Gordon Thomas, Business Development Manager, Global Fire Detection Products, Johnson Controls, explains how a unified system can improve school emergency response and minimise confusion
When it comes to creating a safe school environment, compromise is not an option. Architects, contractors and education facility managers must ensure building systems can communicate with clarity and speed when an emergency occurs in a school.
Whether the threat is inside or outside, students and staff must be alerted as quickly as possible and must understand clearly what actions to take.
Effective emergency alert technology can help achieve this, especially systems that use a combination of visual and audio signals.
Gordon Thomas
The challenge is that many schools currently use multiple systems for emergency communications, which can create problems and confusion. For example, a school might use separate systems for their fire alarms and school lockdown systems. The school lockdown system adds to maintenance overhead, and unlike a fire alarm system, there are no regulation-defined processes to ensure it is maintained and working correctly.
Other schools may use fire alarm sounders or class change bells in the event of lockdown, which can cause confusion as to what actions students and staff need to take. The lack of clarity can also increase response times during emergency events. And, as with school lockdown systems, there are no current regulatory standards around which systems should be used for these events.
At the same time, many contractors seek the installation simplicity and streamlined compliance of a single system solution rather than relying on separate fire alarm and lockdown systems. Likewise, architects want to reduce the different types of sounders and other devices located within classrooms and corridors.
To simplify and safeguard their operations, architects, contractors and education facility managers should consider a single-system solution that can provide compliant fire detection as well as customisable lockdown alarms. Before upgrading, it is important to understand the current state of lockdown procedures and how a single-system solution offers advantages over a multi-system approach.
Current state of lockdown procedures
While fire alarm systems are well regulated and evacuation procedures are familiar to most, lockdown and invacuation procedures may be less familiar:
- Evacuation: Used during fire events or other emergencies that require students and staff to vacate the building, these alarms alert people to get out of the building safely.
- Lockdown: Necessary when there is an active threat on school grounds, such as a hostile force, a lockdown indicates that doors are locked and directs students to stay away from windows or conceal themselves until given a clear signal.
- Invacuation lockdown: This is a type of lockdown that indicates a safety risk outside school buildings but with no threat of entry. To prevent exposure to the risk, students remain in the building until the event has cleared. An invacuation might be trigged by a pollutant, fire, or chemical release nearby.
There are no standards or defined regulations for invacuation lockdowns. Procedures for these situations are often based on a risk assessment and can differ from school to school. Education facility managers often develop invacuation lockdown procedures using best practices from the security and intrusion industry, such as PD 6662 or an equivalent, to activate and provide secure lockdown. The PD 6662 is a document created by the British Standards Institution (BSI) to provide guidelines for the installation, maintenance and operation of intruder alarm systems.
In other situations, schools may look for solutions intended for the fire detection industry. For example, an addressable fire alarm system can handle, control and manage an invacuation lockdown.
Additionally, an invacuation lockdown system would benefit from the monitoring, integrity and reliability provided by the fire alarm standard BS 5839 for fire detection and alarm systems for buildings.
Gordon Thomas
However, BS 5839 clearly states in clause 16.2.1 that fire alarm sounders should not be used for purposes other than warning of fire. Using the same sounders for other events can cause confusion and loss of critical time. There is also a risk that the system might not be maintained properly or may be altered, which could impact system integrity and compliance. As a result, schools would benefit from using separate sounders and speakers for invacuation lockdown systems.
Novel strategy: A combined fire detection and lockdown system approach
With these best practices in mind – and driven by industry demand – a new safe classroom strategy combines lockdown and fire detection technology. The solution uses a combined safety system for lockdowns and fire detection, functioning as a fire detection alarm, invacuation alarm, and class change notification.
To comply with BS clause 16.2.1, the safe classroom solution uses a combination of red sounders for fire evacuation and white sounders for invacuation, lockdown and even class change. The sounders sit on the same physical loop but are programmed and administered separately. Because they are classified as part of the fire evacuation system, they offer the same high levels of integrity and safety.
The alarm used in this solution is multi-sensory and customisable, providing options for both audio and visual alerts. With 16 different tones and two volume levels, schools can program this alarm to use different sounds for fire, evacuation, invacuation and class changes. System users can also choose from two flash rates.
In addition, the safe classroom solution uses reflective sound and reflective light monitoring self-testing for both the fire and invacuation alarm at the same time. This allows system owners, rather than a third-party, to quickly and efficiently test that all sounders and beacons are functioning correctly. All testing is carried out at the panel for up to 20 seconds.
A combined fire detection and lockdown system approach offers schools several benefits:
- Simplicity: A combined system decreases the number of components on the wall. One technician can install it and maintain it, reducing installation and maintenance costs. And, because the invacuation sounders sit on the fire alarm loop, it decreases the amount of cable needed.
- Clarity: The system issues clear and concise instructional messaging that directs occupants where to go and what to do, which results in less confusion and panic.
- Customisation: With a completely customisable human voice alarm, the combined system provides a better user experience, as well as increased engagement.
Keeping students safe while they learn is among the highest priorities of any school campus. It’s critical that schools are equipped and prepared to handle a broad range of safety and security concerns. A compliant safe classroom system can quickly alert students to an emergency situation and clearly direct them to take the appropriate action.
When looking for a school emergency communication solution, work with a trusted partner backed by years of expertise in the fire detection, security and life safety industries.
This article was originally published in the April 2025 Edition of International Fire & Safety Journal. To read your FREE copy, click here.