An EVC or emergency voice communication system allows the emergency services and/or building management teams to communicate with one another during a fire or emergency situation. They are more commonly known as a disabled refuge alarms or fire telephone systems.

Current Building Regulations stipulate that all new non-domestic buildings with more than one storey provide ‘refuge’ areas – a relatively safe waiting area for building occupants who may not be able to evacuate without assistance. Disabled refuge alarms provide a two way means of communication to allow occupants to alert others of their need for assistance and facilitate any evacuation. Each disabled refuge is provided with a type B hands-free outstation, which communicates to a master handset controller.

Fire telephone systems are provided in larger multi storey buildings, and primarily a means of communication used by the fire service during an emergency for fire evacuation purposes. Fire telephones are classified as type A handset outstations.

Both types of outstations can be integrated into a single EVC system, across multiple master handset controllers. Disabled WC alarms are also commonly integrated into the EVC system, to provide a central point of indication for all assistance alarms.

At SFA, we have provided many EVC systems within a wide variety of commercial, residential, retail, care and leisure facilities. All systems have been installed to a high quality, in accordance with British Standards BS5839-9, BS9999 and BS8300.

For more information on EVC systems, please get in touch.