Fire Lite Alarms (Honeywell) FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM ACCESSORIES

The original fire suppression agent has always been, of course, water. In the age of sail, it was ideal. Not so with the advent of the combustion engine, however. When applied to burning petroleum, the fire spreads. It also simply destroys electronics. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and Halon derivatives were the first widely used commercial fire suppression solutions, gaining popularity in the 1950s and '60s. Unlike water, they were highly effective, electrically non-conductive and didn't leave any residue. As compressed gases, storage wasn't a major issue. Unfortunately, Halon was found to be a high ozone depleting chemical; as a result, production was banned in 1990. Evolution Of Fire Suppression Systems Ideal for marine applications, HFC227 is fast, effective and clean With the sunsetting of Halon and the search for alternatives, CO2 gained prominence. However, it has three significant drawbacks: it's a greenhouse gas, requires a large number of cylinders and is potentially fatal if breathed at design concentrations. In the 1990s, HFCs rose to dominance as a fire suppression solution. Ideal for marine applications, HFC227 is fast, effective and clean. Like Halon and CO2, however, it's a greenhouse gas and contributes to global warming. Discharging an average-sized cylinder of HFC227 has the same CO2 equivalent as driving a car 268,760 kilometers. This is why it is being eliminated as part of a phased-down mandate from the EU, and restricted or taxed by various countries such as Australia and Norway. It is expected that similar legislation will begin to affect Canada and US-flagged vessels. Environmental Profile Of HFCs In 2002, 3M introduced Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid. It offers a number of important advantages over other clean agents in marine fire suppression applications. It has low acute toxicity and high extinguishing efficiency. This gives it a wide margin of safety compared to other chemical clean agents such as HFC227. A fluid, it vaporizes rapidly during discharge, is non-corrosive, non-conductive and leaves no residue. It is, importantly, a long-term, sustainable solution with virtually zero global warming potential, e.g., it has an atmospheric life of about a week versus HFC227's 34 years. So confident is 3M of its product, it offers its BlueSkySM Warranty; if it is ever banned or restricted from use due to its environmental properties, the company will refund the cost of the fluid. Unlike CO2, a gas, Novec 1230 fluid can be flown to the vessel or platform allowing less downtime waiting for supplies to arrive by ground For the marine and offshore oil and gas industries, Novec 1230 fluid offers distinct advantages. Because it's a fluid, recharging is simple. Unlike CO2, a gas, it can be flown to the vessel or platform. This means less downtime waiting for supplies to arrive by ground. It also takes up significantly less space. Recently, Sea-Fire Europe ceased distribution of HFC227. The move was strategic and ethical, given the environmental profile of HFCs. Novec 1230 Fluid For Recreational Marine Market With the phase-down of HFCs, supplies are running out. This means in the immediate future there will be a serious inability to service systems. Also, with shortages beginning, costs are rising, making the switch to Novec 1230 fluid a smart move financially. While 3M will obviously benefit from this, the real winner here is our planet and the people we share it with" Sea-Fire recognizes that it may lose business in the short term as boat and shipbuilders continue to choose HFC-based fire systems strictly based on cost alone. But, ultimately, eliminating the use of hydrofluorocarbons is the right thing to do for the marine industry as a whole. As the first manufacturer to introduce Novec 1230 fluid into the recreational marine market in 2012, Sea-Fire is fully prepared for the phase-out of HFCs. Benefitting The Marine Industry "As a corporation, 3M is committed to improving every life," said David Olds, 3M account executive for fire suppression applications. "Sea-Fire Europe made a difficult decision when announcing it would cease distribution of HFC227. While 3M will obviously benefit from this, the real winner here is our planet and the people we share it with." Sea-Fire Marine has long held the belief that it is in the business of protecting people and property at sea. With its recent declaration that its master European distributor Sea-Fire Europe is ending distribution of HFC-based fire suppression fluids, it can add the environment to its list.

Products for electrical systems that are installed into modern, complex buildings have to be fit-for-purpose for today’s challenging demands. With the background of numerous incidents still being felt by the fire performance industry, how is it to set the benchmarks for the future to make sure there is never another Lakanal House or another Grenfell? The long-term answer is for clearer guidance and legislation, if necessary, to enable the whole supply chain to make decisions which are compliant when choosing products. In the meantime, with the Grenfell inquiry projected to go on during 2019, what is the benchmark?The development of LSZH materials was accelerated following the King’s Cross Underground disaster in which 31 people died Cables With LSZH Materials We have standards through British Standards (BS) and testing regimes which cables should meet to validate that they meet these standards with approvals from various industry bodies including BASEC and LPCB. At AEI Cables, we have developed our Total Fire Solutions range of cables and accessories for all fire safety applications, incorporating Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) features. Traditional PVC cables which produce vast amounts of dense black smoke, toxic fumes and acid gas when exposed to fire, bring an added danger to people who may be caught in the fire. Cables which incorporate LSZH materials emit very little of these substances. In a real fire situation, the cables will enable the fire and rescue services to find and evacuate people and help to protect property Smoke And Noxious Gases Cause More Casualties The development of LSZH materials was accelerated following the King’s Cross Underground disaster in which 31 people died, many of them from toxic fumes. London Underground has banned the use of PVC cables as a result. The adoption of LSZH for cables and other materials is also endorsed by the Building Regulations themselves. According to Part B, referencing fire safety, it says clearly: “The primary danger associated with fire in its early stages is not flame but the smoke and noxious gases produced by the fire. They cause most of the casualties and may also obscure the way to escape routes and exits. Measures designed to provide safe means of escape must therefore provide appropriate arrangements to limit the rapid spread of smoke and fumes.” Helping Fire And Rescue Services The very latest in technology and science, including LSZH materials, offers enhanced fire performance cablingThe very latest in technology and science, including LSZH materials, offers enhanced fire performance cabling, accessories and technical support ensuring critical fire-safety circuits can continue to operate in the event of a real fire from 30 minutes up to 120 minutes. In a real fire situation, these cables will enable the fire and rescue services to find and evacuate people and help to protect property. At the same time, there is still evidence of non-approved cabling still coming onto the market, and we simply cannot compromise quality of these products being used in these applications. Applications include residential and commercial buildings, shopping malls, airports and protected buildings with a track-record ensuring that fire alarms, sprinkler systems, building monitoring and security systems can continue to operate in a fire.

While whole room protection – sprinklers or gas systems – is a common choice, there is an argument for thinking smaller; taking fire detection and suppression down to the equipment, enclosures and even the components where a fire is most likely to start. Traditional Fire Suppression Methods A traditional water-based sprinkler system is the most common form of fire protection found in commercial and industrial buildings. They offer reasonable cost, large area protection for entire facilities, safeguarding the structure and personnel by limiting the spread and impact of a fire. Every square foot of the protected area is covered equally regardless of the contents of the space, whether it’s an empty floor or an object with an increased risk of fire. Sprinklers aren’t always the most appropriate choice. Not all fires are extinguished by water of course, and in some cases, water damage can be just as harmful or even more so than the fire. They are an impractical choice for instance for facilities housing anything electrical, such as data centres and server rooms. There is also the risk of accidental activation, with an estimated cost of up to $1,000 for every minute they are left running. Water damage can be just as harmful or even more so than any fire, so sprinklers may not be appropriate Targeted Supplementary Fire Suppression An alternative method to protect whole server rooms and data centres is gas fire suppression, which either suppresses the fire by displacing oxygen (inert) or by using a form of cooling mechanism (chemical/synthetic). These aren’t without risk; in the case of inert gas, oxygen is reduced to less than 15% to suffocate the fire, but must be kept above 12% to avoid endangering the lives of personnel. Similarly, clean agent gas can be toxic in high doses. There are smaller, focused systems that give the option of highly targeted supplementary fire suppression within fire risk areas. Installing a system directly into the areas most at risk, means that fires can be put out before they take hold and cause serious damage. Both sprinkler and gas systems can contain a fire, but micro-environment or closed space systems are completely automatic, detecting and suppressing the fire so rapidly that activating a sprinkler or gas total flooding system often isn’t necessary. The most popular enclosure fire suppression systems achieve this though the use of a flexible and durable polymer tubing that is routed easily through the tightest spaces. The tubing is extremely sensitive to heat and, because it can be placed so close to potential failure points, detects it and releases the fire suppression agent up to ten times faster than traditional systems. An airline was forced to cancel over 2,000 flights after a “small fire” in one of its data centers Cost-Effective Fire Protection Highly customizable, small enclosure fire suppression is specifically designed to protect business critical spaces and equipment. It is typically used inside machinery like CNC machines, mobile equipment like forklifts and inside server rooms and electrical cabinetry but is suitable for any hazard that’s considered to have an elevated fire risk. Some may question the need or cost-effectiveness of protecting micro-environments. However, examples abound of where fires that have started at component level have gone on to cause damage of the highest magnitude, and the cost of downtime can be crippling to many time-sensitive facilities and processes. An airline was forced to cancel over 2,000 flights in August 2016 when what was described as a “small fire” in one of its data centers ultimately led to a computer outage. The cost of that small fire, and the domino effect that quickly escalated from it, has since been announced as $150m. Admittedly that number is unusually high - the average cost of a data centre outage today is estimated at a more conservative $730,000 – but this is still an expense businesses can ill afford. Preventing Major Losses Staying with the transport industry, newer metros systems have redundant systems in place to prevent interruptions. However, older metro lines, such as the one in New York City, have experienced electrical fires that started small, but grew to such a magnitude that service was affected for months.Older metro lines, such as New York City's, have experience electrical fires that start small but grew exponentially A wind energy customer experienced a fire in a turbine converter cabinet. The loss of the cabinet was valued at over $200,000 and disabled the turbine for six weeks. Following investment in fire suppression systems inside the electrical cabinet, a subsequent fire was detected and suppressed before major damage could be caused. The cost on this occasion was therefore limited to a $25,000 component and downtime was less than two days.Equally - happily - there are also many instances where the installation of small enclosure fire suppression has prevented disaster. In the manufacturing world, CNC machines are valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars and need to be constantly operational to justify the investment. Oil coolant used in the machines can create a flash fire in an instant due to failed components or programming errors. The fact that many of these facilities are run ‘lights out’ with no personnel present further exacerbates the risk. If a fire is not dealt with immediately, the machine will be destroyed; sprinklers don’t react quickly enough for this scenario and would be ineffective. Ensuring Business Continuity One such flash fire occurred inside a protected CNC machine at a machine shop in Iowa. The polymer tubing ruptured within a fraction of a second, releasing the suppression agent and extinguishing the flames. The machine was undamaged and was operational again with a few hours. Contrast this to a previous fire at the same facility in an unprotected machine; it was out of operation for 4 days, costing the business thousands of dollars in downtime In short, fire protection is an essential element of our industrial and commercial environments to ensure both safety and business continuity. However, the nature of that protection is changing, as capacity increases to cost-effectively protect specific areas where fires are most likely to start. Risk mitigation analysis needs to look beyond what has been accepted in the past and find ways to further limit the impact of a small fire using this next level of protection. The benefits can really have a positive effect on the bottom line in the event of fire.

A life-safety systems manufacturer, C-TEC, has restructured its UK sales team to facilitate further growth and expansion. Simon Griffiths is C-TEC’s new Northern Fire Account Manager, replacing Brian Foster, recently promoted to the newly-created role of UK Sales Manager. With over 20 years’ experience in service engineer, project management and business development roles at Honeywell, Cormeton Electronics and Reflex Systems, Simon’s brief is to create new business and provide technical support to C-TEC’s specialist fire alarm accounts and specifiers in the North and Scotland. Fire safety and alarm systems expert The company has also appointed Jeff Pankhurst as its South East Fire Account Manager. Formerly a Business Development Manager at Texecom Ltd (Klaxon Signals), Jeff is a qualified fire alarm systems engineer and project manager with vast experience of managing major design, installation and commissioning projects in London including The Shard and Heron Tower. Craig Swift, formerly a Distribution Account Manager at the company, has been appointed its new South West Fire Account Manager and Andy Turner retains his position as C-TEC’s specialist Midlands and Ireland Fire Account Manager. Hush2 fire alarm solution Said Charlotte Manley, C-TEC’s Sales Director, “With the launch of our revolutionary new CAST protocol fire alarm systems and Hush2 fire alarm solution imminent, the restructure was vital to ensure we have the right people in place to drive the next phase of C-TEC’s growth. I am delighted to welcome Simon and Jeff to the team and congratulate Brian and Craig on their new positions.” C-TEC is a globally renowned UK-based manufacturer of world-class life safety systems. Currently trading in over 70 countries worldwide, the company has extended its 100,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art headquarters to include new high-capacity manufacturing areas, product training rooms and conference center.

The new line of addressable detectors includes photo, photo/thermal, and heat detectors, along with bases and accessories Honeywell, a pioneer in Connected Buildings, is helping customers get ahead of upcoming building code changes and improve fire detection through a new line of addressable smoke and heat detection devices available across all Honeywell Fire brands. The devices improve detection of fires involving synthetic materials that are commonly used in modern buildings, and offer improved system reliability against false alarms. In addition, these devices have been designed to meet new industry requirements that go into effect in the United States in 2020 – the UL 268 7th Edition standards – ensuring a smooth transition to the new codes. “Honeywell’s newest fire detection devices step up to the challenge of modern construction methods and codes with the latest technology in fire safety,” said Samir Jain, general manager for Fire Americas, Honeywell Home and Building Technologies. “Serving customers in more than 10 million buildings around the world, we were able to redesign our devices with an unwavering focus on customers and end users. Our products across all of our fire brands are easy to install and use with a lower cost of ownership without sacrificing safety.” Photo/thermal and heat detectors Whether it’s a photoelectric detector or more advanced multi-criteria solution, the Honeywell devices provide advanced features for fire or life safety systems So-called ‘addressable’ detectors connect to a fire alarm control panel and are assigned an address so responders can more easily locate the source of an alarm. The new line of addressable detectors includes photo, photo/thermal, and heat detectors, along with bases and accessories. Additional specialty detectors, including higher-sensitivity and combined carbon monoxide detectors, will be available in the coming months. Each spot-type detector is designed for ease-of-use, simple installation, and project flexibility. With varying base sizes, an expanded colour offering and modern design, the new line supports contemporary aesthetic needs to fit any environment. Whether it’s a photoelectric detector or more advanced multi-criteria solution, the Honeywell devices provide advanced features for fire or life safety systems. Beneficial to the small and medium sized facilities            Honeywell addressable smoke detectors and accessories can be used in commercial building spaces across the country including offices, hotels, schools, airports, hospitals, high rise, retail, stadiums, military buildings and more. Small- to medium-sized facilities can benefit from photo and heat detectors in a contemporary white colour to meet popular design demands. Diverse commercial environments can integrate broader offerings, like remote test capabilities in the ducts, heat detectors in furnace rooms, photo detection across the main building, high sensitivity for a server closet, and the wider system connection. The new line of smoke detection devices will be available across Honeywell Fire brands: NOTIFIER, Honeywell Gamewell-FCI, Honeywell Farenhyt, Honeywell Silent Knight and Fire-Lite Alarms.

NICET-certified instructors will lead these courses offering attendees the opportunity to earn valuable CEUs Fire-Lite Alarms by Honeywell recently released its 2014 training program, covering a range of subject matter from fire alarm systems basics to sophisticated applications design and programming. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be given to attendees of the more than 100 hands-on trainings planned to take place across the U.S. For those hard-pressed for time, Fire-Lite offers free online training modules, while continuing to grow its Lite-Tips library of short, technical instruction videos. As CEU-accredited fire alarm programs become harder to find, and dealer interest in emergency communication systems rises, Fire-Lite Alarms Training Supervisor, Tom Rosa, expects to see a jump in training registrations in 2014. “Given the rising interest around our training program this past year, particularly when we began covering the ECC-50/100 mass notification system, I wouldn’t be surprised if we train more people in our instructor-led classes in 2014 than in any other previous year,” said Rosa. The one-day Fire-Lite Systems courses and two-day Software Applications Courses scheduled in 2014 will take place in 62 different U.S. cities. NICET-certified instructors will lead these hands-on courses, which offer attendees the opportunity to earn valuable CEUs. For experienced fire alarm installers having attended a Fire-Lite Systems course within the past three years, a Training Certificate Renewal Program is also available to provide a convenient, time-saving means of keeping their Fire-Lite certification up-to-date. Students who successfully pass the online portion of the Training Certificate Renewal Program will receive 0.7 CEUs and become eligible to take a written final exam to earn a new training certificate, valid for three years. A series of online trainings, aimed at those with time and travel constraints, provide self-paced instruction on popular topics not covered in the instructor-led courses. As use of its online training modules continues to climb, Fire-Lite plans to expand this series in the near future. To offer visual solutions to the most popular issues covered by its own Technical Support department, Fire-Lite has produced a series of short, tech-tip videos. The Lite-Tips training videos can be easily searched on both YouTube and FireLite.com, and cover a myriad of common topics, including how to check battery voltage, align a beam detector, synchronise notification appliance circuits (NACs), and more.