Emergency voice communication system

Commonly known as a disabled refuge system, the Safe-Point EVC enables emergency services or colleagues to communicate with people awaiting safe evacuation in designated refuge areas. This is particularly important during fire events where the use of elevators is prohibited.  

The system consists of a control panel located in a reception or building manager’s office, and hands-free communication points in designated areas on each floor of a building. It is a stand-alone product that can be integrated with any fire panel or building management system (BMS).

The Safe-Point EVC differs from other products in that it combines all potential functionality in one system: it is photo luminescent so highly visible, even in the dark; it includes braille and tactile identification; it features an induction loop for the hard of hearing; it can easily be expanded to include a disabled toilet alarm; and it is vandal resistant.

The Safe-Point EVC complies with the Equality Act (2010) and associated building regulation standards that determine that disabled people are to be treated equally, and that businesses and building owners have a responsibility to ensure that everyone is provided with safe access and evacuation processes.

Kevin Swann, managing director of Kentec Electronics, says estimates suggest that 11% of people within any building may require aid in an emergency: “Reduced mobility can affect pregnant women, people with broken ankles and other short-term ailments, as well as longer term disabilities. It is our responsibility as an industry to ensure the best technology is available to deliver fast, efficient and reliable support to everyone, regardless of mobility.”

Kevin adds that the Kentec Safe-Point EVC has been designed to be easy to use and to install: “Critical technology such as this needs to be intuitive and simple to use, even in highly-stressful situations. Kentec’s 34-year life-safety and fire specialism puts us in an ideal position to develop systems that answer this need. It has also been developed with ease-of-installation in mind.”