Toronto Fire Services Training Note: 101.1.3 PDF

Fire Services Training Division Training Note FROM: Fire Chief EFFECTIVE DATE: March 25, 2019 FILE IN TFS TRAINING MANUAL UNDER: GROUP: 100 Firefighting Knowledge and Skills SECTION: 101 Buildings SUB-SECTION: 101.1 High Rise Buildings UNIT: 101.1.3 EVAC Systems TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION.......

Fire Services Training Division Training Note FROM: Fire Chief EFFECTIVE DATE: March 25, 2019 FILE IN TFS TRAINING MANUAL UNDER: GROUP: 100 Firefighting Knowledge and Skills SECTION: 101 Buildings SUB-SECTION: 101.1 High Rise Buildings UNIT: 101.1.3 EVAC Systems TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................. 2 2. EVAC REQUIREMENTS...................................................................................... 2 3. FIRE ALARM AND EVAC FUNCTIONS.............................................................. 2 4. OPERATION OF EVAC SYSTEMS...................................................................... 3 5. EVAC CONSIDERATIONS................................................................................... 5 Toronto Fire Services Training Division Training Note: 101.1.3 Date Prepared: March 2019 Page 1 of 5 1. INTRODUCTION Emergency Voice/Alarm Communications (EVAC) Systems provide valuable communication capabilities to building occupants and firefighting personnel during emergency operations. Effective use of the EVAC system can provide appropriate, current information and directions to occupants. It also enhances fire-ground communications between personnel operating at various levels and locations in the building and Lobby Control. 2. EVAC REQUIREMENTS A voice communications system, most commonly referred to as an EVAC system when integrated with a building’s fire alarm system, provides two-way communications and public address capabilities to all parts of a building except elevator cars. (Ontario Building Code (OBC) 3.2.4.23) EVAC systems are required for all buildings more than 36m (118 ft 1 in) above grade, (about 12 stories) or in buildings having floor areas above the third floor designed or intended for use as ‘Care’ or ‘Care and Treatment’ occupancies (OBC 33.2.6.13). Variations may also be found in other building types and heights. Systems must provide two-way communications to each floor area with connections to the Central Alarm and Control Facility (CACF) and to the Mechanical Control Centre. In addition, loudspeakers operated from the CACF must be located in areas to be audible and the messages intelligible. O.B.C 3.2.4.23(3)(4) states: The voice communication system shall include a means to silence the alarm signal while voice messages are being transmitted, but only after the alarm signal has initially sounded for not less than; 10 seconds in hospitals where supervisory personnel are on duty for twenty-four hours each day or, 30 seconds for all other occupancies. Voice must be able to be transmitted to a selected zone or zones within a building, while maintaining the alert signals or alarms to unselected zones. Two-way communications must provide telephone handsets or jacks in each floor area, near the exit stair shafts. 3. FIRE ALARM AND EVAC FUNCTIONS Announcements made on the EVAC system should indicate building conditions and evacuation strategies, such as the identification of attack and evacuation stairwells. Possible conditions in the building may be identified by the annunciator panel at the CACF or satellite panel. Toronto Fire Services Training Division Training Note: 101.1.3 Date Prepared: March 2019 Page 2 of 5 The annunciator panel may supply the following information: The location of the original alarm The type of sensor that initiating the alarm (ie, smoke, heat, etc.) The location and type of sensor initiating any subsequent alarms The status of fans, blowers, fire doors and elevators Those areas which have received prior alert or evacuation notification Building Control systems adjacent to the EVAC system may incorporate the ability to manually control functions such as: Evacuation of specific zones or floors Release of automatic door closures Fan Control for smoke containment and exhaust Control of fire and smoke dampers 4. OPERATION OF EVAC SYSTEMS Use of Voice Communication Equipment Where voice communication equipment is present in a building the Incident Commander must ensure it is used to: Notify building occupants of the current situation Direct building occupants of actions to be taken Provide regular, periodic updates Provide crews with internal communications (if necessary) Operation of the EVAC system is a function of the Lobby Control Officer or Designate. General Broadcast Announcement General broadcast messages (to be heard by everyone) may be announced by activating the "ALL CALL" button or switch. Generally, a series of monitoring lights will illuminate indicating the areas to which the operator is about to transmit. Pressing the microphone "Push To Talk" (PTT) switch will activate the building paging system. In some cases, the system may initiate a preannouncement tone of approximately 3 seconds duration. The alarm system will remain silent as long as the PTT is depressed, and the announcement is being made. To terminate an "ALL CALL" broadcast, release the PTT switch on the handset. When the PTT is released, the alarm bells or buzzers will resume operation (if not already silenced). To cancel the "ALL CALL" and return communications to default (OFF) just press the "ALL CALL" button again. Toronto Fire Services Training Division Training Note: 101.1.3 Date Prepared: March 2019 Page 3 of 5 Zone Paging To make an announcement to a specific zone or zones within the building, the zone(s) must first be selected using the "PAGE SELECT" switches. Monitoring lights should indicate the selected zone(s). Firefighter Telephone Handsets Internal emergency firefighter telephone handsets are designed to allow hardwired communications between the main EVAC control panel and remote locations throughout the building. Remote locations will either have handsets in place or jacks for connecting portable handsets. Fixed handsets should be located in marked phone boxes on each floor area near an exit stair shaft. Individual portable handsets should be available at the main annunciator panel. Telephone handset boxes sometime require keys to access. Most can be easily forced or have breakaway panels to allow quick access to the handsets as required. Portable handsets are for use in the jacks, which as stated are located on each floor area near the exit stair shaft. Building familiarization tours will help determine whether handsets must be taken to upper floors or whether they are available and accessible to Operations teams. Remote Telephone Handset Use Lifting a remote handset from its cradle or plugging a portable handset into a remote telephone jack should initiate an audible "Call In Tone" and a visual "Call In Indicator" at the main EVAC control panel. The person calling in should hear a dial tone confirming the placement of the call. When the handset at the main EVAC control panel is lifted, the connection will be made between the main EVAC control panel and the remote telephone handset. Other remote telephones calling in should be automatically connected to the main EVAC control panel handset through a common telephone voice channel. There may also be a zone selection capability for remote telephone operations. Where specific zones are selected, calls in from other zones will receive a busy signal until their specific zone is selected at the main EVAC control panel for two-way communications. Toronto Fire Services Training Division Training Note: 101.1.3 Date Prepared: March 2019 Page 4 of 5 5. EVAC CONSIDERATIONS When available, the various elements comprising the EVAC system should be used as integral components of occupant and fire crew communications. Announcements to building occupants are especially important to: Convey current information about building conditions Provide directions whether to stay or to evacuate Advise where, when and how to proceed if evacuation is warranted Convey any other pertinent information Convey to residents when the emergency is over General broadcast or zone announcements should be made at regular intervals to maintain an effective flow of information. Even if conditions are unchanged, updates should continue at regular intervals. Building fire alarms should be silenced by Lobby Control to improve radio communications. Use of firefighter emergency telephone handsets should be considered at every multiple alarm high rise incident to augment radio communications. Toronto Fire Services Training Division Training Note: 101.1.3 Date Prepared: March 2019 Page 5 of 5