Narrative:

This may not be the appropriate form, but I don't know where else to report this and remain anonymous for fear of possible reprisal. Since prior to jul/xx/96, our fire alarm for the entire facility (tower and offices) has been OTS. No apparent reason is offered to explain the outage and no backup system exists. If there was a fire in the facility there now is no visual or aural alarm to advise personnel in the tower of such an event. Therefore, tower personnel would not be aware of a fire and may lose their only way of egress. It should also be noted that this is a 24 hour facility with only 1 person scheduled from XA00 to XI30, lessening the chances of a person being warned of a possible fire by another employee elsewhere in the facility. While this is not a pilot/system safety problem, it is most definitely a controller safety issue. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that a few days after sending the report, reporter was told by a supervisor that the fire alarm did work but required yrly maintenance which is due. Reporter stated the main alarm panel is in the equipment room and a small panel in the tower. Reporter said there is no aural alarm in the tower but indicated there is a red light alarm indicator on the small panel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTED SIT IN WHICH THE FACILITY FIRE ALARM SYS HAS BEEN RPTED OTS FOR OVER A MONTH. RPTR STATED THERE IS NO BACKUP SYS.

Narrative: THIS MAY NOT BE THE APPROPRIATE FORM, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO RPT THIS AND REMAIN ANONYMOUS FOR FEAR OF POSSIBLE REPRISAL. SINCE PRIOR TO JUL/XX/96, OUR FIRE ALARM FOR THE ENTIRE FACILITY (TWR AND OFFICES) HAS BEEN OTS. NO APPARENT REASON IS OFFERED TO EXPLAIN THE OUTAGE AND NO BACKUP SYS EXISTS. IF THERE WAS A FIRE IN THE FACILITY THERE NOW IS NO VISUAL OR AURAL ALARM TO ADVISE PERSONNEL IN THE TWR OF SUCH AN EVENT. THEREFORE, TWR PERSONNEL WOULD NOT BE AWARE OF A FIRE AND MAY LOSE THEIR ONLY WAY OF EGRESS. IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT THIS IS A 24 HR FACILITY WITH ONLY 1 PERSON SCHEDULED FROM XA00 TO XI30, LESSENING THE CHANCES OF A PERSON BEING WARNED OF A POSSIBLE FIRE BY ANOTHER EMPLOYEE ELSEWHERE IN THE FACILITY. WHILE THIS IS NOT A PLT/SYS SAFETY PROB, IT IS MOST DEFINITELY A CTLR SAFETY ISSUE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT A FEW DAYS AFTER SENDING THE RPT, RPTR WAS TOLD BY A SUPVR THAT THE FIRE ALARM DID WORK BUT REQUIRED YRLY MAINT WHICH IS DUE. RPTR STATED THE MAIN ALARM PANEL IS IN THE EQUIP ROOM AND A SMALL PANEL IN THE TWR. RPTR SAID THERE IS NO AURAL ALARM IN THE TWR BUT INDICATED THERE IS A RED LIGHT ALARM INDICATOR ON THE SMALL PANEL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.