Advanced’s New EvacGo Makes Meeting the BS 8629 Code of Practice Easy

26 Oct 2020

Fire protection solutions manufacturer, Advanced, has launched EvacGo, its evacuation alert system designed to meet the recommendations of BS 8629:2019, relating to buildings containing flats with a storey over 18 metres above ground level.

Available to the UK market from November 2^nd, EvacGo has been designed to support any evacuation strategy chosen by the fire and rescue service. The panel, developed alongside fire industry leaders, combines EN54-2 and 4 approved MxPro 5 technology with clear, easy-to-use manual controls to ensure firefighters can quickly and effectively identify and operate alert sounders to support the safe evacuation of tall residential buildings.

EvacGo provides a simple, at-a-glance overview of a building’s evacuation alert zones, along with LED indication and manual toggle-switch controls for operating evacuation alert devices in each zone. The panels are available in 8, 16, 24 or 32 ‘fire fighter evacuation alert area’ variants and are expandable from 1 to 4 loops – or even further, when using Advanced’s highly robust, fault-tolerant network.

The EvacGo panel is housed inside a robust, security-rated enclosure meeting the STS 205 class BR2 security rating with patented BS EN 1303-compliant lock. This minimises tampering and restricts access to fire and rescue service personnel only, who are able to access the controls using a patented key, as stipulated in the BS 8629 code of practice.

Ken Bullock, Advanced’s Business Development Manager – Emergency Evacuation Systems, said: “We understand that our customers need peace of mind that they are meeting all relevant standards. Our response to BS 8629 recommendations is based on extensive consultation with industry experts involved in developing the code of practice, combined with proven technology used in our EN54-approved MxPro 5 fire panels. For our STS 205-rated enclosure, we have again followed BS 8629 guidance to the letter, partnering with leading security enclosure manufacturer, Gerda, to ensure maximum security for this powerful and vital life safety equipment.

“We appreciate that new standards can be confusing, so we’ve carefully designed EvacGo to take away the hard work for building owners, end users and, importantly, frontline fire and rescue services. Our system provides a robust, effective and reliable evacuation management system that can be trusted to work as intended at all times.”

BS 8629:2019 is the new code of practice for the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of evacuation alert systems for use by fire and rescue services in England. In place since November 2019, this code of practice recommends the installation of a dedicated evacuation alert system intended for the sole use of the fire and rescue services, and separate from the building’s fire alarm system. It is relevant to blocks of flats with a storey located at a height of more than 18 metres above ground level. Although not yet a legal requirement in England, evacuation alert control and indicating equipment (EACIE) installation is already mandatory in new buildings containing flat over 18 metres in Scotland, and considered best practice by a number of fire and rescue services.

Advanced, owned by FTSE 100 company Halma PLC, protects a wide range of prestigious and high-profile, high-rise buildings across the globe – from London’s Shard to Dubai’s Landmark Group HQ and Miami’s Sands Pointe development.

Halma is a global group of life-saving technology companies with a clear purpose to grow a safer, cleaner, healthier future for everyone, every day.

Advanced is a world leader in the development and manufacture of intelligent fire systems. Advanced’s reputation for performance, quality and ease of use sees its products specified in locations around the world, from single-panel installations, to large, multi-site networks. Advanced’s products include complete fire detection systems, multiprotocol fire panels, extinguishing control, fire paging, false alarm management and reduction systems as well as emergency lighting.