Fire alarm sounders are an essential part of fire alarm systems – they warn everyone in the building that there’s danger.
The word alarm comes from the French À l’arme which means ‘to the arms’, in historical times this call to action would tell men with weapons to get ready to face any oncoming danger. In modern terms the word alarm applies to the warning signal we might see or hear when there’s imminent danger. People can also be alarmed which means they have an awareness of danger or are experiencing a state of panic.
On an instinctive level the sound of an alarm can instigate a fight or flight response in people. Generally though we tend to flee when there is an alarm – from a young age we are taught how to respond to fire alarms, often running through fire drills and evacuations several times a year throughout our school careers and on into our professional careers. As such it has become second nature to many of us to immediately evacuate a building and help others to safety when we hear a fire alarm sounder.
In modern fire alarm systems fire alarm sounders should be evenly distributed to provide a minimum sound level of 65dB. Where there is continuous background noise the sound level of the fire alarm sounder should exceed 5dB above the noise. In places where there may be people sleeping, like hotel rooms, the sound level required is at least 75dB and the fire alarm sounder should be placed as close to the bed-head as possible.
There are many types of fire alarm sounder available on the market, each suitable for a different situation and type of fire alarm system such as addressable or conventional. When choosing the correct fire alarm sounder for your needs and deciding how many you need and where they should be placed you should consult your fire risk assessment, if prepared correctly this document will help you make the right decisions.
Discount Fire Supplies sells a range of quality fire alarm components including fire alarm sounders.
