Circuit of the Americas

Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is a 3.4-mile race track designed to be the home of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™. Opened in 2012, the multi-purpose venue has a capacity for 120,000 race fans in the form a permanent grandstand and temporary trackside structures. The venue also holds a Conference and Media Center, VIP Suites, Observation Tower and outdoor Amphitheater. The local regulatory authority had concerns regarding public safety notifications during large-scale events. Because of permanent and temporary structures, COTA needed to be sure that safety announcements could be made to individual buildings or zones, or to a combination of zones.

We designed a Mass Notification System (MNS) to interface with the fire alarm network and public address system. Using high-quality speakers and enabling the MNS to override automatic fire alarm system response, we verified that all locations could receive safety notifications. By analyzing the risk, reconciling MNS goals with ongoing construction, providing construction administration support and acceptance testing, COTA was able to satisfy the regulatory authority’s concerns and deliver safety messages venue wide, from any of the four control panels.