Fire Alarm Activation in Live TV news studios

[Chris Houston]

Has anyone dealt with live TV news studios and how they deal with fire alarm system activations?

i.e. they are not keen to evacuate when broadcasting.

[Galeon]

Nightmare , the show must go on , all that stuff , did major radio station and shopping channel , could think of better places to be.

[colin todd]

Chris, We have dealt with this over many years. Is there a specific point you need to know

[Big_Fella]

I've dealt with a certain live TV show channel, and also live radio.

Both insisted that the show continues initially.

First stage alarm would be a warning at the control panel and certain fire marshals to be informed.  We have put lamp/buzzer units descreatly within studios for an initial warning something has happened.

These systems then were on a timer prior to the alarm activating in full.

[Username]

How not to do it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_KOK0wLmdA

[wee brian]

I suppose it's unrealistic to expect newsreaders to scarper as soon as the bell goes. Perhaps it's better to take this into acount in the FRA and give them better escape routes.

[Chris Houston]

Chris, We have dealt with this over many years. Is there a specific point you need to know

I've yet to visit site, so I was just putting feelers out to gauge how it is dealt with across the industry. I think I'll be seeing a system with coinsidence detection and delay but wondered if I should expect them to not evacuate even after it has reached full alarm. And if that can ever be justified what safe guards would be typically considered acceptable.

[kurnal]

Most of the BBC policies and standards used to be freely available on google. May be worth a look.
The TV newsroom is no different to many other situations where immediate evacuation may be undesirable. For example operating theatres, hospitals, care homes, control rooms, prisons.

In all such cases it is important to provide simple and secure escape routes should evacuation prove necessary, good separation between the newsroom and other parts of the building, sophisticated monitored and addressable fire alarm system with a staged alarm, good levels of supervision and management.

[colin todd]

Visual alarm devices are used to alert a studio manager, who will decide on the action to take.

[Big T]

Would a silent staff alarm similar to the one Colin describes be suitable, maybe to alert the security team initilally to discover whether the alarm is genuine or not and then sound a genral alarm that all and sundry would respond to?

Channel 4 news evacuated about a 4 months ago whilst i was watching, so they do evacuate if they need to!

[jayjay]

Coincidence

I was driving home yesterday listening to the local radio after having read the comments on the studio evacuation.

The reporter was talking when an electronic alarm could be heard in the background. The reporter said Oh dear the fire alarm has activated I must leave we will play you some music.

The music started and lasted about 5min then the reporter returned, apologised and said it was a false alarm and the fire brigade has allowed re-entry.

With the all digital studios nowadays it must be very easy just to press a button to play music and empty the studio.

[Big_Fella]

Coincidence

I was driving home yesterday listening to the local radio after having read the comments on the studio evacuation.

The reporter was talking when an electronic alarm could be heard in the background. The reporter said Oh dear the fire alarm has activated I must leave we will play you some music.

The music started and lasted about 5min then the reporter returned, apologised and said it was a false alarm and the fire brigade has allowed re-entry.

With the all digital studios nowadays it must be very easy just to press a button to play music and empty the studio.

Indeed, and it is much easier on radio anyway as if the recording/broadcasting equipment sences silence for a period of time (say around 30 seconds) iut automatically is programmed to play certain back-up music.

Therefore if the DJ left the room because of an activation it wouldnt interupt the show.

Therefore Radio studios and TV studios may operate slightly differently