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Fire Alarm Update from the Superintendent

I know a lot of you (us) have been concerned about the level of sound coming from the current fire alarms system in our buildings. In conversations with staff, the decibel level of the alarm is hurtful to your ears, and the number of alarms in a given location seems to be an overkill. As a result of these concerns, we have been working with the fire alarm company, Larkspur Fire Department, Vanir, Arntz construction, etc. to see what can be done to lower the level of noise and to replace some of the alarm sites with strobe light units.

Following are some of the DSA requirements and Safety requirements that we need to have in any fire alarm system:

1. 1. The “maximum dBA at the minimum hearing distance from the audible appliance” cannot be more that 110dBA. We have tested the noise level for units in Redwood and the District Office, and the maximum dBA level was tested at 107. The actual maximum level of sound is set at 120 dBA but the contract documents we have allow us to set the maximum level at no more than 110 dBA.
2. The audible signal “intended for operation in the Public Mode… must have a sound level of not less that 75 dBA at 10 feet from the unit.”
3. The district may not alter the sound settings put in place by the contractor until the contractor has turned over the building to the District or the contractor warranty may be violated.
4. The local fire department has jurisdiction over the number of devices and the sound level that must be coming from the audible units.
5. We have received an “alleged complaint” from the State Division of Occupational Safety and Health that the alarms are too loud. The current noise level is within the dBA requirements but many of us would still argue that the level is too loud. Although they are not doing a site investigation of the complaint, we are sending them the reports from the Fire Department, the Fire Alarm Maintenance company, and the list of recommended solutions that we have been able to work through the different agencies that have jurisdiction in these areas.

About eight days ago, we changed the settings and turned down the level of sound on the audible units to a lower level and still maintain the requirements for the Fire Department. In addition, we are in the process of replacing 22 audible units with the “strobes only” devices in selected classrooms and other areas. In some areas we are removing the audible devices and not replacing with a strobe light. In the next several weeks, we will schedule a test of the system to read the decibel levels after we have removed some of the audible units. The results of the test may allow us to have the certified Fire Alarm Maintenance contractor permanently switch the factory set switch that controls the decibel level to a lower level.

I hope this information helps.

Bob Ferguson
Superintendent, Tamalpais Union High School District
(415) 945-3720 
bferguson@tuhsd.marin.k12.ca.us

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