Honeywell today introduced the XLS3000 Digital Voice Command (XLS-DVC), a digital audio evacuation, paging and firefighter telephone system that seamlessly integrates with XLS3000 fire alarm control panels for tailored notification and increased occupant safety during a fire or other emergency.

XLS-DVC allows security and facility managers to simultaneously broadcast multiple, distinct messages through an entire facility or targeted areas using customized, recorded message phrases or the standard library of messages provided with the system.

Facility managers can sequence and compile phrases and tones in up to 1,000 message strings per unit, ensuring pertinent information is distributed to the appropriate areas of a building at the right time. For example, one message could direct occupants in one wing of a building to exit via a specific stairwell, while another message could simultaneously direct building occupants in another area to evacuate through the front lobby.

XLS-DVC integrates with XLS3000 fire panels to provide network-wide audio distribution and paging. It also supports up to five channels of digital telephone operation for firefighters and other emergency responders. As a result, emergency personnel can report crucial information to central command at the same time the system is broadcasting evacuation instructions.

Unlike traditional systems, which produce a generic tone when damaged or disconnected from the network, XLS-DVC uses a distributed digital audio amplifier that includes a self-contained power supply, battery charger and local storage for standby messages in the event network communication is lost, adding to the reliability and survivability of the system.

In addition, XLS-DVC uses non-proprietary .wav format audio files, making message programming, recording and maintenance simple and convenient.

“More local fire authorities are requiring voice evacuation and, in general, there is a heightened need for mass notification,” said Mike Taylor, vice president of Americas marketing for Honeywell Building Solutions. “Tying XLS3000 fire panels and XLS-DVC together gives facility managers and emergency responders a fast, sophisticated and effective way to provide critical information and instructions during an emergency.”

The recently introduced XLS3000 fire panel includes the industry’s first self-diagnostic tool, the System Maintenance Analysis and Reporting Tool (SMART), which automatically tracks the testing and inspection requirements of fire alarm devices like smoke detectors, pull stations and output relay modules.

XLS3000 also features technology that enables devices to communicate with each other in a peer-to-peer protocol, as opposed to traditional panels that operate using polling and relayed information. The result is improved response time — less than a second from the time smoke is detected — for automatic door locks, strobe lights and other emergency devices.

Each panel can accommodate more than 2,500 devices and building owners can integrate more than 100 panels and XLS-DVC units combined on a network, which makes XLS3000 a flexible, scalable system ideal for small and large facilities alike.