Simplex ES Net life safety network now combines digital in-building emergency audio and firefighter communication for simplicity and cost savings

Johnson Controls, the global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, has announced a money-saving enhancement to the Simplex ES Net Life Safety Network that simplifies how emergency audio and firefighter telephone communication is distributed throughout buildings and campuses. The IP-based network will now allow in-building emergency alert audio such as alarms and voice evacuation messaging for building occupants, as well as in-building firefighter-to-firefighter telephone communication to be sent digitally over the life-safety data network.

As codes like Life Safety 101 and NFPA 72 begin to mandate voice evacuation messaging in more types of facilities, this update to the Simplex ES Net Life Safety Network makes it easier and more cost effective for users to implement audio messaging throughout their facilities. Included firefighter telephone support simplifies wiring infrastructure and provides crucial communication capability for first responders.

A singular shared pathway for these audio communications, as opposed to multiple separate pathways, eliminates wiring and can help substantially reduce hardware and maintenance costs. Overall, ES Net provides a more efficient way to broadcast voice, emergency messages and firefighter telephone communication across an entire network.

‘The updated ES Net Life Safety Network is ideal for facility owners and operators looking for a faster, more flexible platform that meets the latest industry codes and boosts emergency response effectiveness,’ said Tony Gryscavage, PE, director, Product Management, Johnson Controls. ‘This enhancement makes buildings safer and smarter by helping occupants evacuate more quickly. With this unified way of broadcasting specific voice instructions and alarm tones, building operators can be sure they are prepared for any type of emergency.’

A proven life-safety solution

Simplex ES Net is an IP-based fire and life safety network that optimizes system design and installation flexibility with impressive network capacity, speed and performance. Supporting up to 687 nodes, ES Net is scalable, highly resilient and has the capacity to handle even the largest multi-building campus environments. ES Net provides data rates up to 100Mbps and allows a range of network media including Ethernet, DSL and fibre, giving building owners a platform for future growth and integration.

Simplex ES Net provides advanced supervision and diagnostics to reduce system troubleshooting time. Better fault tolerance and pathway resilience help ensure consistent, reliable performance. The life-safety network complements a full line of Johnson Controls fire detection products. Together, they help serve the Johnson Controls mission of reimagining building performance to serve healthy people, healthy places and a healthy planet.

Visit the ES Net product page to learn more.