartments
 VOICE ALARM GUIDE

Loudspeaker
Layout/Placement

l The best loudspeaker layout should give an even

spread of sound within a room
l This may mean using more loudspeakers at lower
sound pressure levels rather than one very loud one!
Bad

Bad
Too Loud
SPL dB

Too Quiet Too Loud

SPL dB

Too Quiet

Good distribution A single loudspeaker at a high

setting will give a poor sound
distribution.

Good distribution A number of loudspeakers

distributed evenly will give a
SPL dB

better distribution and a better

quality of sound.
SPL dB
 by Honeywell

Checklist –
For Loudspeaker Design
BS5839 Part 8: 2013 takes a more
prescriptive approach than in previous
editions providing simple loudspeaker spacing
guidelines for designers.

In simple acoustic spaces, a competent person can estimate types, quantities and
locations of loudspeakers required, using the above information. There is a straight
forward sequence to follow to arrive at a suitable loudspeaker design.

1 Decide loudspeaker layout / placement

2 Select loudspeaker types

3 Define setting for each loudspeaker

3.1 ✔ Assess background noise levels

3.2 ✔ Decide spacing and tappings

3.3 ✔ Calculate SPL required from loudspeaker

3.4 ✔ Calculate loudspeaker load

 VOICE ALARM GUIDE

Loudspeaker Layout/Placement
A distributed system will suit most common
applications:
l Offices

l Shell and core building systems

l Classrooms

l Shop units

Plan view
Plan viewwith
with ceiling loudspeakers
ceiling speakers Loudspeakers spaced
Plan view with ceiling speakers at regular intervals
Plan view with ceiling speakers deliver an even
distribution of sound.
Listener ear level
should be higher than
1.2m unless it’s a child
or very small person.

End view of ceiling speakers

End
Endview
view ofof ceiling
ceilingspeakers
loudspeakers Wall loudspeakers
End view of ceiling speakers
may be used as an
alternative distributed
layout for high ceiling
areas.
 by Honeywell

Alternative Loudspeaker
Layout Options

Centralised Design and Hybrid or Combined Design

In certain circumstances
a centralised design is
better suited for example
in large open areas.

Combined

In other circumstances a
hybrid of centralised and
distributed layout may be
required.
 VOICE ALARM GUIDE

Loudspeaker Selection
Ceiling loudspeakers
This type of loudspeaker is ideal for open plan offices
with false (suspended) ceilings.

Ceiling loudspeakers
can give very good
music reproduction and
are often used in ‘low
level multipoint’ systems
where each loudspeaker
is tapped at a low level
to provide a smooth and
even distribution of sound
throughout the area of
coverage.

Cabinet loudspeakers Installations with a

large number of ceiling
A cabinet loudspeaker provides general coverage
loudspeakers (in an open-
within a room of limited size.
plan office, for example)
Cabinet loudspeakers are suitable for paging
will have them set in a grid
announcements in small, quiet offices. Alternatively a
pattern to maximize the
number of suitable cabinet loudspeakers can be used
coverage provided.
in larger office areas to provide sufficient coverage.
Ceiling loudspeakers
come in a range of
Cabinet loudspeakers
diameters and are
may also be used as
typically rated at a
ceiling loudspeakers
maximum of 6 watts.
where a suspended
ceiling is not available.
 by Honeywell

Loudspeaker Selection
Horn loudspeakers
Horn loudspeakers have two main attributes: they are
weatherproof and are able to direct sound in a well
defined pattern. Compact and sturdy ‘re-entrant’ types
(folded internally to make the unit shorter) are the most
common types.

Due to their restricted low-

frequency response, they
should be used only for speech
applications and amplifier
high-pass filtering must be
selected. If horn loudspeakers
are fed with low frequencies
there is a risk of damage to the
loudspeaker diaphragms.

Projector loudspeakers
Projectors are more directional
than cabinet loudspeakers but
have better musicality than a
horn.

The highly directional

characteristic of
projectors can be
useful in saving
amplifier power, in
areas such as railway
stations, a noisy
machine shop, car
parks and shopping
centres.
 VOICE ALARM GUIDE

Loudspeaker Selection
Column loudspeakers
Column loudspeakers consist of a number of drive units
arranged in a vertical pattern and are usually confined to
sound reinforcement applications rather than distributed
P.A. systems.

They are designed to have a

very wide sound dispersion
(radiation pattern) in a
horizontal plane (from side to
side) and narrow dispersion in
the vertical plane.

This makes them effective

in areas with difficult sound
characteristics such as
churches, auditoria, railway
stations and airports.

Spherical loudspeakers
Ideal for open areas with high
ceilings such as retail units.
Sound is distributed around
360 degrees and the sphere
is suspended at a convenient
height above the floor.

With good sound reproduction

quality they are useful for
voice and music in difficult
applications.
 by Honeywell

Loudspeaker Design -
Siting of Ceiling Speakers
Ceilingloudspeaker
Ceiling loudspeaker mounted
mounted
ininsuspended ceiling
suspended ceiling

Where ceiling
loudspeakers are
to be mounted in a
suspended ceiling they
are to be mounted on a
Max height
60 degrees square grid.
6m Approx at 4kHz
Ceiling loudspeakers
Ear Level
shall be mounted at
1.2m a maximum of 6m
spacings to comply
with the requirements
Listener ear of BS5839-8: 2013
level should Ceiling loudspeaker mounted
Ceiling loudspeaker mounted
be higher insuspended
in suspended ceiling
ceiling Loudspeaker
Loudspeaker spacing
spacing
than 1.2m
unless it’s a
child or very Spacing
small person.

6m

D = 6m at 3m ceiling height
 VOICE ALARM GUIDE

Loudspeaker Options
Cabinet loudspeakers layout

6m
Where
loudspeakers are
cabinet types to be
wall mounted, they
should be fitted at
a height of 2.5m
to 3m and spaced
6m apart along
the wall.
Power settings
As general
general guidance, should be set to
As guidance,ininrooms
roomsless
lessthan
than 6m 6m wide,
wide,
cabinets can
cabinets can be
be fitted
fittedalong one
along onewall only.
wall only.
give 10dB above
Above 6m
Above 6m the
theloudspeakers
loudspeakersshould
should bebefitted to to
fitted the background
opposing walls
opposing walls. at the furthest
point from the
loudspeaker.
Take care not
to position
loudspeakers
opposite each
6m or less other, the sound
coverage and
intelligibility in
the area mid-way
between them will
not be optimal.
 by Honeywell

Define Loudspeaker Settings

As well as layout, an intelligible Voice Alarm
System is dependant on the sound level of the
broadcast message.

Calculate Sound Pressure Level (SPL) required

from each loudspeaker –
Step 1: Assess
background noise Sound Pressure Level

The Sound Pressure Level 140 dB Threshold of Pain

(SPL) required depends 130

greatly on the background
120
noise levels.
Pop Group 110
Pneumatic Drill
Typically the System design 100
should aim to deliver SPL at Heavy Truck 90
around 10dB above ambient. Street road traffic
80

The table gives some typical 70

Conversational Business Office
sound levels in different Speech 60
environments. 50
Living Room
Library
40
30
Bedroom
20
Woods
10
0 Threshold of Hearing

NOISE
 VOICE ALARM GUIDE

Define Loudspeaker Settings

Calculate SPL required from Loudspeaker –
Step 2: Sound pressure level
Sound pressure falls off rapidly with distance and there is
a loss of 6dB every time the distance doubles.

To achieve the desired sound pressure at a certain distance away from the loudspeaker, the
loss must be calculated.

Effect of distance on sound level

20
Distance from Reduction
source (m) in DB (A)
1 0 15
Reduction in DB (A)

2 6
3 9.2 10
4 12
5 13.9
5
6 15.5
7 16.9
8 18 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
9 19 Distance from source
10 20

Example
Distance from loudspeaker = 4m
Ambient noise level = 61 dBA
Target SPL (6ldb+10db) = 71 dBA
DB loss over 4m = 12 dBA
Loudspeaker setting at 1m = At least 83 dBA at 1m
 by Honeywell

Define Loudspeaker Settings

Calculate SPL required from each Loudspeaker
Step 3: Loudspeaker tapping
Once the sound pressure level is known, the tap setting
of the Loudspeaker can be defined. Loudspeaker data
sheets give the power needed to achieve the SPL at 1m.
The table below can also be used to define typical tap settings for ceiling Loudspeakers
at different ceiling heights.

Typical Tap Settings

Background Noise (SPL set to 10dB higher)

Ceiling Height 65dB 70dB 75dB 80dB 85dB 90dB
2.5 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75 1.5 6
3.0 0.75 0.75 0.75 1.5 3 –
3.5 0.75 0.75 0.75 3 6 –
4.0 0.75 0.75 1.5 6 – –
4.5 0.75 0.75 3 6 – –
5.0 0.75 0.75 3 – – –
5.5 0.75 1.5 3 – – –
 VOICE ALARM GUIDE

Loudspeaker Design –
Assess Background Noise
What size amplifier do I need?
Calculate loudspeaker load: for each circuit
Once you have determined each individual Loudspeaker
tapping, the total load for each Loudspeaker circuit can
be calculated.

Amplifier

1.5W 3W 6W 3W

12 x 1.5W + 5x3W + 1x6W= 39W load

+20% = 8W
Total Power = 47W

By adding the power requirement for every Loudspeaker the total load for the Amplifier
is calculated.

Add 20% for minimum size of amplifier needed (account for efficiency losses on
amplifier and cable).
 VOICE ALARM GUIDE

Gent’s VA product range

Gent has a VA solution for all types of buildings
and with our team of experts to support you
every step of the way, it’s never been easier to
work with our products.
Three types of systems are available including small
‘Stand Alone’ packages suitable for single storey buildings such as shops and offices
and move up to custom made ‘Networked Systems’ that will consist of a number of
systems linked together for large structures such as exhibition halls and airports.

Loudspeakers
Our full range of loudspeakers complies with
BS5839 part 8 and EN54 part 24 and includes:
l 5’’ and 6.5’’ Ceiling Loudspeaker
l 6W Cabinet Loudspeaker
l 10W and 20W Unidirectional Projection Loudspeaker
l 20W Bidirectional Projection Loudspeaker
l 20W and 40W Column Loudspeaker

Support
We offer a full Voice Alarm Support Service including:
l System design
l Acoustic design support and modeling (where required)
l Loudspeaker layouts
l Rack build
l Commissioning support For more information go to
l Factory acceptance testing [Link]/products/
voice-alarm-system or call our
l Training support services team on
l Technical Support 0116 246 2275

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