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IBC Section 1028 — Emergency Voice Alarm Systems

Updated Apr 3, 2026
Requires voice communication systems for emergency announcements in occupied buildings.

Section 1028 addresses emergency voice/alarm communication systems in large occupancies. Systems must provide two-way voice communication between fire command center and occupants. Occupants can request assistance and receive instructions. Intelligible speech is critical in noisy environments. Speaker placement ensures coverage of all occupied spaces. Microphone input from fire command center permits live announcements or pre-recorded messages.

TAGS
ibcvoice-alarmcommunication
DETAILS
section
1028
category
Means of Egress
code body
IBC
code year
2021
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