Modern Montessori Schools (MMS), Amman

About This Project

The EN 54 voice evacuation system installed on the Modern Montessori School campus in Amman covers over 44,000 m², four buildings and 2,200 pupils. With 820 loudspeakers, 24 zones and 4,000 W of power, the system also manages the school’s daily public address system: background music, announcements and an automated bell.

The Modern Montessori School (MMS) is one of Jordan’s leading private schools. Founded in 1985 in the Khalda district of Amman, it caters for pupils aged 3 to 18 with a Montessori and IB (International Baccalaureate) curriculum. It was one of the country’s first IB schools and is now part of the international Inspired Education group.

The campus covers 44,000 m² and comprises three interconnected academic buildings of four, five and six storeys, plus a four-storey sports and theatre complex. With over 2,200 pupils and 381 staff members on site daily, the demands on the voice alarm system are extremely high; in this context, EN 54 certification ensures that the message reaches every area of the building clearly, intelligibly and on time.

Among the issues reported prior to the project, the client cited frequent false alarms, poor emergency communication and the lack of a structured PA/VA system.

The solution, installed by partner Fire Experts Establishment, was implemented within six weeks. LDA Audio Tech supplied the entire school public address and voice evacuation system, with intelligibility results exceeding the design targets (STI designed for 0.8; measured value: 0.9; echo level below 1%).

The installation includes:

• Over 820 loudspeakers distributed across 24 zones and 48 channels.
• 4,000 W of amplifier power.
• Microphone and trigger inputs for emergencies and daily announcements.
• Multi-purpose functions: school bell, background music in common areas, seismic and intrusion alerts, and general announcements.

The system goes beyond emergency response. In day-to-day operation, it distributes background music in reception areas, cafeterias and administrative zones, without sound leakage into classrooms. It also functions as a centralised school public address system for announcements and communications, and the bell is automated with different tones for primary and secondary school levels.

In an emergency, the voice evacuation system operates in phases: first the affected area, then the adjacent areas and, if necessary, the entire campus. The system includes specific alerts for earthquakes and intrusions, with different protocols for each scenario.

During the commissioning tests, the evacuation announcement was so clear that local residents rang the school, convinced there was a real fire. After more than a year of operation, no further false alarms were reported.