Single-loop Fire Panel launched by Advanced for EN Markets

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts

AxisGo, a new-generation, single-loop fire panel that is versatile and offers premium features has been launched by Advanced. The panel provides access to Axis EN range performance, quality and ease of use, in a simple, non-networkable format.

Available to order in a range of countries where EN Standards apply, AxisGo is suitable for single-panel sites, from restaurants, bars and villas to small offices, shops, salons and surgeries.

The fire panel has been developed with the needs of integrators, engineers and end users in mind with an easy-fit chassis with unique door design enables fast fitting, familiar controls and menus. Intuitive new configuration software is designed to make programming quick and easy and a powerful design checker proves the system will work, even before visiting site. In addition, enhanced diagnostics could mean fewer faults, faster fixes, and better long-term performance.

The panel has 15 zonal LEDs as standard for clearer visual indication without the need to buy a separate LED zone card. A range of versatile AxisGo devices also provides complete freedom to quickly and easily design the perfect wired or wireless solution for any standalone site.

Vladimir Zrnic, Sales Manager for Europe at Advanced, said: “In developing AxisGo, we wanted to ensure our customers would benefit from the performance, reliability and flexibility they’ve come to expect from our premium Axis EN range, but in a cost-effective, single-loop format for simpler sites where networking’s not needed.

“AxisGo is brimming with features that make it easy to use, as well as the latest microprocessor technology. This ensures the panel operates at lightning speed so engineers can confidently fit, check and get going to their next job, knowing people and property are safely protected from fire.”

AxisGo is the ideal solution for smaller and standalone sites. Engineered with efficiency in mind, its microprocessor technology makes it faster to install, operate and configure. Certified by FM Approvals to EN54 parts 2 and 4, AxisGo is available with two address variants (50 and 240 addresses) for site-specific flexibility. The panel offers support for both wired and wireless devices, a wide range of cause-and-effect programming, and enhanced diagnostics. AxisGo also comes with AlarmCalm false alarm management and reduction software, built in as standard.

Exclusive: Achieving compliance and futureproofing properties with FireAngel

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts
As carbon monoxide laws are changing, Ian Ballinger, Head of Projects and Certification at FireAngel, shares his expert insights on going above and beyond the latest standards

Over the last decade, carbon monoxide poisoning has caused an average of 162 deaths yearly in the UK, equivalent to a life lost every few days according to the Office for National Statistics. Carbon monoxide can kill quickly and without warning, as it cannot be seen, tasted, or smelt. A carbon monoxide alarm is the only certified source of detection, but as shown by the most recent English Housing Survey more than 2.3 million households in the UK are without a working carbon monoxide alarm.

One in five homes have at least one faulty gas appliance, the most common source of carbon monoxide poisoning. To keep more people safe, the laws are changing for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in UK homes, meaning that more domestic properties will be legally required to have such alarms. The UK Government has committed to update the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 to provide greater protection for social housing residents.

From the 1st of October 2022, housing providers will be required by law to install smoke alarms in all social housing, and carbon monoxide alarms will have to be fitted in social and private rented properties where there is a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers. The regulation changes will also require carbon monoxide alarms to be fitted when new appliances such as gas boilers or fires are installed in any home.

In cases where repair or replacement of an alarm is necessary, housing providers must act ‘as soon as reasonably practical’ after being advised of the problem. However, housing providers should ensure that any carbon monoxide alarms they purchase are fully certified to the European standard EN 50291-1 and carry a third-party approval mark, such as the BSI Kitemark, to ensure compliance with the latest safety standard. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a rise in counterfeit safety products appearing on the market with misleading performance and quality claims and fake documents of CE mark compliance, putting lives at risk. The BSI Kitemark demonstrates that product samples have been independently tested and are compliant. The mark also indicates that BSI has assessed the place of manufacture to ensure production is controlled, sampled, and checked.

Understanding the regulations for each nation

Across the UK, home safety guidance is evolving at a rapid pace. The Welsh government is currently undertaking the biggest change to its housing law in decades. The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 will come into force this December 2022 to ensure that both private and social rented properties in Wales are fit for human habitation. This includes regulations on fire and carbon monoxide safety. Landlords will be required to ensure that working carbon monoxide detectors are fitted in their properties where there is any gas appliance, an oil-fired combustion appliance or a solid fuel-burning combustion appliance.

In Scotland, all homes have been required to have a carbon monoxide alarm in all rooms with a fixed combustion appliance (excluding an appliance used solely for cooking) or a flue. In rented properties, landlords are responsible for supplying the alarm. Carbon monoxide alarms must meet the relevant British Standards (EN 50291-1) and have ‘a sealed battery for the duration of its lifespan’ to prevent tampering or the need for battery changes.

In Northern Ireland, carbon monoxide alarms are a mandatory requirement for all homes where a new fossil fuel appliance is installed. The Private Tenancies Act, which requires carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in privately rented homes and places a duty on landlords to repair them, received Royal Assent on the 27th of April 2022.

Futureproofing properties

As we continue to see legislative requirements advance across the UK, housing providers should not wait for further guidance changes to reinforce their duty of care. In the run-up to the new Scottish Tolerable Standard, the industry saw a marked shift towards wireless interconnected alarms, often referred to as interlinked. Interconnected smoke alarms have been a requirement of UK Building Regulations since the 1990s. The latest (2019) revision to the British Standard BS5839:6 also requires interconnected smoke alarms in all rental properties. Historically, this has been achieved using a physical wire to link all the alarms in a property.

Beyond the speed of installation, it is far easier and faster to add additional smoke, heat, or carbon monoxide alarms to a wireless system, paramount when UK legalisation continues to evolve at such a rapid pace.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) recognises that although many organisations collect information relevant to carbon monoxide safety, there is an incomplete picture of the risk, exposure, and response in the UK. Choosing the right alarms and wireless interconnect technology enables cost-effective Internet of Things (IoT) integration of new and existing installations, simply by adding a connected gateway to the alarm network. This delivers further benefits as gateway devices can have onboard sensors, enabling a more comprehensive picture of what is going on in a property.

In addition, gateway devices can be connected to an open system, bringing together a range of devices in the home such as smart health monitors, panic buttons and connected smoke alarms. Having a hub that different technologies can feed into can ensure that more residents receive holistic support, increasing the likelihood of preventing additional risks to health and decreasing associated costs in the long term.

IoT and connected fire safety technologies using Artificial Intelligence (AI) can also help to bridge the gap in communication between a property and its tenant, as housing providers can benefit from silent network testing automatically conducted every 18 hours for each property. This helps to provide a clear due diligence trail of compliance, if and when required, and confirms the status and performance of each alarm. The remote monitoring capabilities that connected technologies offer can help support a significant reduction in overheads because the costs and requirements for physical property visits and subsequent missed appointments are eliminated.

Housing providers can also demonstrate best practice by installing alarms that meet an LD1 category, the highest level of domestic protection available. LD1 alarms can futureproof properties from regulatory changes and avoid an average £100 fee per callout to update devices to meet any other new standards.

Ultimately, carbon monoxide poisoning takes lives, but new regulatory changes mean people living in the social rented sector will soon be safer in their homes. Meanwhile, advances in safety technology can help housing providers go above and beyond the latest requirements to reinforce their duty of care and stay ahead of future changes to legislation.

This article was originally published in the September edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.

Exclusive: Seeing through the smokescreen with Emberion

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts
Can Short Wavelength Infrared cameras benefit the Fire & Safety industry? Dr Samiul Haque, Senior Product Manager at Emberion investigates

The fire industry is continuously tackling challenging situations where adverse conditions can affect rescue operations. Smoke from the fire is a major disruption during a rescue operation and a camera that can see through smoke would provide a fundamental advantage in solving some of the key challenges.

Cameras that operate in the visible spectral range cannot penetrate through smoke. This is due to wavelength across 400-700nm (nanometres) being absorbed rather than reflected back. On the other hand, short wavelength infrared wavelength can penetrate through smoke particles and so with short wave infrared (SWIR) imaging one can easily see through smoke particles in the air.

Infrared camera developer Emberion has created a camera based on nanostructured materials which allows it to capture an image from visible range 400nm to extended SWIR range up to 2000nm using colloidal quantum dot materials which are semiconductor crystals (<20nm) that can be integrated on a single CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) readout chip. The readout chip allows the photons impinging on the surface of the sensor which subsequently generates electrons to be read out.

Emberion designs the readout circuits and the image pipeline user interface and ultimately a camera that can be deployed. We produce high performance visible to short wavelength (VIS-SWIR) infrared cameras based on its unique nanomaterials-based sensor solution and custom CMOS read out integrated circuit. We have also already enabled various applications in machine vision, surveillance, pharmaceutical, agriculture, multispectral imaging where both visible and infrared cameras are utilised.

Outdoor imaging

A challenging area for outdoor imaging is bad weather conditions for example when there is smoke, haze, or fog in the air. This can be address by SWIR imaging cameras. The incumbent technologies have been expensive due to the complexity of the fabrication procedures undertaken, for example the hybridisation semiconductor bonding processes of Indium Galium Arsenide (InGaAs). InGaAs-based sensors require complex wafer to wafer bonding processes and the yield of this process as you increase the resolution becomes more challenging as it requires the alignment of millions of micro-solder bumps to form micro-connections to a readout integrated circuit.

In comparison to the InGaAs processes, Emberion utilises scalable monolithic integration process which mainly consists of industry standard spin-coating, evaporation or sputter coating techniques making it a viable, highly scalable process in terms of manufacturability.

The camera can be utilised to see through smoke in outdoor conditions. During a test, the images captured by the Emberion VS20 camera clearly gave a clearer picture when taken through smoke than those shot with standard CMOS camera, such as those people have on mobile devices.

As the camera can capture from 400-2000nm and the visible range is from 400nm-700nm which needs to be cut-off to allow only the SWIR wavelength to be detected as the smoke particles let through the SWIR wavelength. Due to this, the image captured with Emberion VS20 SWIR camera with a 1000nm band pass filter in front of the lens of the shortwave infrared camera to filter the visible light out as it is the key precondition to see through smoke when looking at the images. The comparison images clearly illustrated the difference in the scene using CMOS camera and Emberion VS20 camera which allows imaging through the heavy smoke generated from the campfire.

In a similar application, we generated chemical or party smoke to demonstrate the capability of such cameras. It was observed that the SWIR images clearly see through the chemical smoke which was impossible to see through with the naked eye.

The future of SWIR

Emberion offers a dense roadmap where higher spectral resolution, mega-pixel densities and frame rates up to 400 frames per second(fps) will be released over the near term.

Soon we will start to offer high speed 400fps cameras for optical sorting and other markets. Additionally, the technical team are developing an ultra-broadband solution that will cover from Vis-SWIR-MWIR for simultaneous imaging in order to enable broadband surveillance and hyperspectral imaging. It has major benefits including:

  • A Wide spectral range from Visible to Extended SWIR up to 2000nm with a tuneable peak
  • A High Dynamic Range which offers better contrast and detection of bright and dark objects at the same time
  • Up to 400 frames per second GigE compatibility (Full VGA) allowing the possibility of detection of objects in high-speed conveyor belts e.g. in optical sorting of food and waste recycling
  • Monolithic integration for ease of manufacturing and scale up of manufacturing processes
  • High-performance sensor, low noise with novel quantum dot material solution providing affordable e cameras compared to incumbent technologies

Emberion’s current product VS20 camera VGA resolution camera enables various applications in the machine vision industry, surveillance, safety and security, defence, optical sorting, semiconductor imaging, medical, automotive, laser beam profiling. Particular examples include water peak detection at 1920nm which has the maximum contrast levels, and PVC detection beyond 1700nm in waste recycling with our cameras due to the extended range of our sensors.

The sensors have high pixel operability greater than 99.98% and HDR up to 120dB. The images with our cameras enable detection of both bright and dark objects and allows for multispectral imaging and enabling hyperspectral solutions making it a key enabler for security, safety and fire industry.

Seeing through smoke or harsh conditions would provide added advantage in surveillance and fire safety applications as it can assist with early detection and assessment of the scene due. It can help fire safety professionals in heavy smoke environments to check for trapped individuals or objects through glass windows or in a rescue operation using SWIR cameras. These cameras have a wide range of use and the form factor can vary allowing fire safety professionals to use them as handheld units or the smaller size cameras as detachable body gear units for flexibility in operation.

This article was originally published in the September edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.

Updated EN system standard for alarm systems for Europe is important says Euralarm

by Breaking NewsFire DetectionProducts

The CENELEC TC79 committee on alarm systems is looking at a revision of the EN50131-1, the European system standard for intrusion and holdup systems. Euralarm, who was involved in the revision of the standard, has released a statement explaining why this standard important for Europe and what the benefits of the revision for European citizens, alarm responders, policy makers, insurance companies and for the professional security industry.

Euralarm’s statement:

In order to keep Europe a safe place to live, work and travel we need to protect ourselves and our resources against burglary and robbery. Therefore, many homes and buildings are equipped with an intrusion or hold-up alarm system. The requirements for the design of these systems are laid down in the European standard EN 50131-1. While the number of buildings that are equipped with such a system increased every year, the digitization of our private and business world exploded. Technology evolved and smart homes and smart building became part of our connected world where each and every device is able to communicate with each other. Remote access, remote services, connected devices, cloud-based systems and interaction with automation system are just a few examples of today’s possibilities.

Just like fire safety systems, all security systems have one thing in common: we install them while hoping we will never need to use them. But if the system is needed ‘we only have one chance’ to detect an incident. No matter if it is a panic, holdup, fire, or intrusion we cannot afford ourselves to miss an event. Missing an event can be the difference between no incident or a major incident. The same counts for tamper or technical problems which could lead to malfunctioning of a system. Because there is only one chance in case of an event, our industry wants to ensure that the equipment used in these systems have a maximum reliability. That is why the professional security industry already for a long time manufactures and delivers products and services that comply with the EN standards. For intrusion or hold-up alarm system this is the EN 50131-1 standard.

The EN 50131 has a long history. The first version of the system standard was published in 1997 and was updated several times since then. Other standards in the EN 50131 range followed soon. Today the standard covers all aspects of intrusion and hold-up systems: from the system requirements to power supplies, intrusion detectors and pyrotechnic obscuration security devices. The advantage of a European standard is that it unifies the view on what an electronic intrusion and hold-up system is, as well as defines its functionalities and performance. The standard has helped end users, insurance companies, risk managers, installation and service companies, alarm responders and local authorities across Europe to understand what a system should do.

Since the introduction in 1997 the standard has defined the difference in requirements for low, medium and high risks. This differentiation is meant to ensure that there is a balance between measures and risks. Over the past decades, more parts were added and updated to keep the standards in line with the available technologies. To ensure a correct installation of a security system application guidelines were provided and, in most countries, professional security installers need to proof that they have the knowledge to classify the risks, choose the correct product and install the system in the proper way. Only with these requirements the security system will offer the desired reliability and will be accepted by end users, insurance companies and police response is provided.

In order to proof that security systems and components meet the European standards, the products are tested by independent accredited laboratories. After being tested successfully the systems and components get their official EN compliant certificate. In most countries these certificates are needed to show compliance and get the product locally accepted. Some countries have additional requirements, like the PP6662 – ACPO policy in the UK or the ‘blockschloß’ functionality in Germany to meet the requirements from the local market. The confirmed compliance with the standards and technical specifications is a passport for the professional security industry in Europe and the base for the confidence in our products and services.

Times are changing and technology moves forwards at high speed. More and more different types of sensors and systems become available mainly in the Do It Yourself (DIY) and IoT area. They combine home automation and energy management with intrusion, safety and security functionality. The combined functionalities are added to the ‘home hub’ to provide the end user intrusion and hold up functionality. Reporting of events is done via IP or GSM to the building owner which can cause challenges to get events transmitted on time to responders.  In general, these products and services do not comply with the standards for intrusion and hold-up systems.

Meanwhile, the number of buildings that are secured in this way increases every year, while the digitization of our private and business world explodes. Technology evolves and smart homes and smart building are becoming part of our connected world where each and every device is able to communicate with each other. Remote access, remote services, connected devices, cloud-based systems and interaction with automation system are just a few examples of today’s possibilities. This trend towards digitization is inevitably accompanied by a risk of cyber-attacks. This evolution requires a revision of the EN 50131-1.

Therefore, Euralarm took the initiative in 2020 to organize an open round-table to describe its vision on the future of the security standard. The outcome of the round-table discussion was that the standard should address a set of components complemented by a proposal bringing some nuance to the original 2 options. These outcomes have been presented to the working group in charge of this revision. Another significant contribution has been the proposal for the structure of the revised standard based on the 5 essential functions of an intruder and hold-up alarm system (detection, control and indication, notification, power supply and interaction with other systems) and considering the 4 performance aspects: effectiveness, reliability, robustness and resilience. Very recently, Euralarm fed the standardisation working group with substantial proposals for drawings depicting the boundaries of the system and a style for writing the content of the new standard.

Going forwards Euralarm wants to ensure that the updated standards on one side include the use of new technologies and on the other side continue to ensure that the product, installation and services meet a set of functionalities and qualities and perform as expected in case of an event. This will give users the best insurance that their system works as they expect and that it does not miss any events. Euralarm also believes that the revision will have significant impact on the other standards and therefore suggest to establish, when achievable, a roadmap for the corresponding revision of these other standards. In particular, the revision of the EN 50131 product standards should be refrained until the content of the revised EN 50131-1 is stabilised.

Euralarm calls upon all stakeholders – insurance companies, risk managers, installation and service companies, alarm responders and local authorities – to join the work from Euralarm and its members and participate in the different working groups from TC79. Together with stakeholders on European or on national level we can keep Europe a safe and secure place to live, work and travel.

Wagner to present holistic fire protection solutions

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts

WAGNER, based in Langenhagen near Hanover, will be showing its holistic solutions for individual fire protection at Security 2022 in Essen from September 20 to 23, with a particular focus on the TITANUS aspirating smoke detection systems for early fire detection and the WinGuard system for organization/hazard management.

TITANUS aspirating smoke detectors detect fires at a very early stage so that appropriate countermeasures and protective measures can be initiated quickly.

Markus Kock, Managing Director of WAGNER Deutschland GmbH, explained the current market situation: “Delivery problems due to disrupted supply chains and material shortages are challenges currently facing many manufacturing companies. Thanks to forward planning and stable supplier relationships, we have been able to meet customer requests in this important fire protection segment in recent months. We are also well positioned for the future here with our partners.

“At our booth, we will therefore show a large selection of our aspirating smoke detection systems in various designs with a wide range of accessories. They are particularly suitable for use in warehouses/logistics, data centres, production, archives/museums, hotels and numerous others,” adds Kock. 

The fire protection solution provider will be presenting its technologies in the Fire/Intrusion/Systems section in Hall 7, Booth 7F28 at this year’s leading trade fair for security.

In addition, trade fair visitors will have the opportunity to find out about WAGNER solutions for active fire prevention with the OxyReduct oxygen reduction system and effective firefighting with the FirExting gas extinguishing system. The VdS-certified systems minimize fire risks or fight fires early and without residues. Numerous references show how the implementation of these systems looks in practice.

Surge in demand ahead for fire protection systems

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts

The global fire protection systems market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3%, reaching a valuation of US$ 138 Billion in 2032. This is a rise on the 6% CAGR seen across the 2015 to 2021 period.

The implementation of stringent fire safety norms across the globe has already contributed significantly to growth and the surging adoption of targeted marketing by renowned companies to explain the benefits of a fire protection system is expected to further attract the attention of small, medium and large enterprises.

Ongoing construction of new properties globally both non-residential and residential projects are anticipated to create growth opportunities for the installation of fire alarms and detection systems. The incorporation of modern technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and smart sensors are also expected to drive the market.

The use of fire protection systems is also growing in industries such as oil and gas, manufacturing, and mining, where fire safety norms are followed mandatorily. Growing concerns about safety and better understanding of precautionary measures are also driving the use of fire protection systems in a wide range of end-use sectors.

Commercial application is predicted to dominate and generate a fire protection systems market share of more than 45% by the end of 2032. Asia Pacific fire protection systems market is estimated to hold more than two fifth of the revenue in the assessment period.

North America is predicted to lead the market for fire protection systems, with a share of more than 40% in the forecast period. And the global fire protection systems market is likely to reach a valuation of US$ 75 Billion by the end of 2022.

Growth ahead for flame detection market

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts

The global flame detector market size is expected to grow from USD 1.7 billion in 2022 to USD 2.1 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 5.0% during the forecasted period according to a new report.

The growing technology implementation, rise in adoption from key industries, and the strict policies, and regulations for fire protection are the key drivers for the flame detectors.

The implementation of fire protection systems generally involves high initial investment due to the complex nature of networks and the high quality of equipment required for emergency management which will impact market growth.

Additionally, manufacturers will also invest for research and product development to offer innovative technology and most reliable fire protection systems.

The bounce back of commercial real estate has accelerated the shift from offline, in-store retail to online, e-commerce logistics, driving the demand for warehouse- and logistics-focused properties.

As the industrial real estate grows the opportunity for building and fire safety systems is likely to rise as this industry has a higher focus on building, asset, and personnel safety. The rising demand and growth in commercial real estate is will pose a key growth opportunity for the flame detector market.#

The introduction of new equipment and the transition to alternative fuels bring challenges and opportunities for optical flame detection. Many natural gas distribution companies are exploring the possibility of introducing hydrogen into gas streams. Although the transition to a non-carbon-based gas network is distant, the shift toward the goal has started.

Europe is expected to have the second largest market share during the forecast period and the technology adoption in the flame detector market is the highest in the European region.

Bosch Safety Systems Designer update enables easy import of fire alarm system devices

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts

Bosch has released a new software version of Safety Systems Designer enabling Architects, planners and system integrators to easily import fire alarm system devices from floor plans into the Safety Systems Designer software.

In addition, Bosch has launched a new, free plugin that enables automatic data transfer between AutoCAD software and Bosch Safety Systems Designer. The free Bosch SSD Plugin is the only tool of its type offered by any fire alarm system manufacturer.

AutoCAD software is the most frequently used platform for building- and fire alarm systems design covering all planning phases. The Bosch SSD Plugin changes a time-consuming process from the users’ daily work routine into a stream-lined experience.

With the new plugin, the process is now fast, reliable and simple, enabling better project design and synchronization at any scale so fire alarm systems can be imported no matter the size of the floor plan or building project.

The Bosch SSD Plugin includes an extensive SSD CAD blocks library allowing designers to pick icons from more than 150 of EN 54 fire alarm system devices. These can then be placed comfortably onto floor plans through the AutoCAD blocks palette. The plugin can also be used with any customer specific CAD block, so that these can be amended and then transferred to Safety System Designer.

To improve the efficiency even further, every fire alarm system device can be assigned to a panel as well as to a loop in the context menu of the AutoCAD application and Safety Systems Designer automatically keeps these assignments to panel or loop after the import.

After import to Safety Systems Designer, users can continue further in-depth planning such as preparing a bill of material, a tender text, the battery calculation, or a system viability check.

The new version of Safety Systems Designer and the Bosch SSD Plugin for AutoCAD software are available immediately now.

MOBOTIX M16 thermal cameras granted VdS certification

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts

Konica Minolta’s Video Solution Services (VSS) and powerful MOBOTIX M16 TR (Thermal Radiometry) cameras have been certified by the VdS Fire Protection Institute.

The certification recognises the ability to accurately detect a fire, or the increased risk even before it starts, from a distance of up to 5km

Based in Germany, VdS Schadenverhütung GmbH is Europe’s largest institution for corporate security and safety, specialising in fire protection, security, and natural disaster prevention.

Konica Minolta’s thermal TR technology delivers fast and low-cost installation. In addition, the system also reacts more quickly, with heat being detected before it even reaches the ceiling. Additionally, unlike aspirating smoke detectors, the MOBOTIX M16 TR is not dependent on the development of smoke, enabling detection much sooner in the timeline of the developing event.

The Konica Minolta VSS and MOBOTIX M16 TR solution has a range of applications within a variety of environments such as monitoring of outside areas (including large and cluttered areas, material and bulk goods storage, warehouses, and hard-to-reach areas with low light or visibility), and indoor areas (such as large rooms and buildings and public areas such as schools, airports, and workplaces).

The solution is also designed for monitoring power-sensitive areas such as server rooms and charging stations for electric vehicles, where overheating can be particularly dangerous.

Gary Fletcher-Moore, Head of Sales for Intelligent Video Solutions at Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd commented: “VdS Certification gives an important third-party verification of the considerable abilities and reliability of our VSS and thermal cameras in detecting the early signs of a fire. Whilst many detection systems alert as soon as a fire breaks out, considerable damage and danger to life will already be present. Our powerful thermal detection solution enables emergency teams to investigate a potential problem even before it starts, enabling it to be effectively fought if not prevented entirely.”

Apollo introduces REACH Wireless: Flexible + Reliable + Practical

by Fire DetectionProducts

Apollo Fire Detectors Ltd are launching their latest range of hybrid-wireless fire detectors and accessories, REACH Wireless. REACH Wireless offers a range of wireless alternatives to many fire safety products, providing flexibility and convenience in system design, as well as confidence from an established name in fire detection.

Why wireless? Traditionally, wireless fire detectors were seen as a last resort where cabling was not an option due to access issues or the fabric of the building being too fragile. Technology has come a long way since those days and now a wireless fire detection system is just as reliable as a wired one.

REACH Wireless is a hybrid system that can add wireless devices to any existing Apollo addressable wired system, giving you the best of both worlds. It provides flexibility for the user to extend their existing system into heritage sites, extensions and temporary buildings to name a few.

For more information, visit: www.apollo-fire.co.uk