MNEC 101 Fire/Life Safety

Perspective
Agenda
MNEC
Why, What & When
Codes
UFC
NFPA-72
MNEC (ECS)
The Parts and Pieces
Audio Integrators
Why Sell MNEC
Selling Strategies


Why MNEC
Boston

Joplin, MO Aurora, CO

Virginia Tech

Sandy Hook
Elementary School

It is both a communications AND emergency
management tool to provide real-time
instructions and information to building
occupants and visitors during an emergency event.

What is MNEC
Weather emergency
Medical emergency
Security breach
Public disturbance
Act of terrorism
Chemical release
Fire
Utility outage

Joplin
When is MNEC Used?
When is MNEC used?
Homeland Security
Terrorist Threats
Bioterrorism
Cyber Terrorism
Public Health
SARS
West Nile Virus
Swine Flu
Power Outages
Cyber / Virus Events
Result in System Losses
Trading / Pricing Systems
Electronic Banking
Transactions
Market Interruption /
Volatility
Inclement Weather
Hurricanes
Blizzards
Tornadoes
Flooding
Earthquakes
Life Safety
Regulatory Issues
Water
Contamination
Loss of Pressure in High-
Rise Complexes
Primary MNEC Function
What is happening
What to do
Where to go
When it is safe
To notify people in a building, on a
campus or a geographic area about
an event
Very Different Function of a Fire Alarm System
MNEC IS
Internal
Overhead Paging
Signage

External
Speakers
Giant Voice

Wide-Area
Text Messaging
Paging
Email
Tier 1
Immediate & intrusive
Sirens, indoor/outdoor
loudspeakers
Fire voice evacuation
Electronic signage
Code compliant
Tier 3
Public alerting
Sat/AM/FM radio broadcasts
Sat/off-air TV broadcasts
Location-specific
text messages
Levels of MNEC.
Tier 2
Personal alerting
SMS Text (cell phones)
Computer pop-ups
Tone alert radios
Email Broadcast (Internet)
Automated voice dialing &
text messaging
Tier 4
Locally relevant alerting
Handheld bullhorns
Radio cell phones
Two-way radios

MNEC is NOT
Fire Alarm
Fire Alarm is an
Input
Mass Messaging
Email
SMS
Textual Signage
Paging System

Codes They are not scary
Nomenclature:
NFPA -72, UFC 04-021-01
AHJ, ECS, EVACS
STI, STIPPA
History
UFC Began the Code Changes for NFPA
Codes
UFC (Most of us do not need to worry about)
NFPA-72

How it Started..
Terrorists act
- Khobar
Towers
Housing
Complex,
Dhahran,
Saudi Arabia

6-25-96
Secretary of
Defense, William
Cohen, issued
post-incident
report
7-31-97
Antiterrorism/Force
Protection
Standards
developed by USAF
12-16-99.
How it Started
UFC 04-010-01
Minimum
Antiterrorism
Standards for
Buildings
The initial
requirements for
Mass Notification
5-29-02 Oct 2004
The Air Force
petitioned NFPA
to develop MNS
standards
The military found that
they could not use
approved fire alarm
systems for Mass
Notification while
remaining in full
compliance with NFPA 72

UFC 04-021-01
Design and O&M: Mass
Notification Systems
requires combination
voice fire alarm and
mass notification
systems
Effectivity Date
June 2003
How it Started
Allow for the use of fire
alarm systems integrated
with other systems
Provides guidance for the
application, installation,
location, performance, and
maintenance of Mass
Notification Systems

NFPA 72 2007
Annex E
UL 2572
CONTROL AND
COMMUNICATION
UNITS FOR MASS
NOTIFICATION
SYSTEMS
NFPA 72 2010
Chapter 12/25
Coordination of the
functions of a mass
notification system with
those of a fire alarm
system is essential in
order to provide effective
communication in an
emergency situation.
NEW Standards by
UL. For systems to
comply and provide
MNEC with Highest
priority.
2007 October 2008 2010
Where it is Now
Local code officials have adopted the code for MNEC
quicker than any other major technology
State, local and
municipal
building codes
2010 2012 2013
UFC Requirements
An in-building mass notification system shall include one
or more of the following components:
(1) Autonomous control unit (ACU)
(2) Local operating console (LOC)
(3) Fire alarm control interface
(4) Notification appliance network
(5) Initiating devices
(6) Interface to other systems and alerting sources
Unified Facility Criteria
These are the building blocks of MNEC
NFPA Changes
Requires Mass Notification to be part of fire alarm/life safety system.
Permits a mass notification control unit to take control of fire alarm notification
appliances including amplifiers, speakers, and strobes.
MNEC has highest priority over fire alarm.
Will require a MNEC voice message any time the priority is granted to the
mass notification control unit.
Strobes used for dual purposes shall not be marked FIRE, strobes to be blank
or ALERT.
Dedicated MNEC strobes shall be AMBER and ALERT wording.
Operation of MNS system is based on the emergency response plan.
Intelligibility of voice messages are required to meet the requirements of
chapter 7 (notification).
Visual notification to be completed through strobes, textual, graphic or video
displays.


National Fire Protection Association
Mass Notification Emergency Communication
Life Safety Interface
Servers
Inputs
Outputs
MS1
Ancillary Features:
Logging, Scheduler, Universe-wide Paging,
3
rd
Party Interface, VoIP
Main LOC
LOC: Local
Operation
console
TTS1

802.3.af
Standard PoE
Secure Network
Infrastructure
(the world)

Inputs
Remote
Control
End of Line
Device
ACU
Outputs
Control
Ambient Noise
Compensation
ACU: Autonomous Control Unit
Supervises the entire ECS
Interfaces with Inputs and Outputs
The brain of MNEC
Requires redundancy
8 Simultaneous Messages sent
UL 2572 Approved
Controls all Inputs and Outputs for
Emergency Communication

Placed in areas that have the ability to send
Emergency Messages
Local Operating Consoles
LOC
Surface mount, networked appliance
Controls volume of channel, group or cluster
2 microphone inputs
Multiple parameter adjustments in GUI
Independent mic gain controls
Threshold (with capture), max. and min.
compensation
Ramp times, ratio and weighting

Ambient Noise Control

Adjusts loudspeaker volume to compensate
for variations in ambient noise

Message Server
Facilitates global messaging functions
Messaging storage and playback (8 simultaneous)
System configuration storage and service
Inter-world paging
Event scheduling
System event logging
Remote 3
rd
party control via Ethernet (ETAP)
3 network ports CobraNet, Control and VoIP
Signage Integration
Text To Speech Server
Runs embedded Text-to-Speech Engine (Nuance)
Configured in GUI - text entry in Windows Client
Up to 40 high quality voice fonts (languages)
Life Safety Interface
LSI
Control Inputs via
RS232 or Ethernet
(TCP/IP) for future
interconnect flexibility
Parallel Control Inputs
from Fire detection
System and Switches
Monitored Parallel
Control Outputs to
Lamps and Sounders
Control Outputs via
RS232 or Ethernet
(TCP/IP) for future
interconnect flexibility
Standards Compliant
Fault and Alarm
Indicators on Panel

Interfaces to an emergency or fire
detection system in order to meet voice
evacuation requirements.
End of Line Device
Supervision of Audio Notification Circuit Required
Multi-tone ultrasonic testing, FFT based
Applicable to 100V, 70V and low Z speaker lines
Not reliant on speaker line for powering


Verifies the integrity of speaker cables between
ACU and End of Line (EOL)
Fire Alarm Integration Example
LSI
LOC
ACU - 1
ACU - 2
ACU -3
Building 1
Emergency mode
Disabled
Disabled
Disabled
Disabled
Disabled
Building 2
Building 3
Pre-recorded
messages from the
ACU or live pages
from the LOC go to:
Fire, Life Safety & Audio Integrators Involvement
Vision What is the ultimate goal of the
customer?
Functionality What is the Emergency
Response Plan?
Ease of Use How will the ECS be used in
Emergencies
Business Continuity How does the ECS help
with day to day efficiency?
Liability How does MNEC make the customer
compliant?
Perception Means everything


Target Applications
Corporate
Recreation
Retail
Transportation
Hospitality
Education
Healthcare
Government
The Key MNEC Issues
Any message, to any device,
anywhere
Open standards is essential
Integrate and interface systems
Create situational awareness
Create full interoperability
Test as frequently as practical
with local, state & federal
responders
NSCA members are the
EXPERTS!
Intelligible Audio IS what Audio
Integrators do
STI is something you understand
Business Continuity through
audio
Sound Masking If you can
make sound go away, you are
uniquely suited to provide quality
sound
Sound Re-Enforcement
Another word for Intelligible Audio
Why MNEC Is So Important
C-Level
Code
Litigation
Perception
Vision - Perception
Customer/User
Potentials
Employee/Staff
Community
Competitors
Vision - Litigation
Physical threats such as local, regional or terrorist-related
disasters can severely threaten a company's bottom line.
Virginia Tech (Clery Act)
More Security Issues = Higher Liability
Employees, visitors, all personnel
MNEC bring credibility to safety
efforts

Functionality - Code
Survivability

Monitoring

Fire Alarms are
Monitored and verified
to be working as will
Mass Notification
Devices
No Single Point of
Failure
Auto-Fail Over
Speech Transmission Index (STI)
Talker
Room Noise
Reverberation Background
Listener
Adapted from
Ingenieurbro Michael
Creydt
STI <0.3 <0.45 <0.6 <0.75 <1.0
Intelligibility
Very bad bad Acceptable Good Very good
Adapted from
Ingenieurbro Michael
Creydt
STI Chart Comparison
Minimum
Per
NFPA
Functionality - Intelligibility
Ease of Use
Emergency Response Plan
Build System to ERP
Know what an ERP is.
Partner with those
who create ERPs.
One Touch Operation
Automated Operation
Business Continuity
Day to Day Operations
Mass Messaging
Scheduled Messages
Bells, Prayers, Shift
Change
Process Management
Manufacturing, etc.
Use the SMART
Phone
Next Steps
Information
Codes Adopted in your
Marketplace
A&Es who can use your expertise
Who is doing MNEC in your area
now?
Product
What product will you use?
Look for Notification Product
Wheelock, American Signal
Integration Avenues
Software (RAVE, REACT)
ASK THE QUESTION!
References
Gray, A. (2009). Khobar Towers Attack Proved Need For Mass Notification. Retrieved on October 6
th
, 2011 from
Web Site: www.mnec.org/articles
Department of Defense. (2008). Unified Facility Criteria (UFC), Design and O&M: Mass Notification Systems,
Department of Defense, Washington DC
Mayfield, T. (2010). Security on an Education Campus, Presented July 2010, AMAG Architect and Engineer
Consortium, Florida
Moore, W. D. (2007). Mass Notification Systems: Design Challenges for the FPE. SFPE Fire Protection
Engineering, 1
National Fire Protection Association. (2012). NFPA 1 Fire Code 2012. Quincy Massachusetts: National Fire
Protection Association.
National Fire Protection Association, (2013). NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, Quincy
Massachusetts: National Fire Protection Association.
National Fire Protection Association, (2012). NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, Quincy Massachusetts: National Fire
Protection Association.
Newsweek, (1996). A Bomb and 3 Minutes Warning, Newsweek, 128(2), 24 Retrieved on October 6
th
, 2011 from
EBSOCO web site:
http://libproxy.eku.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9607027773&s
ite=ehost-live&scope=site
NSCA. (2010). History and Development of the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code (NFPA 72). Retrieved
September 9, 2010 from MNEC web site: http://www.mnec.org/history.html
Biamp Systems. (2010). Vochia Simplified. Oregon: Biamp Systems
UTC EST. (2010). Mass Notification. Sarasota, Florida: EST Systems
Questions?
For Further Information
Chuck Wilson
P) 319-366-6722
E) cwilson@nsca.org
www.mnec.org.