This British Standard gives recommendations for the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of evacuation alert systems for use by the fire and rescue service in buildings containing flats. Within this British Standard, both single-storey flats and maisonettes are described by the generic term “flats”, other than when, for the purpose of a specific recommendation, the term maisonette is used. This British Standard does not recommend whether or not an evacuation alert system is to be installed in any given building. Typically, the application for these systems are high-rise blocks of flats, but the scope of this British Standard includes systems installed in any building containing flats, regardless of height.

The evacuation alert systems covered by this British Standard comprise evacuation alert control and indicating equipment (EACIE), which incorporates manual controls by which evacuation alert sounders within each flat can be operated by the fire and rescue service. These systems are not to be regarded as fire detection and fire alarm systems, and the systems do not incorporate automatic fire detectors or manual call points. Recommendations for fire detection and fire alarm systems in non-domestic premises are given in BS 5839‑1. Recommendations for such systems in domestic premises are given in BS 5839‑6. Use of evacuation alert systems by the fire and rescue service in emergencies, other than fire incidents, is not precluded, but is not addressed in detail.

This British Standard does not cover systems in which there are facilities to operate systems or equipment other than evacuation alert devices (such as smoke control systems, automatic door release equipment, fire extinguishing systems, facilities for closing of oil or gas valves or grounding of lifts). Such systems normally include automatic fire detection conforming to the relevant part of BS 5839, in conjunction with an interface with ancillary systems and equipment conforming to the recommendations of BS 7273‑6.

This British Standard only covers systems that are intended for use by the fire and rescue service and not by any other party. This British Standard does not cover portable, manually operated devices, such as air horns, hand bells or similar devices.

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This British Standard does not address operational fire-fighting or, therefore, decision-making in the use of evacuation alert systems by the fire and rescue service. The objective of this British Standard is to provide a reliable and effective tool to assist in the evacuation of a building containing flats in whatever manner is considered appropriate by fire and rescue service operational commanders.