That’s exactly what the fire alarm system installed at the Internal Revenue Service Building in Farmers Branch, Texas, was intended to do. And for years it did the job admirably. Still, in keeping with the theme of protecting taxes and the people who collect them, it was decided that even “admirably” was not quite enough. After all, the facility, built in 1984 and staffed with 1,100 employees in the building’s 322,000 square feet, had far too critical a mission – and far too many human assets – for management to miss an opportunity to improve safety. Consequently, it was decided that the system would receive a comprehensive upgrade.
With the system firmly in place, Ball then recommended the same company’s XPIQ Quad Intelligent Audio Transponder, an advanced voice evacuation system. Accompanying the XPIQ was firefighter phones, FCPS remote power supplies for visual alarms (strobes), addressable devices, detectors and pulls stations.
The integrated, multi-channel distributed audio amplification subsystem would be remotely controlled by a fire alarm control panel through a signaling line circuit. By using a software program and internal switching capabilities, it could eliminate the need for relays and complex wiring during installation, and would be compatible with the company’s complete line of voice evacuation intelligent fire alarm panels (in this case, the existing 2020 system). As a result, the XPIQ would handle all the switching easily with less wiring.