NEMA Guide covers emergency communications audio intelligibility.

Press Release Summary:



Published by NEMA, SB 50-2008 Emergency Communications Audio Intelligibility Applications Guide provides overview of issues and general recommendations. Publication assists specifiers, emergency voice system designers, and authorities having jurisdiction who are not experts in acoustics with concepts used to enhance intelligibility, while providing better understanding of factors affecting intelligibility of these systems.



Original Press Release:



NEMA Publishes SB 50-2008 Emergency Communications Audio Intelligibility Applications Guide



ROSSLYN, Va., September 11, 2008-The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published SB 50-2008 Emergency Communications Audio Intelligibility Applications Guide.

According to Jeff Brooks, a member of the Signaling Protection and Communication Section that prepared this guide, it provides an overview of issues and general recommendations.

"This publication assists specifiers, emergency voice system designers, and authorities having jurisdiction who are not experts in acoustics with the concepts used to enhance intelligibility and it provides a better understanding of the factors affecting the intelligibility of these systems," Brooks said.

"In the past, the fire alarm industry primarily focused concern on audibility requirements, assuming that if the sound was loud enough it would be sufficiently intelligible. Today, emergency voice communications systems are extensively used to provide building occupants information and instructions during all types of building emergencies. Consequently, intelligibility of these paging systems has become a vital concern. These messages contain essential safety information that must be clearly understood by the building occupants."

This is a new NEMA publication that draws on Tyco's Fire Alarm Audio Applications Guide as its primary source material.

The contents and scope of may be viewed, and a hard copy or electronic copy purchased for $66, by visiting NEMA's Web site at www.nema.org/stds/sb50.cfm, or by contacting IHS at 800-854-7179 (within the U.S.), 303-397-7956 (international), 303-397-2740 (fax), or on the Web at global.ihs.com.

NEMA is the trade association of choice for the electrical manufacturing industry. Founded in 1926 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., its approximately 450 member companies manufacture products used in the generation, transmission and distribution, control, and end-use of electricity. These products are used in utility, medical imaging, industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential applications. Domestic production of electrical products sold worldwide exceeds $120 billion. In addition to its headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia, NEMA also has offices in Beijing, Sao Paulo, and Mexico City.

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