We have recently replaced an Intack Voice Alarm system at The Brewery Centre in Cheltenham for A & E Fire and Security. 
The Brewery is Cheltenham’s premier destination for eating out, leisure and family entertainment. It offers a mix of restaurants, bars, gym, kid’s play centre, cinemas and bowling, bringing a new dimension to family entertainment and dining in the heart of Cheltenham.
The Voice Alarm
Since the Intack system employed a DC monitoring technique, to check if it’s loudspeaker circuits were faulty, we opted to use Baldwin Boxall’s Vigil EVAS 2 voice alarm equipment. As a result this meant we could retain the existing end of line monitoring resistors on the sites loudspeaker circuits.
The Brewery Centre comprises of four zones:
- The Mall Area
- The Site Management Area
- Oxford Road Service Yard
- Henrietta Street Service Yard
Each zone is served by two amplifiers to provide what is known as ‘A’ and ‘B’ circuits. These circuits connect to alternate loudspeakers such that if say the ‘A’ circuit fails the area is still covered by the ‘B’ circuit. In addition a ‘hot standby’ amplifier is automatically switched in to replace any amplifier that may go faulty.
The PAVA equipment is connected to the sites Fire Alarm system to provide three Alert inputs and one Evacuate input. Activation of any of the alert inputs causes the PAVA system to automatically broadcast it’s digitally stored alert message:
“Attention please, attention please. We are investigating an alarm condition. It may be necessary to evacuate the building. Please await further announcements.”
This message will be broadcast in the activated fire alarm zone and also in the Mall area. For instance, if the fire alarm is activated in premises on the Oxford Road side of the Mall the alert message is broadcast to the Oxford Road service yard and also to the Mall.
Should the incident escalate the digitally stored evacuate message is then broadcast to all areas.
“Attention please, attention please. Please leave the building immediately. Please leave the building immediately by the nearest exit.”
