Public Address and Voice Alarm technology (PAVA) is often installed alongside fire detection systems. Generally they are utilised in public spaces, airports, larger buildings or office blocks. However they can be used in any building where it may be necessary to play background music and send messages to occupants, in scenarios like large stadiums, shopping centres, and theatres.
Grey Matter Fire & Security Ltd. partner with some of the best PAVA manufacturers in the UK and are able to fully design and support PAVA systems for you.
The two PAVA categories:
Public Address (PA) (Conforming to BS 6259:2015)
These are used to page and relay messages to building occupants. Messages can be automatic or manual via microphones at security or reception desks, or simply just for background music. They are flexible and have the ability to send different signals, messages or music to different areas of your building at the same time.
Voice Alarm (VA or PAVA) (Conforming to BS 5839-8:2013)
As well as all the benefits above, in the event of an activation of the fire detection system, the PA can instigate the automatic evacuation of the building. Speakers replace traditional sounders or bells, initiated from the fire panel; they provide a spoken message asking people to leave the building (Evacuate) or let people know there is a need to leave the building and to wait for further instructions (Alert).
The speakers are the same ones used for day to day paging and music. This provides greater cost effectiveness for a building, removing the need to purchase and install both traditional fire alarm sounders and public address speakers for each room or area.
VA technology also provide the greatest level of building evacuation flexibility, meaning that if your building/s have requirement for some areas to be evacuated whilst other areas are put on alert or even required to remain unaware of the evacuation – this can be achieved. This is also known as ‘Phased Evacuation’.
You can combine this with the latest intelligent fire detection panels to automatically change from Alert to Evacuate and make further areas aware of the incident, dependent upon where signals from the fire detection system appear, giving you a combined paging and emergency evacuation system that is cost effective, flexible and user friendly.
Why use PAVA?
If the need for a PA system exists, or you need to implement a phased evacuation strategy, utilising a PAVA system is the best choice to provide cost effectiveness and increased flexibility.
It is also worth noting that research has proven that in an emergency people will react without confusion or panic if they receive a clear, intelligible message.
Traditional fire detection bells and sounders only give a warning sound; it can sometimes be unclear what that warning is.
Phased evacuation using clear, easily understood, pre-recorded messages ensure that untrained personnel, visitors to your building (members of the public) are evacuated efficiently and are fully aware of what is required of them.
