In case of fire – listen, please!

Existing emergency signage which are green illuminated signs lead the path to fire exits. But, is this enough? Can this signs be sufficiently seen by scared or panicked people in case of fire and heavy smoke? Minimise the time of evacuation is the most important factor to increase chances of survival. Precious time is often wasted by searching the evacuation path signals. In the worst case, marked evacuation paths can lead straight to the fire source. Additionally, at a certainspecific rate of smoke concentration, these optical emergency signs will not be visible anymore, because dirty smoke hides this signage or causes tears in people´s eyes. Both results in disorientation and deathtrap, too.

The solution is EVACom, an innovative acoustic evacuation concept which was developed and constantly improved by Scanvest and AirITSystems, the IT service provider of Hanover Airport, Germany. The base concept was developed by the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association “Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektroindustrie e.V. (ZVEI)“ and is supported by several producers of communication systems.

The EVACom concept

The major goal in the development process of EVACom was to optimise evacuation times. EVACom is an acronym of the four basic measures to minimise evacuation time and avoid cost-intensive false alarms: evacuation, verification, alerting and communication. Existing security systems, like optical evacuation signagesignalling, access control, video surveillance systems, communication systems and control centres, can be optimally integrated in this concept.

Loudspeakers, which are dynamically managed by the EVACom control centre, are mounted at strategically important points on the escape route (e.g. exits, paths, shelter). The specially developed acoustic signals guide trapped people on the shortest oder safest paths to the the emergency exits. This significantly increases the chances of survival, especially in a smoky environment. For this reason EVACom is an optimal extension of existing emergency systems like fire detection systems, smoke detection systems, etc.

Another advantage is the capability of computer-aided shortest path routing in combination with existing fire detection systems: If one evacuation path is bared by smoke or fire, EVACom will deactivate the relevant loutspeakers and provide an alternative (safety) route.

Live test at Hanover Airport

AirITSystems performed a live test with 32 test persons in 6 emergency cases in a terminal of Hanover Airport to determine if EVACom really leads to optimation of evacuation. The behaviour of 32 test persons in 6 different emergency scenarios the test personswas recorded by infrared cameras, and afterwards analysed by experts.
This test circumstantiated that EVACom leads to a faster recognition of evacuation paths and fire exits, even in case of non-smoky areas. In smoky areas the evacuation time was improved significantly and the acoustic signals were recognized as a help for orientation. This means that EVACom leads to systematic evacuations in a decreased time.