Fire Fighting Enterprises FIRE DETECTORS

With many businesses and facilities re-opening sites following the Coronavirus lockdown, fire safety may not seem high on the list to other worries and responsibilities. But here, Mandy Bowden, Fire Business Development Manager at Comelit Group UK, led by fire industry bodies, demonstrates why it must be a priority, ensuring installation of systems is guided by best practice in accordance with the development, and fire safety measures are maintained and regularly tested to ensure compliance. Fire safety is too often neglected. And in the midst of returning to work and implementing necessary fever screening solutions and social distancing policies, it may even fall further down the necessary requirements, for businesses who are naturally eager to open and ‘get going.’ Providing Fire Safety But the Government and leading authoritative fire industry bodies have made it absolutely clear that, “Coronavirus is not an excuse for disregarding your responsibilities and businesses must ensure that they have an adequate amount of competent people to help in the implementation of both preventative and protective fire safety measures.” Above all else, fire detection is there to save lives; but the way in which systems are presented, will depend on their surroundings. For many facilities it involves more than the best choice of products and services. It also requires compliance to standards, currently changing in light of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and a need to consider the environment that it serves to keep safe. fire detection technology It is crucial that buildings are fitted with the highest quality life safety systems to ensure ultra-reliable protection Style of a fire detection system would be considered a priority for a hospitality environment, including hotel and restaurant facilities, to blend with the aesthetics and not impact on the ambience created. In any leisure facilities such as a Gym, it is essential fire detection measures and systems are in place that will provide customers, employees and the premises itself, with sufficient prevention against fire at all times. To keep up with demand, a system needs to be simple to install and operational as quickly as possible for the benefit of members and staff. However, a manufacturing vicinity will require latest fire detection technology to ensure the safety of its building, its specialist products and all personnel who operate on site. Similarly, an art studio is a specialist consideration when it comes to fire safety, especially with the use of different materials and substances in every day works by the artists on site.  ensure ultra-Reliable protection Both temporary and permanent healthcare facilities in this period have undoubtedly been key to fighting the Coronavirus pandemic, and experienced an expediential increased demand for patient care. With more people to treat and protect, those working or residing within these spaces have to be considered at greater risk in the event of a fire emergency. It is crucial that these buildings have been and continue to be fitted with the highest quality life safety systems to ensure ultra-reliable protection. And the same is true for care homes, a vulnerable group in the fight against coronavirus. They require critical and reliable, functioning fire detection equipment that presents high performance protection, avoiding false alarms to prevent moving elderly residents unnecessarily. In each of these scenarios, the need to act quickly is paramount.  Fire Detection Operations Fire safety must be kept a priority to ensure a return to work can occur seamlessly and successfully In healthcare, immediacy is a common theme through the industry, be it providing treatment or responding to a patient’s symptoms. This is no different in fire safety, with detection systems requiring an ease of use, by anyone operating on site. In businesses returning to work ‘post-lockdown’ the appointed Fire Marshalls and responsible persons may not be the ones returning to office locations, so others need to be trained with simple to operate solutions. In summary, fire safety must be kept a priority, arguably now more than ever to ensure a return to work can occur seamlessly and successfully, and with an obligation of care to workers coming back to operating establishments. By understanding these environments and choosing systems accordingly, duty holders can ensure they reduce risks across their premises and maintain a safe ‘new normal’. multi-Sensor detectors Comelit presents its FIA accredited family of ATENA and ERACLE fire detection and fire alarm systems, which offers a diverse portfolio of intelligent, addressable products that are feature-rich, easy to install, simple to operate and offer incomparable reliability. Tested to rigorous standards, the range encompasses smoke, heat and multi-sensor detectors as well as IP rated devices including sounders and callpoints, alongside accessories to complete installations. To support the installer, we have product specific basic and advanced commissioning training courses, together with a full suite of calculation tools for our ATENA addressable systems for both loop loading and battery standby calculations, helping to identify possible issues prior to installation. All signs that we want to work in partnership with our customers to ensure manufacture, design and install of stylish (often bespoke) fire detection systems are a smooth operation for the benefit and peace of mind of businesses and facilities across the UK.

2020 introduced a variety of unique challenges for many industries around the world. Not surprisingly, the fire detection industry was not immune to all of those challenges. However, as much of the global community defined our manufacturing and installing peers as “essential” or “critical” it required us, as an industry, to adapt so we could continue to service our customers with our products and services. Many regions around the world are experiencing significant demand for temporary detection systems. This demand is almost universally driven by an increase in education, awareness, and enforcement. While this is a global shift, our company has experienced a large demand in our own backyard. Within the United States, this is being driven by the adoption and enforcement of NFPA 241. NFPA is the Standard for Safeguarding Construction, Alteration, and Demolition Operations. NFPA 241 has been a “concept” since 1930 and the official text was finally adopted by the NFPA in 1933. As with all standards, it has progressed over the years to accommodate changes in technology as well as safety awareness. Fire safety awareness While general safety awareness on construction sites has always been consistently high, fire safety awareness has significantly increased within the last 5 years. Nuisance alarms negatively consume first responder bandwidth Typically, new, or increased regulation within our industry occurs after a single devastating event or several significant events. In this particular case, it was a combination of both. On a national level, fires on construction sites were reaching dangerous and unacceptable levels and becoming so widespread that enforcement of this standard became a priority in several states. Need for accurate and timely fire detection According to a report released by Richard Campbell of the NFPA in February of 2020 titled Fire In Structures under Construction or Renovation, “the estimated number of fires in structures under construction has increased since 2014 after declining between 2008 and 2010” further creating awareness. For the last few years, the focus of many local AHJ’s (authority having jurisdiction) was on new and active worksites or renovation projects. With the changes imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic today, many non-essential industries have either shut down or had their operations significantly reduced. This means the need for a functioning detection system is more critical now than ever as many facilities remain idle or continue to operate with reduced personnel. Detecting fires quickly and accurately gives our first responders the best chance of saving a person or facility. Conversely, having any “detection system” is often not good enough. Nuisance alarms negatively consume first responder bandwidth, possibly removing an engine or fire company from a genuine event. Temporary fire detection In an article by The Boston Globe, Easthampton Fire Chief David Mottor, president of the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts said “Ninety percent of these buildings go up every day and nothing happens. It’s during construction before the sprinkler system is activated when they are most dangerous.” Globally, we have seen four approaches to temporary detection for both construction and renovation sites. We will quickly discuss the advantages and disadvantages below: Using 24/7 fire watch Utilizing local first responders or other authorized/trained personnel to offer 24/7 fire watch requires a person or team of people to be onsite 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to be physically looking for fires. Advantage: Someone is always on site, actively viewing and patrolling the facility. Disadvantage: Maintaining a 24/7 fire watch can be expensive, further the person or team can only see/find fires in proximity to them as they continue to move about a facility. Using digital linear heat detection Digital linear heat detection is a fixed temperature detector that is constructed using a twisted pair of metal conductors that are separated by a heat sensitive polymer. When the ambient temperature meets or exceeds the detector’s fixed temperature the polymers melt, and the detector shorts out resulting in an alarm. Advantages: Detector can be easily installed at a new construction site or a facility being renovated. The technology is a low profile, non-intrusive and cost-effective form of detection. This automatic initiating device is immune to environmental conditions. Protectowire FireSystems offers Confirmed Temperature Initiation technology (mechanical damage does not cause a false alarm). Disadvantages: Detector can be mechanically damaged during normal worksite operation. If you are unsure, be sure to check with the local AHJ or call your insurance provider Using wireless spot detectors There are a few companies on the market that offer wireless spot detectors that can be networked together. Advantage: Typically, this technology uses a mesh network of detectors. The detectors and their bases are battery operated and can be moved or placed per worksite requirements. Disadvantage: This technology can be expensive. Physical barriers on the construction site may hinder mesh network operation requiring the purchase of additional wireless units. Many wireless technology providers focus on smoke detection. Smoke detectors are often not ideal for the harsh environments associated with construction (dust, temperature changes, etc.). Using a hybrid approach This involves using wireless nodes to supervise linear heat detection. Most manufacturers of the wireless systems offer a wireless node that can accept a third-party initiating device. Advantage: Wireless nodes can be placed anywhere, and linear heat detection technology can withstand the harsh construction environment. Disadvantage: Wireless node battery life can be reduced when using a third-party device. Less cost-effective approach. Solution for Facilities While each of the approaches listed above has its own advantages and disadvantages, you must always consider what is best for your facility. If you are unsure, be sure to check with the local AHJ or call your insurance provider. Established in 1938, Protectowire FireSystems is the global manufacturer of Linear Heat Detection Systems. The Company has been manufacturing in the United States for the past 80 years and counting. Protectowire is dedicated to delivering products designed, engineered, manufactured, and tested with a high degree of performance, reliability, and quality. As one of the manufacturers in the fire protection industry, Protectowire has the experience and knowledge needed to meet the ever-increasing detection challenges of the special hazard and commercial industries.

New government legislation due to come into force in the United Kingdom on July 1st will require electrical installations in privately rented properties to be tested and inspected at least once every 5 years. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations (2020) will require landlords to enlist qualified electricians to complete inspections and provide certification to tenants – or face fines of up to £30,000. While the risk of fire can never be entirely eliminated, the new legislation will introduce higher levels of safety and ensure that one of the primary causes of fire – electrical malfunctions – is regularly tested for. There are a number of procedures and regulations in place for when a fire has already started, but this new law will help to reduce the chances of it getting to that point. After all, prevention is the best form of protection. No safety procedure or response plan will ever fully prepare someone for the reality of a fire. However, a comprehensive prevention strategy and use of the latest technologies to quickly detect and respond to a fire can at least reduce the potential risk to both life and property. Defensive detection A fire can spring from many sources. Current standards do a good job of ensuring properties are well equipped to defend against fires created by overcurrent caused by overloads and short circuits. A comprehensive prevention strategy and use of the latest technologies to quickly detect and respond to a fire can at least reduce potential risk However, electrical fires can also result from mistakes made during the installation process, namely loose cabling or aging circuits that will not be detected by overcurrent protection. Indeed, a defective or worn insulation is the cause of 14% of all electrical fires in buildings. The danger of landlords only performing the bare minimum to protect their buildings is that, should a fire start from a source they haven’t accounted for, the loss and disruption to property could be devastating. For maximum protection, individuals need reliable, innovative products that excel beyond the minimum standards to prevent a fire from starting in the first place. The pending legislation will add to this safety from the start. It will require landlords to use qualified electricians when installing, repairing and maintaining systems, benefitting both landlords and tenants by mitigating electrical issues and instilling greater confidence. Protection against insulation faults The risk of cable insulation faults grows over time and the consequences can be severe. Low-intensity arc faults are more likely to occur in humid, dusty environments, causing injury and deadly fires if precautions aren’t taken. Protection against insulation faults within cables can be assured by residual current devices (RCD), which are triggered by earth leakage currents exceeding 300mA. For maximum protection, individuals need reliable, innovative products that excel beyond the minimum standards to prevent a fire from starting Additionally, final circuits in critical locations (as recommended in IEC 60364), should be protected by an arc fault detection device (AFDD). This is a circuit breaker that automatically cuts off the electricity supply when it detects an arc fault in the circuit. By immediately stopping the supply, AFDDs stop arc faults from reaching temperatures where fires can break out. As well as ensuring that private tenants feel more safe and secure, the new legislation represents an opportunity for electricians to secure more work and develop their skills. Going forward, as the demand for electricians in the private rented sector rises, we expect to see greater opportunity for electrical engineers to win long running contracts with landlords and property managers. Fire may be a risk, but it is not unavoidable. This new legislation promises greater peace of mind for private tenants by ensuring that electrical standards are met and hazards reduced. With expert knowledge and the correct approach to electrical fire prevention, a fire can be extinguished before any damage is done.

Fireray 3000 is Fire Fighting Enterprises’ latest product development, bringing the most advanced technology to end-to-end systems Protecting buildings from the risk of fire is never an easy task, and educational properties often bring their own particular array of problems: irregular and high ceilings, tricky wiring and large indoor spaces – and the potential for rough treatment. Fireray optical beam smoke detectors from Fire Fighting Enterprises are specifically designed to overcome these potential issues, with a number of features that make them inherently well-suited to protect school and university projects. A single Fireray 5000 reflective beam system can reliably protect an area of up to 1500m2 with wiring at only one point on only one wall – compared to a dozen ceiling mounted point detectors or the cost and disruption of ceiling vents for an aspirating smoke detection system. As each beam unit is quite small, fixtures are easy to install and there is also a lot less visual impact. Together this all results in safe fire protection without causing unnecessary damage to a building’s structure, function or aesthetics. Protective cage fittings are also available to safeguard the devices from wayward tennis balls, footballs and other hazards to fixtures in school buildings. Reflective beam technology offers an ideal smoke detection system for large indoor areas, using a simple but reliable mechanism to reliably detect smoke across large distances. An optical beam smoke detector transmits a beam of invisible infrared light across the building space to be protected, and a receiver detects and measures this light. Smoke interference anywhere along the beam path then triggers the alarm signal when the pre-set threshold is reached. In a reflective beam system, the receiver and transmitter are in the same unit, with a small reflective prism bouncing the beam back to its source. This means wiring is only required on the one side, with the prism simply and easily fixed to the wall opposite. Technological innovations such as motorised, automatically aligning beam heads and dust compensation make the Fireray 5000 easier to install and more resistant to faults and false alarms than beam detectors have ever been before. In some instances though, there may be obstructions along the ceiling which could interfere with the beam path, making it very difficult to site a transceiver and prism without reflections from other things reducing the effectiveness of the system. For these situations, end-to-end beam systems are preferred, as extraneous reflections near the beam path do not affect an end-to-end optical beam. In an end-to-end system, the transmitter and receiver are on opposite walls, so any light reflected back at the transmitter has no effect, and any smoke entering the beam path anywhere along its length will still be safely detected by the receiver. The Fireray 3000 is Fire Fighting Enterprises’ latest product development, bringing the most advanced technology to end-to-end systems. Its housing is even smaller and more discreet than the Fireray 5000 as each head only contains one element of the system, and it does not require a prismatic reflector panel which may be undesired in some environments. Because it is an end-to-end system, the clear pathway between the heads does not need to be as wide as for a reflective system, and as previously explained it will be unaffected by stray reflections.

Fire Fighting Enterprises is at the forefront of beam smoke detection technology Protecting buildings from the risk of fire is never an easy task, and historic properties often bring their own particular array of problems: ornate decoration, irregular and high ceilings, lack of wiring and large indoor spaces. Optical beam smoke detectors are specifically designed to overcome these potential issues, with a number of features that make them inherently well-suited to protecting heritage and conservation projects. An optical beam smoke detector transmits a beam of invisible infrared light across the building space to be protected, and is usually wall-mounted at near-ceiling level. A receiver detects and measures this light, and can recognise smoke interference anywhere along the beam path, triggering the alarm signal when the pre-determined threshold is reached. The receiver can be either situated directly on the opposite wall to the transmitter, or more commonly, a reflective prism bounces the beam back to a single, combined transceiver unit. This means that a single reflective beam system can protect an area of up to 1500m2 whilst only requiring wiring at one point on one wall – compared to a dozen ceiling mounted point detectors or a significant amount of ducting installation for an aspirating smoke detection system. As each unit is quite small, there is also a lot less visual impact, enabling safe fire protection without causing unnecessary damage to a building’s structure, decoration or aesthetics. The Fireray 5000 from Fire Fighting Enterprises (FFE) is at the forefront of beam smoke detection technology, featuring installer and user friendly features such as motorised automatic alignment and adjustment, laser guided set up and dust build-up compensation. It has already been installed in many historically and architecturally significant buildings around the world, including royal palaces, cathedrals, museums and some of the world’s most famous temples of all faiths. Reflective beam technology offers an ideal smoke detection system for large indoor areas and spaces where the architecture, decoration and aesthetics are important. They are also wall rather than ceiling mounted, which avoids problems with the vaulted, ornate or unusual ceiling designs that are often found in heritage properties. In some instances though, there may be obstructions along the ceiling which could interfere with the beam path, making it very difficult to site a transceiver and prism without reflections from other things reducing the effectiveness of the system. For these situations, end-to-end beam systems are preferred, as extraneous reflections near the beam path do not affect an end-to-end optical beam. In an end-to-end system, the transmitter and receiver are on opposite walls, so any light reflected back at the transmitter has no effect, and any smoke entering the beam path anywhere along its length will still be safely detected by the receiver. The Fireray 3000 is FFE’s latest product development, bringing the most advanced technology to end-to-end systems. Its housing is even smaller and more discreet than the Fireray 5000 as each head only contains one element of the system, and it does not require a prismatic reflector panel which may be undesirable in some environments. Because it is an end-to-end system, the clear pathway between the heads does not need to be as wide as for a reflective system, and as previously explained it will be unaffected by stray reflections. It does however require wiring at both ends, so for properties where this must be kept to a minimum a reflective system would be recommended whenever possible.

FIRERAY beam detectors offer significant advantages when detecting smoke in wide open area spaces The new FIRERAY 3000 end-to-end infrared beam smoke detector is now available to the market, having been fully CPD certified and approved through VdS, in addition to its existing UL certification. This latest addition to Fire Fighting Enterprises’ immensely popular FIRERAY range is designed to offer a particularly cost effective option for protecting large, open area spaces, and in situations where a reflective beam system would not be best suited. All FIRERAY beam detectors offer significant advantages when detecting smoke in wide open indoor areas: with each system capable of covering an area up to 1500m2, relatively very few individual units are required compared to point detectors, and installation is much more straightforward than an aspirated system. The simple set up procedure is aided by intelligent design, with a visible laser incorporated for initial targeting and a ground-level control panel making commissioning and continued maintenance as easy as possible. Typically, a reflective system such as the much-lauded and high-tech auto-aligning FIRERAY 5000 is the default choice, however certain situations will make an end-to-end system more appropriate. For example, reflective objects near the beam path or bright direct sunlight that may hamper a reflective system’s effectiveness. In environments where that is a concern, an end-to-end system such as the new FIRERAY 3000 will easily solve any potential problems. The elegant low-profile design of the new detector and control panel may also suit the surroundings better, fitting in well with modern aesthetics and discreetly hiding in ornate decorations alike.