A traditional fire alarm system uses bells or sounders to initiate a building evacuation. Where occupants are not accustomed to regular evacuation drills, bells and sounders can lead to confusion, panic and a delay in evacuating the premises in an emergency situation. Public Address systems provide an effective means of clearly communicating information and instructions to a large area or building used by the general public as well as employees.

Combining the Fire Detection and Voice Alarm systems speeds up response time and provides the ability to advise occupants about the safest emergency route. During an incident, a pre-recorded message will be broadcast providing a clear instruction on what action needs to be taken.

Given today’s current risks, a PAVA system can also provide emergency messages in incidents other than fire. It is a recommendation of BS 5839-8:2013 that PAVA systems are fitted in public buildings.