Page 2 of 3

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 1:55 pm
by Gazzathecoigne
Having worked in both the Forge and Buchanan Galleries shopping centres I can confirm that the latter is wiered in to it, so that shoppers can be alerted while in doors.

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:42 pm
by JayKay
alerted to what?

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:34 pm
by Socceroo
I have worked on the Construction of many large public buildings over the years, Schools, Hospitals, Libraries, Shopping Centres, Airport Terminals etc.

I don't recall there ever being fitted specific early warning alarms as such but most if not all of them have been fitted with very elaborate stand alone Public Address systems to be used in the event of an Emergency over and above the usual fire alarms etc.

I think it is more of an insurace requirement in large buildings rather than any specific reason.

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 4:45 pm
by Simba
Eastgate Centre, Inverness:

'ATTENTION. ATTENTION. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. PLEASE LEAVE THE BUILDING BY THE NEAREST EXIT, OR AS DIRECTED BY A MEMBER OF OUR STAFF.'

A wee pre recorded wifies voice, but on a PA system as opposed to an alarm going off when there was a 'fire'. In the first 6 months of the new part of the centre opening, the fire alarm went off more than 100 times I think. Or so it said in the paper, I certainly was witness to one practically every week when I was working. Huge problems with that system!! Once there was actually a fire, a teeny wee one when a radio exploded in H&M's stock room!

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 4:51 pm
by Ally Doll
The St Nicholas Centre in Aberdeen tests theirs every week, it never failed to scare the crap out of me when I worked there. They have banners that drop down too.

I also worked in the Buchanan Galleries for a while - if you had to evacuate people out of the centre by the back stairs no one would survive - it's like a rabbit warren back there. I got lost for an hour trying to get out one night after hours.

PostPosted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:29 pm
by gordon
the best one is the traffic announcers in Paisley...noticed them for the first time on the way to Love Street on Saturday...."the traffic from the city centre has been ordered to stop".......surely ripe for misuse!

PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 12:44 pm
by motman
Lots of towns in France appear to have public address systems in their main shopping/tourist areas, although the only thing that I've heard from them is music. There's a job for the boys - street music committee. You can imagine the scene.
Convenor to hushed room filled with the high and mighty "And the result of the ballot for next week during the day is ......Jimmy Shand .... followed by.......Oasis at teatime"

The music that is played is usualy shite anyway.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 2:23 pm
by Vladimir
Lots of towns in France appear to have public address systems in their main shopping/tourist areas


They only seem to use them at Christmas for whatever reason. Petit Papa Noel blaring all day long!

PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 2:34 pm
by motman
Your lucky Vladimar, in my regular travails around la belle France I've been attacked most public holiday times throughout the year as well with assorted oompah band music (Colmar, Pontarlier, Dole), truly awful 'pop' crap (Lyon, Clermond, Dieppe .... et al). Your convenor must rule his gang-of-four with a tight fist :P
I've suffered the Swiss equivelant of Jimmy Shand in their towns, but you would expect that, I suppose.

I've always wondered if the raison d'etre for these systems was public address or purely public entertainment.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 4:13 pm
by JayKay
My most recent foray to france saw me enjoying the delights of the local PA system broadcasting what sounded like a brief air-raid warning pretty much every day.

I think its purpose was actually to mark the return of the fishing fleet, as opposed to imminent nuclear armageddon.

I hope :?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 5:19 pm
by Vladimir
Some towns have factories which sound a short alarm for each new shift

Image

Ths place does anyway...

PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 6:07 pm
by JayKay
the speakers were attached to the Hotel de Ville. There werent any factories in the area anyway.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 7:48 pm
by ghiribizzo
After seeing the picture, for a second i thought we'd a Google Earth view of the Paisley Road west area from the late '60s!

PostPosted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 8:58 am
by motman
Yup, when I was a boy, Fairfields used to sound the hooter at the start and end of each shift, also tea breaks

PostPosted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 9:29 am
by swavmcav
I live in the Wset Endl and I can hear a siren sound several times a day. I presume it must be one of the shipyards changing shifts or something like that. Does anyone know?