Fire alarm systems

The safety of students, staff and guests is a top priority at the Technical University of Dortmund. The fire alarm systems installed in the university's buildings are a central component of the comprehensive safety concept. These systems ensure fast and reliable detection of fires and effective alerting.

The fire alarm systems at TU Dortmund University can be divided into two categories: automatic and non-automatic systems. While automatic systems trigger an alarm independently via smoke detectors, non-automatic systems require manual intervention. In this case, the alarm is activated via so-called manual call points - small red boxes that are strategically placed in the buildings and should be easily accessible in an emergency. In most cases in combination.

Regardless of whether the alarm is triggered automatically or manually, the signal is forwarded directly to both the fire department and the TU Dortmund University control room. At the same time, an acoustic alarm is triggered in the affected building to inform everyone present and ask them to leave the building.

Different alarm systems are used to meet the specific requirements of different buildings:

In selected areas of chemical engineering, the alarm is raised by voice announcements via electro-acoustic loudspeaker systems (ELA). These precise announcements make it possible to provide targeted information for evacuation. The ELA systems are particularly active in the following areas:

• Central area (ZB),
• Practical Technical Center (PT),
• Flat area 1,
• Flat area 2,
• flat area 3.

Other areas such as floors 1, 2 and 3 are equipped with sounders. These devices generate a clear fire alarm tone in accordance with DIN standard 33404, which is clearly audible to everyone in the building.

Lecture Hall Building II has a modern voice alarm system (SAA). This system also enables targeted announcements for evacuation, thereby increasing efficiency in an emergency.

For all other buildings at TU Dortmund University, alarms are also sounded via sounders with the standardized fire alarm tone in accordance with DIN 33404. This system ensures a uniform warning on campus and makes it easier to recognize an alarm situation regardless of location.

In addition to acoustic alarm measures, visual alarms play an important role in the security concept of the Technical University of Dortmund. It ensures that even people with impaired hearing or in particularly noisy environments are reliably alerted to danger.

• Accessibility: Visual signaling devices enable hearing-impaired people to hear a fire alarm.
• Increased attention: In noisy working environments such as workshops or laboratories, visual signals are often easier to hear than audible alarms.
• Combined safety: The combination of audible and visual warning systems ensures maximum accessibility and effectiveness in an emergency.

Should any technical questions arise regarding the fire alarm systems or the various alarm systems, the corporate center construction and facility management is available as a competent point of contact. The team ensures that all systems are regularly maintained and ready for use at all times - an essential contribution to safety on campus.

With this comprehensive concept, TU Dortmund University ensures that it can act quickly in the event of an emergency and that everyone is optimally protected.