Vaughan Sound, a specialist in the design, installation and servicing of AV and communication systems, was appointed to design and provide the voice alarm and disabled refuge systems throughout the main shopping mall. Looking at the comprehensive requirements, Vaughan Sound chose the VIGIL2 EVAS voice alarm and the OmniCare EVC systems to fulfil the specifications.

The VIGIL2 voice alarm system installed and commissioned by Vaughan Sound (including the loudspeakers), provides full coverage for public address announcements to eight individual broadcast areas, and enables zoned evacuation in the event of an emergency. There is also a facility for broadcast of background music for selected areas.

The BVRD8 desk mounted voice alarm microphone is included for routine paging broadcasts to any or all zones on the network. The unit can also assume a ‘fire control mode’, meaning live broadcasts will override any commands from the fire alarm panel. A number of emergency and public information messages are stored digitally on the system for easy selection and playback.

Vaughan Sound worked closely with the site design team to meet the stringent architectural requirements, whilst ensuring full compliance. Richard Vaughan, Operations Director, Vaughan Sound, said “We also successfully dealt with the challenge of integrating a solution which would overcome the difficult acoustic environment and high reverberation levels, caused by reflections from the many hard surfaces, including glass walls and solid columns. We used in house computer modelling and physical site verification to ensure that the necessary dB and intelligibility (STI) levels were met.”

The OmniCare disabled refuge system, supplied and commissioned by Vaughan Sound, features six networked master panels and 15 surface mounted refuge points. Each of the master panels can communicate with any refuge point installed throughout the shopping complex.

The project was completed well ahead of the site’s official opening.