As an architect or engineer, when you design a
facility’s life safety system, your primary goal is to achieve compliance with
state and local fire code requirements. While that approach can help ensure a
building is well-equipped to protect lives and property in an emergency, you
may be missing out on some worthwhile capabilities. Those capabilities can help
you better support all occupants of your building, including aging, disabled,
or other populations requiring added levels of assistance.
If you’re building a multi-story facility whose
occupants may require a level of assistance, you should consider installing an
Emergency Communication System (ECS).
NFPA
72 describes ECS as “a system for the protection of life by indicating the existence
of an emergency situation and communicating information necessary to facilitate
an appropriate response and action.” Also referred to as an “Area of Refuge
system,” an ECS is typically connected to an off-site supervising station for
24/7 monitoring. Click here to read more.