The Louise-Otto-Peters School in Hockenheim incorporates a TOA public address system to protect and communicate effectively.

In the German city of Hockenheim – famous for its Hockenheimring racetrack – TOA equipped a new school building with an Emergency and Danger Response System (EDRS) in accordance with the German DIN VDE V 0827 standard, functionally integrated with an electro-acoustic system to ensure safe communication both in everyday situations and in emergencies.

To ensure the highest possible protection for students, the EDRS had to be installed at the highest technical level. In the case of the Louise-Otto-Peters School (LOP), it was required that emergency calls be triggered using RFID technology. In addition, the call stations had to have a general call function for daily internal communication.In case of danger, anyone in the building had to be able to receive information and/or instructions clearly and understandably. In everyday use, the call stations allow for quick and reliable communication with the school office, avoiding unnecessary trips by students and staff for simple queries or information.

Emergency requirements:

• Emergency call activation via RFID
• Alerting the district control center and emergency services
• Visual indication of the emergency call with location information on the central display
• Communication with the internal unit
• Automatic voice announcement or live announcement with instructions via the PA system

Installation

The installed EDRS integrates an emergency and hazardous situations intercom system with a public address system. Alarm activation was configured with an additional function to avoid false alarms. The emergency call is activated via RFID transponders, available to a group of previously trained individuals. These same transponders are also used to operate the school’s locking system.Once the emergency call is triggered, the advantages of integration with the PA system become clear: both live announcements and pre-recorded automatic messages can be broadcast.

All emergency call stations and technical components are permanently monitored. The monitoring results are displayed internally. If a fault is detected, the technical control center is informed immediately, allowing the issue to be resolved as quickly as possible and ensuring the functionality and operational readiness of the system at all times. An emergency situation is also displayed, optimizing the ability to react and reducing response times.

Thanks to the flexibility of TOA Electronics systems, the technical team was able to offer an integrated solution that met all the school’s requirements and expectations. Not only was the safety standard defined by the DIN VDE V 0827 met, but school organizational processes were also integrated into the technical solution.

The integration of the PA system into the EDRS ensures the clear and appropriately loud transmission of information in case of emergency. Choosing all technical elements from a single provider ensures that devices and functions are perfectly matched and that operational safety is maintained at all times.