I hope you enjoyed our previous post/video outlining what exactly a Voice Evacuation System is and how it enhances a Fire Alarm System’s capabilities for notification and communication. One thing that I didn’t discuss in our video was the difference between a Voice Evac System and a Mass Notification System. Some tend to use these terms synonymously, but they are in fact slightly different systems.
While Mass Notification Systems and Fire Alarm Voice Evac Systems both use audible (speakers) and visual (strobes) to alert building occupants, the difference between the systems is the action that the systems instruct the occupants to take. Mass Notification Systems can be even more detailed, and cover much more ground and situations than a Voice Evac System.
Because Mass Notification Systems are classified as in-building and wide-area systems, they reach much further beyond than just the inside of a building. Wide-area systems provide outdoor notification using high power speaker arrays. Wide-area systems may also use distributed recipient mass notification systems (DRMNS) such as text messaging, email, or reverse 911. This is something a fire alarm system with a Voice Evac System simply cannot do. Buildings that require voice evacuation per the building code and have a need for mass notification as well will often install a combination MNS/voice evacuation system allowing both functions to be performed by a single system.
So if you are a building owner, campus operator, facility manger, etc., it’s important to know what type of notification system will keep your occupants the safest, and which type of system will have the widest reach in terms of communication when an emergency is present.
As always, contact us at FireAlarm.com if you have any further or specific questions regarding which system is right for you. Our team of technicians, engineers, and salespeople are ready to help you at a moments notice.
Just like before, you can shop and purchase all of our Voice Evacuation or Mass Notification Systems right here.
Keep Reading: Addressable vs. Conventional Fire Alarm Systems >>
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