Is it permissible to have different audible signal devices in the same building?
In Canada, the National Building Code as well as the BCBC appears to be fairly silent on this issue (I’m pretty sure that other Provincial Codes don’t specifically address this issue either). You have to go to CAN/ULC-S524-06 (Standard for Installation of Fire Alarm Systems) for the answer. Section 5.4.1.7: “Audible signal devices within a building shall generate similar sounds and sound patterns when activated.” Are there exceptions? Yes. Insuite sounders are often found on fire alarm systems that employ bells or gongs in the common area spaces of a residential building. The interpretation most Verifying Agencies place on this section is that you can’t “mix” alarm sounds within a building’s public spaces (you can’t put up horns with bells in the hallways, parkades or common areas). It’s interesting to note that a larger number of Architects and Design Engineers are moving more towards employing horns and non-silenceable buzzers in public corridors and areas instead of the standard red
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