The University of Southampton, a multi-campus estate with a leading research institution, has enhanced its fire safety provision for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals through a pioneering paging system installation.
Advanced’s MxPro 5 fire panels, integrated with the ESPA Pager Interface, form the core of the new solution delivered by Premier Fire Security and Scope Communications, providing targeted alerts and improved accessibility across the university.
With more than 200 Advanced panels deployed across the site, including two networks of 30-40 nodes and a growing number of extinguishing panels, the university required a solution that could deliver precise, location-specific fire alerts to individuals without relying on traditional audio alarms. The ESPA 4.4.4-compliant Pager Interface from Advanced provided the ideal bridge between the fire detection system and Scope’s PageTek Pro Mk2 transmitter and EPOCBLUM pagers.
The system is configured so that each building or group of buildings triggers a distinct pager address. This ensures that only relevant alerts reach the end user, reducing confusion and improving response times. Users can manually program their pagers to activate or deactivate specific locations, with password protection for added security. For night-time safety, Scope’s pillow pad and nightstand accessories ensure alerts are received even while users are asleep.
Chris Chance, University of Southampton Contract Manager at Premier Fire Security, said: “We’ve worked closely with Scope and Advanced to create a system that’s not only reliable but incredibly flexible. The ability to configure pagers for any location means we can reduce hardware stock and improve coverage across the entire campus. It’s a huge step forward in inclusive safety.”
The installation also includes a dedicated paging group for engineers, janitors, security, and fire marshals, who receive diagnostic and fault messages from the Advanced network. This group can also trigger fire messages for specific locations.
The long-term vision is to roll out the paging system to all student halls, allowing pagers to be reconfigured for use anywhere on campus. This approach not only improves safety but streamlines inventory and reduces costs.
Salvy Vittozzi, Regional Sales Manager for the South East at Advanced, said: “It’s rewarding to see our technology helping to make campuses safer and more inclusive.”
www.advancedco.com