In a significant upgrade to fire safety infrastructure, Advanced, a fire protection solutions manufacturer, has provided its intelligent fire panels to the Canterbury Student Village in Kent.
The installation is a part of a £3.5 million initiative by Cloud Student Homes to enhance fire safety at the site, which offers accommodation close to multiple universities, including Canterbury Christchurch, the University of Kent, and UCA.
Fire Safety Prioritization at Canterbury
Given the imperative to maintain safety, the replacement of existing fire panels was crucial
Given the imperative to maintain safety, the replacement of existing fire panels was crucial. The new installation, which took place at Kentish House, Behn Hall, and Tallis Court, aimed to keep the current fire alarm system operational during the transition to Advanced’s MxPro 5 analogue addressable panels.
These panels are designed to provide comprehensive L1 category protection covering student suites, high-risk areas, and plant rooms.
Installation and Integration Details
The Endeavour Group, a fire engineering consultancy, commissioned CSS Ltd as the project contractor. CSS Ltd oversaw the design, supply, installation, and handover processes, ultimately installing five MxPro 5 four-loop panels.
These panels are interconnected and connected to an alarm receiving center (ARC) for continuous monitoring. Hochiki devices and input/output units work with existing automatic opening vent (AOV) units and integrate with the building's access control and lift systems.
Endorsement from Industry Professionals
These panels are interconnected and connected to an ARC for continuous monitoring
Notably, both Tony Leck, Project Director at CSS Ltd, and James Doyle, Director of the Endeavour Group, recognized the MxPro 5 panels as the optimal solution for the client.
Leck stated, “Advanced was specified since it supports an open protocol and offers a powerful solution for the student accommodation. We also find it an easy system for customers to navigate and use.”
Customization and Capacity of MxPro 5
The MxPro 5’s built-in multimeter accelerates commissioning by providing real-time voltage and current measurements across the fire system. Available in four and eight loop formats, the panels support up to 254 devices per loop with a total capacity of 200,000 devices per network.
The system supports various protocols such as Apollo, Argus, Hochiki, and Nittan, enabling flexibility in design and installation. With options for wired, wireless, and hybrid device integration, the system can be networked to connect up to 200 nodes and 2,000 zones.
Comprehensive Fire System Capabilities
Advanced’s MxPro 5 fire panels offer sophisticated false alarm management via AlarmCalm technology
Advanced’s MxPro 5 fire panels offer sophisticated false alarm management through AlarmCalm technology, allowing facility managers to precisely control and verify alarm signals.
The system can segregate sites into virtual areas to tailor false alarm management strategies, thereby reducing disruptions, while maintaining safety standards.
Advanced's Continued Expansion
Cloud Student Homes, managing 3,500 student bed spaces at 21 locations across the UK, plans further upgrades with Advanced fire panels across all sites. Advanced's MxPro 5 panels, certified by FM Approvals to EN 54 Parts 2 and 4, reflect the company’s commitment to providing reliable and customizable fire safety solutions globally.
Owned by Halma PLC, Advanced specializes in fire detection systems and technology pioneering, offering solutions that range from single installations to extensive network setups worldwide.
Fire protection solutions manufacturer, Advanced, has supplied intelligent fire panels to student accommodation in Kent to replace existing panels, as part of a £3.5m project to improve fire safety at Cloud Student Homes’ Canterbury Student Village sites.
Cloud Student Homes provides students with comfortable, convenient accommodation, with 17 different types of rooms available at the Canterbury Student Village, which is easily accessible to three universities, Canterbury Christchurch, University of Kent and UCA, as well as Canterbury College.
Existing fire alarm system
With fire safety a priority, it was vital to replace the existing fire alarm system in Kentish House, Behn Hall, and Tallis Court. However, as the buildings were occupied, the challenge for the project was to keep the existing fire system working while the Advanced panels were being installed to ensure occupants were protected at all times.
Advanced’s high-performance, fault-tolerant MxPro 5 analogue addressable panels were chosen to provide industry-pioneering protection to category L1 for the student accommodation suites, bedrooms, high-risk areas and plant rooms within two blocks of Kentish House, two blocks of Behn Hall, and Tallis Court.
MxPro 5 4-loop fire panels
Fire engineering consultants, Endeavour Group, selected fire safety specialists CSS Ltd as the contractors on the Canterbury Student Village fire alarm replacement project. CSS Ltd was responsible for the design, supply, install, and handover of the project.
The company installed five MxPro 5 4-loop fire panels, which were networked and connected to the ARC for fire and rescue monitoring. All devices are Hochiki with input/output units connected to the existing AOV units throughout.
The networked fire system had to integrate with the access control, lift and AOV systems. Endeavour Group reviewed the product design and functionality of the fire system package on the project to ensure it met the client’s needs.
Networked MxPro 5 fire panels
Both Project Director - Tony Leck of CSS Ltd and James Doyle, Director of the Endeavour Group, have worked with Advanced fire systems on similar projects and agreed that the networked MxPro 5 fire panels would be the best fit for the client.
“Advanced was specified since it supports an open protocol and offers a powerful solution for the student accommodation. We also find it an easy system for customers to navigate and use. The panels are proven in the field with CSS Ltd and Endeavour Group using them for a number of years."
"Advanced MxPro 5 panels are about the best on the market along with the tech support received by Advanced on installations. Pick up the phone to tech support and within minutes it is all sorted thanks to Advanced’s experienced technical support engineers,” said Tony Leck at CSS Ltd.
Advanced MxPro 5 panels
The Advanced MxPro 5 has a number of features that CSS Ltd finds particularly useful when it comes to installing the fire panel. These include a built-in multimeter that measures all voltages and currents across the fire system in real time, to speed up the commissioning process.
Meanwhile, the MxPro 5 panels come in four and eight loop formats to suit CSS Ltd’s needs and customers’ budgets. The MxPro 5 also offers design flexibility since the panels work with pioneering detector protocols, including Apollo, Argus, Hochiki, and Nittan.
In addition, the panels work with up to 254 devices per loop (depending on the protocol) and offers an overall capacity of 200,000 devices per network. CSS Ltd adds that it is easy to network up to 200 network nodes and 2,000 fire detection zones and that the panels support wired, wireless and hybrid devices making install even more flexible.
Cloud Student Homes
Neil Parkin, Sales Manager at Advanced, said: “Our MxPro 5 panels are designed to make life as easy as possible, delivering robust protection that offers real peace of mind, all backed up by our highly rated technical support.”
Cloud Student Homes specializes in operating the running of student accommodation blocks where individuals own the individual rooms on a leasehold basis.
The company manages 3,500 student bed spaces across 21 sites in the UK. Cloud Student Homes now has plans to upgrade all its sites to Advanced fire panels.
FM Approvals to EN 54 Parts 2 and 4
MxPro 5 is the fire industry’s pioneering multiprotocol fire panel and is certified by FM Approvals to EN 54 Parts 2 and 4. It offers customers a choice of four detector protocols and a completely open installer network, backed up by free training and support.
MxPro 5 can be used in single-loop, single-panel format, or easily configured into high-speed networks of up to 200 panels covering huge areas. Ease of installation and configuration, as well as its wide range of peripheral options, make MxPro 5 customizable to almost any application.
MxPro 5’s stand-out false alarm management capabilities
The MxPro 5’s stand-out false alarm management capabilities are available as standard. AlarmCalm delivers unprecedented control of verification and investigation delays.
By dividing sites up into virtual false alarm ‘building areas’ independent of fire zones, much more precise control of false alarm management and reduction strategies can be achieved that exactly fit the needs of each part of a building.
An optional AlarmCalm button allows trained occupants to verify if they believe a local fire signal is a false alarm too – a highly effective way of eliminating unwanted alarms.
MxPro 5 BMS/graphics interface
The MxPro 5 BMS/graphics interface allows BMS systems and graphical control PCs to be easily integrated with the MxPro 5 series of fire control panels and remote terminals using a simple RS232 connection. Multiple interfaces can be connected to the network catering for sites requiring control from a number of graphical PCs.
As a world pioneer in the development and manufacture of intelligent fire systems, Advanced products are specified in locations around the world, from single-panel installations to large, multi-site networks.
fire detection systems
The Advanced portfolio includes complete fire detection systems, multiprotocol fire panels, extinguishing control, false alarm management and reduction systems as well as emergency lighting.
Advanced is owned by FTSE 100 company Halma PLC – a global group of life-saving technology companies with a clear purpose to grow a safer, cleaner, healthier future for everyone, every day.
