The survivability of fire detection and alarm systems

by Breaking NewsFire DetectionProducts
Paul Pope, Group Business Development Director at Global Fire Equipment (GFE), speaks exclusively with IFSJ about the survivability of fire detection and alarm systems

Earlier this year, Global Fire Equipment (GFE) hosted an industry roundtable on the subject of survivability of fire detection and alarm systems. IFSJ sat down with Paul Pope, Group Business Development Director at GFE to understand the importance of system survivability and get an overview of the key points raised during the discussion which saw representatives from across the fire industry come together to discuss this important topic.

Can you define survivability?

When used in relation to fire and life safety systems, the term ‘survivability’ relates to capability of the entire fire alarm system to perform properly and remain fully operational, while under attack by fire.

Some fire detection and alarm system (FDAS) just need to initiate an alarm if a suspected fire is found, but for other systems that require a phased or complex evacuation, the FDAS needs to be able to continue working while the fire is occurring so that the fire management authorities can establish the location of the fire and monitor its spread. This information is essential to ensure a safe and controlled evacuation. If the FDAS is badly designed, it could fail relatively quickly. Premature failure of a FDAS could be catastrophic as vital information will not be provided to the fire and rescue services.

Failure in one area due to poor survivability could result in the system being unable to activate audible and visual alarms to warn people of the imminent danger. In the case of a phased evacuation, the system might be incapable of further evacuating another alarm zone area where the fire is spreading to. If all the detection control panels are located in one area and there is a fire in that area, for example, the entire FDAS would be wiped out in a matter of seconds.

What was the key focus for the roundtable?

GFE hosted the industry roundtable to better understand the differing views on survivability across the sector. I was joined by Chris Taylor, Associate Director at engineering professional services consultancy WSP, Simon Hopkins, Marketing Manager from cable systems manufacturer Prysmian Group, Steven Daws, Senior Consultant & Quality Manager from independent fire consulting practice CS Todd & Associates.

The debate was very thought-provoking and highlighted that although a number of industry standards relating to survivability already exist, they each have a specific focus and there is no one piece of regulation which stipulates the need for the overall survivability of a FDAS.

Although there were differing views on this topic, there was a consensus that FDAS survivability should be a shared responsibility and that achieving survivability – and greater awareness of its importance – will require an industry-wide collaborative approach. We discussed the fact that there is no clear industry performance specification for FDAS survivability. How the standards are achieved comes down to the design, installation and system commissioning process. This is where the problem lies.

There are many different factors that determine the survivability of a FDAS and unless it has been designed with survivability in mind from the outset – and each individual element of the system is capable of surviving for the length of time required by the building and its evacuation strategy – the risk of system failure is high. Engineers have to understand the fire risks associated with the whole system to ensure continued fire and evacuation strategy and system design compliance.

The foundations for improving the survivability of fire detection and alarm systems are already there thanks to the existing regulations, however, rather than introducing more regulation, we all agreed that the emphasis now needs to shift onto education and raising awareness across the sector about why survivability is such an essential consideration when designing FDASs.

How long should a fire alarm system be able to survive while under attack?

It is often assumed that the different elements of the FDAS only need to survive for 30 minutes before they can fail, but this is not long enough in complex buildings such as large residential buildings, offices, shopping malls, airports and hospitals. Complex buildings must be actively assessed as a single, coherent system of interdependent components. In these types of buildings, the design and the connectivity of a FDAS and the building’s evacuation system have to last much longer than 30 minutes.

BS 8519 takes into account the need for different survival times of fire-resistant cables and recognises three fire survival times according to the specific life safety or fire-fighting application: Category 1 – 30-minute fire survival time; Category 2 – 60-minute fire survival time; Category 3 – 120-minute fire survival time. If these category times are specified for cables on a project, for example, then the design of the whole FDAS must follow the same survival time criteria to ensure the entire system is capable of lasting that long. This requires careful consideration of which fire detection and alarm equipment to use, where to locate the equipment and where the equipment is controlled from so that it does not fail early and therefore negatively impact on the required fire survival time of the cables.

Specifiers need to fully understand the intended use of the building and its detailed fire/evacuation strategy, engineers must understand the fire risk experienced by the whole system to ensure continued fire/ evacuation strategy and system design compliance, and those responsible for procurement need to manage expectations of survivability performance.

In our discussions, we agreed that an intrinsic approach is required to having an overall survivability time that those responsible for each element of the system should adhere to. Survivability should be a prerequisite of all complex systems and each building needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. As an industry we have a shared responsibility to better understand how to deliver survivability of fire and life protecting systems during an emergency.

What design considerations should be made when choosing a survivable fire alarm system?

One way in which GFE is leading the way in system survivability is our inbuilt mesh network. We have developed our Chameleon multi-master, multi-path peer-to-peer network which is a fundamental departure from previous fire alarm control panels’ (FACP) networking arrangements in that it creates an extremely resilient infrastructure for the management and interaction between multiple FACPs in a single system. A fully closed loop and multi-path solution, it addresses and overcomes the limitations associated with traditional RS485 multi-drop topology.

When RS485 multi-drop topology is used, there is no redundancy in the network which means that in the event of a short circuit in the cables, for whatever reason, all interaction and communication between the different FACPs would cease because the information can only travel from node to node in a linear manner, to the left or to the right. In comparison, however, the Chameleon multi-master, multi-path peer-to-peer network has point-to-point communication across the entire network.

The network’s FACPs and other devices are directly interconnected via a dedicated ring topology link and can communicate bi-directionally. This means that in the event of a part of the network being lost, the remaining nodes will not lose their sub-networking capability. As each segment of the Chameleon network is galvanically isolated from all the others, the network also has superior immunity to electrical interference, further enhancing the overall FDAS’ survivability.

Where does the industry go from here regarding survivability?

The roundtable highlighted that one reason for the low profile of survivability of FDASs is due, in part, to the siloed approach taken by the sector whereby those specialists responsible for developing the regulations are focused on their own individual priorities. Key to increasing awareness of the issue is helping people to understand the regulations that are already in place.

As Chris Taylor explained: “When it comes to matters such as survivability of fire systems, we need to move away from the silo mentality that often permeates many aspects of the fire safety sector. Pushing the survivability of fire safety systems higher up on everyone’s agenda will take a coordinated approach and there needs to be clear lines of responsibility as to how we move from debate to action.”

Our industry roundtable and the collective experiences of those participating have demonstrated that there is a clear need for greater transparency about survivability times in performance specifications to ensure that survivability is achieved. This would help to create a level playing field where everyone understands, expects and quotes to an agreed specification.

We need to take a proactive stance in pushing for FDASs to be designed for survivability from the outset rather than as an afterthought. But there is also a need for greater awareness about survivability among those responsible for specifying, procuring, installing and using fire and life safety systems. Everybody has a part to play in ensuring that the operation of a building’s fire protection measures are maintained, and everything has to come together: from the design and specification through to installation.

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

Europe CPR proposal: ‘fire safety industry has to re-write all product standards’ says Euralarm

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts

Members of the Euralarm Fire Section have expressed concern over the European Commission’s CPR (Construction Products Regulation) proposal which it says ‘fails to address the market needs’ and ‘does not address the main challenge facing standardisation’.

Although Euralarm said it welcomed the publication of the proposal for a new CPR and the recent Q&A session which provided an opportunity to clarify the understanding, members were disappointed that the proposal fails to address the urgent need to resolve the ongoing stagnation of the standardisation process.

Euralarm explained that standards for individual fire safety products such as smoke detectors fall under the CPR and so the performance characteristics of these products are, to a large extent, identical across all of Europe.

A system compatibility standard outlines which products belong to which system, while the design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of a fire safety system are achieved through national standards.

These standards focus on the overall function in alignment with national and/or regional regulations. This arrangement has been developed over many years and has met the needs of stakeholders across the continent. The application standards would be meaningless without robust product standards.

Euralarm said in its statement: “The drafted CPR shows that it is not possible to solve the current issues easily as the legal boundaries haven’t changed. Harmonised standards remain legally controlled documents according to the Commission’s interpretation of the European Court of Justice ruling and the new CPR does not provide any means to solve this.

“It would mean that the fire safety industry has to re-write all product standards to align with what the European Commission is requesting. Consequently, the system standard and all the national application standards would have to be re-written.

“We estimate the time span for such an undertaking to be at best 10 years. This would not be an effective use of resources and would certainly be met with significant resistance because of the unnecessary confusion and inconsistencies of such a transition.

“Assertions that the changes proposed amount to a simplification and should reduce costs and timescales for publishing standards are therefore unsubstantiated.  Euralarm members anticipate increased costs, complexity and timescales.”

Thinking outside of the box: Intelliclad talks external fire detection

by Breaking NewsFire DetectionProducts

IFSJ looks at the intelligent fire detection and alarm system being integrated into dangerous building

Since 2010, 60% of high-rise façade fires have started externally, with causes including discarded cigarette butts on balconies, external lighting malfunctions, air conditioning units breaking down and fires in bins. According to Ramtech, development partner of fire detection and alert system Intelliclad, there are an estimated 321,000 people living in high rise apartment blocks in the UK alone that are deemed to be unsafe because of the combustible external façade.

As Frances Maria Peacock noted in her report for Olympus Fire Safety on the Intelliclad solution, a fire which starts inside and remains inside poses far less of a risk of extensive because the compartmentation is maintained. A fire which starts externally or becomes external is far more likely to spread. Whilst it may have started internally, the Grenfell fire of 2017 brought to public attention the severe threat posed by a combustible façade.

Almost five years on from the disaster, thousands of residents are essentially trapped inside unsafe buildings they bought, leased or rented only after the fact discovering that due to the safety concerns made apparent by the tragedy, they are unable to sell or re-mortgage their homes as they are no longer insurable.

The cladding at Grenfell was of a type known as Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) which is essentially a polyethylene (PE) core sandwiched between two thin aluminium sheets. ACM is just one example of dangerous cladding, with other types found to be combustible and posing fire risks such as High Pressure Laminate (HPL).

Peacock pointed out in her report that although measures have been taken in some buildings to make them safe, many still await rectification and will do so for some time to come. “It is likely to be years before all the affected buildings have had the necessary work done in order to make them safe,” she said. “Residents live in constant fear of their lives, with many being unable to sleep in case a fire starts during the night and they do not wake up.”

Even with funding made available by the Government, progress is slow and on top of that many buildings are ineligible. As an interim measure, what is known as a “waking watch” has been implemented in buildings where a temporary change from a “stay put” policy to a “simultaneous evacuation” strategy has been introduced – incredibly, this essentially involves a person patrolling the building keeping a look out for signs of fire so that residents can be warned and the fire brigade alerted.

The system has been criticised for its lack of effectiveness, with reports of lack of vigilance from members of the watch. The idea of being reliant on a such a manual system in a world dependent on technology seems backwards – and so enters a more reliable technology-based solution in the form of Intelliclad.

A technological solution

Intelliclad is the recently developed alarm system, developed in partnership with wireless technology provider Ramtech, which works using smoke and heat sensors in the façade. The sensors are designed to detect a fire at the earliest opportunity and residents will be alerted through activation of the system’s alarm as well as alerting residents individually via a smart phone app. It can also be linked to the existing building management system and activate the main fire alarm within the building, which in turn automatically alerts the fire brigade and increasing response time.

Intelliclad works using a wireless system certified to EN54-25 which is designed to be integrated into the external façade of high risk buildings where combustible materials are present. The system uses smart sensors are fitted inside the cladding system and connect to a control system so that in the event of a fire, an alert can be sent to all residents via both a smartphone app and the main alarm system within the building.

It uses a cloud-based technology to give residents and the fire service information on the location of the fire and its real-time progress across the building as each sensor is aware of its location and can provide information as to exactly where on the façade the fire is located.

Tests have found that the sensors were activated at times of less than ten minutes before the cladding was breached by a fire, meaning that in a real life situation, residents would be given more time to leave the building than a traditional alarm of waking watch system.

Aesthetically, Intelliclad sensors can be colour matched to the existing cladding meaning that the appearance of the building will not be compromised. Battery life of the system’s sensors last three years and when the battery is getting low, the system gives a warning to let the building owner know that it needs replacing. The sensors are connected to each other in a mesh network and each communicates with other devices, meaning the system would still be capable of operating as normal if there is a dead battery in one unit.

Intelliclad has a dual-optic smoke sensor which prevents false activations so if it activates an alarm, it will only be in the case of a real fire. The alarm system has its own 96-decibel sounder – 10db higher than the 85db recommended for use outside of bedroom doors in flats.

In the concluding marks of her report on Intelliclad, Peacock called it the first alarm system which can be successfully used in conjunction with the ground-breaking research carried out as a result of Grenfell, which looked at the relationship between building design and fire spread.

She said: “Research showed that the overall shape, geometric form and architectural features of a building can influence the spread and behaviour of fire. Characteristics such as curves, columns, string courses and roof-top features including crowns and rims, have been shown to intensify and facilitate the spread of fire.

“The research has for the first time made it possible to predict the spread and behaviour of fire on a building if it has a combustible façade. This will allow the areas of the façade which pose the greatest risk to be identified and the Intelliclad sensors positioned accordingly. The last thirty years have seen several serious facade fires ignited by external sources, one of which resulted in a substantial loss of life.

“Fires which ignite externally as just as likely to happen as those which start internally and present just as much of a threat, especially if they result in the compartmentation being breached. From this point of view, an alarm system with external sensors is of considerable benefit.”

Solving the housing crisis?

Speaking to Ryan Brough, Head of Operations at Intelliclad, he says the plan is to go down the route of speaking to insurers and lenders to say: early detection means early firefighting, and earlier firefighting means less loss. “We’ve installed so far into five buildings,” he tells. “Our first was in south London in Croydon – that whole building was covered in a render and expanding polystyrene system – imagine that on fire, it’s just not good.”

On their installation in in Southampton, he tells that the insulation and the plywood sheathing board behind that cladding was the problem: “I was speaking to the guy that surveyed that building and he said it’s the scariest building he’s ever come across. It’s got restaurants, a museum, it’s in a public square so people are probably putting their cigarettes out onto the cladding – imagine if those embers get in behind.”

And on Intelliclad’s aims for the future, he says it is very much about the people: “The real reason we’re trying to do this is to protect the residents. These residents through no fault of their own are going bankrupt because they can’t afford their fees and are stuck in a building that is unfortunately built dangerously.

“There are 1.3 million homes in the UK that are un-mortgageable and cannot get a valuation – so lets try and get the lenders back on board and get some of these houses sold. Otherwise, we’re looking at a housing crisis.”

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

Bill to put smoke detectors in all federal assisted housing introduced

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts

A delegation of federal legislators from the Philadelphia area have introduced a bill that would require the installation of hardwired or tamper-resistant smoke detectors in all federal assisted housing units. The measure was pulled into focus following a rowhouse fire that claimed the lives of 12 people in January which claimed the lives of three adults and nine children.

US Rep. Madeleine Dean, who represents Pennsylvania’s Fourth Congressional District, announced that she had introduced the Public and Federally Assisted Housing Fire Safety Act. Senator Bob Casey, a fellow Pennsylvania Democrat, is behind similar companion legislation in the US Senate.

“The fire in Fairmount was heart-breaking, and the community continues to mourn the sudden loss of 12 family members, including so many precious children,” Dean said in a statement. “Let me be clear — we can never repeat the fire tragedies that we saw in Philadelphia or New York. We must implement critical safeguards that will protect the millions of families that live in public and federally assisted housing.”

According to Dean, more than 10 million Americans live in public or federally assisted housing, and she claims that this bipartisan legislation would protect those residents from the serious risks of fire.

“This extremely important legislation will require the installation of either tamper resistant or hardwired smoke alarms in federally assisted housing,” Jim Narva, NASFM executive director, said in a statement. “We look forward to working with Representative Madeleine Dean and her colleagues to enact this bill into law which will prevent future tragedies along with saving countless lives.”

National Low Income Housing Coalition President and CEO Diane Yentel said: “While robust federal resources such as those included in the House-passed Build Back Better Act are needed to repair and preserve public housing for future generations, improving the quality of smoke detectors in all federally assisted housing is a simple, common-sense step in the right direction that will save lives.”

Investigators in the fire at the Fairmount section of Philadelphia uncovered that the fire had occurred in a public housing unit that contained only one working smoke alarm. Of the seven total smoke alarms that had been located inside the premises, four were located inside drawers, one was on the floor with no batteries, one was on the ceiling without batteries and the final alarm was working but located in the basement, according to Dean’s office.

Wireless fire detection installed at Tyneside apartment block

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts

A residential development close to the Tyne Bridge is now protected by over 600 cutting-edge wireless devices from Hyfire following a comprehensive overhaul of the fire system. The new fire system installed at Curzon Place by RayFire Services Ltd marks the first complete overhaul in the building’s industry, bringing it fully into line with the latest UK fire regulations and best practice.  

Ray Hope, Managing Director at RayFire Services, commented: “This was largest, smoothest install we have carried out to date, largely thanks to the simplicity of setting up and installing the Hyfire Taurus wireless devices, which made the whole process from survey through to commissioning completely seamless. For an apartment complex with residents in situ, you really couldn’t ask for more. 

“Working with the Hyfire team, we specified a full communal Level 1 system, incorporating heat detection and sounders within each apartment lobby and additional heat detection in sensitive areas. We were able to reduce wiring by up to 90%, with a radically reduced installation schedule and minimal disruption for residents.” 

Hyfire offers a range of commercial standard wireless fire devices on the market, ranging from optical, multi-criteria and heat detectors to notification, alarm, interface and control units, all fully certified to EN54. All products offer the highest performance and quality in the industry, and are also fully compliant with BS5839 Part 1. Fire panels are wired via a loop to translators, from which wireless devices can be used on their own to build fully wireless systems of virtually any size, or mixed with Hyfire wired products to provide seamless hybrid solutions, offering total flexibility to specifiers and installers.  

Robert Bruce, Hyfire National Sales Manager – North, said: “This is one of our first projects with RayFire Services, and it was great to work on such a landmark building. The Taurus range, combined with an Advanced MxPro panel, offers all of the capabilities of its wired equivalents, with the added benefits of simplicity and ease of installation, which is a major advantage for both building occupiers and the end client. With more and more fire system upgrades taking place outside of the usual maintenance schedule, the ability to limit the impact on the structure is also very welcome.”  

Developed in Trieste, Italy, the global centre for wireless fire design, Taurus features Pathfinder Technology, which allows the devices to communicate over up to a kilometre, point to point in open air, and further where expansion hops are used. Antenna technology has been optimised to allow communication across different frequencies and environments, which means that Taurus can do the job with less equipment and less batteries, thus saving on costs.  

Colin Wrightson, Director at Securetech Systems NE Ltd, lead contractor for the end client on the project, commented: “We had a clear brief to deliver this project as rapidly as possible, with minimal intrusion and inconvenience, so Hyfire wireless devices were the obvious choice. The installation was completed ahead of schedule, the system is working as specified and the residents are very happy with the outcome. You can’t really ask for more.”  

Hochiki fire detection system installed at Verona hospital

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProductsProjects

After extensive assessments and a rigorous qualifying stage by the Hospital technical team and Amperia srl, the installation company, Hochiki fire detection systems and equipment was selected to update the fire detection system at the IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital in Negrar, Verona.

Following consultation, 26 fire detection panels, including Syncro and Hochiki’s Latitude system, and two Vision remote panels were installed in the hospital, all of which were networked.

The project brief stated that it was important the systems and any devices used must be installed with minimum impact on the day to day running of the hospital. Hochiki ESP range was recommended because these devices have been specifically designed to be quick and easy to install, ensuring minimal disruption was achieved by the team at Amperia srl.

Another priority for the project was that any fire detection system needed to be able to alert every person in the building to an emergency, including visually and hearing-impaired visitors. Hochiki’s range of VADs (visual alarm devices) were used to provide a visual indication of an alarm condition to those people who would not normally be alerted to a fire by standard audible-only devices such as sounders and bells.

The final key priority was the ability for the entire system to be continuously monitoring 24 hours a day. During the consultation period between the installers and Hochiki, the fire detection system was designed to provide 24/7 monitoring. This was thanks to the I/O modules and technological fault alarm signals which were also implemented and connected to the fire control panel loop. These were then monitored by the personnel 24 hours a day thanks to two supervision systems, one for the fire detection system and one for the technological alarms.

This project at the IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital was one of the largest and most complex projects that Hochiki have ever been involved in Italy involving the installation of multiple detectors, Detectors, 10 fire extinguishing systems, 14 gas detection panels and 10 aspirating panels.

Davide Montoli, Product Manager at Hochiki Italia, explained: “An interesting aspect of our systems is the “Bridge” communication between different generations of fire alarm control panels. In the case of this Hospital, the possibility of connecting the new L@titude control panels to the existing network of Syncro control panels made it possible to expand the system even though many years had passed since the installation of the original control panel. In fact, Hochiki’s L@titude platform can adapt its communication protocol to ensure backward compatibility with previous generation control panels”

Loris Fornaser, Technical Manager at the installer company Amperia srl, commented: “As you can imagine the fire safety standards of this project were extremely high due to the complex environment in which a hospital operates. This led us to choose a technologically advanced life safety product that would guarantee the client excellent performance and long-term reliability. The manufacturer’s technical support was always precise and Hochiki proved to be the ideal solution”

Bosch updates fire safety system at Hospital Centro Medio Campinas

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProductsProjects

Bosch has successfully completed the installation of networked fire alarm control panels and detection devices to provide optimised safety coverage for Hospital Centro Medio Campinas in Brazil.

Thanks to smarter new fire panels and retrofitting of existing fire prevention equipment, the medical complex is now much safer, featuring a comprehensive, networked and fully compatible fire control system which monitors for every sign of fire across the entire hospital complex.

Hospital Centro Médico Campinas is located in Campinas in the state of São Paulo, 100km from São Paulo, Brazil. As the building ages and requires updates, the fire protection provisions were reviewed to ensure efficient, fast responses to fire outbreaks.

Eduardo Riguetti, responsible for fire safety at the hospital complex, got in touch with Bosch project expert in Campinas, Renato Lima to find a feasible solution. The main objective was to review and redevelop the entire complex fire alarm setup at the hospital to provide safety and reassurance for all personnel on site, including staff and patients.

The major challenge for the project team to overcome was the integration and consolidation of all data and configurations of the 11 separate fire control panels into one single panel.

The fire control network features one Modular Fire Panel 5000 Series, which consolidates the details of all other detection devices, improved user operation and maintenance, making system updates and incident reaction times faster and optimising fire safety across the entire hospital.

Five loop modules were integrated to cover all areas of Hospital Centro Médico Campinas, ensuring reliability with detection. The loops include sensitive environments such as ICU, operating theater, patient wards and the hospital laboratory. Smart connectivity of the new network allows maintenance to be conducted by technicians with minimal disturbance in these areas.

Three remote keypads connected via ethernet to the fire control panel were configured for the hospital’s three desked areas which are all manned 24/7, namely the main entrance reception, the on-site fire department and the operation and control centre. This interconnectivity and remote technology decentralize control of the entire fire alarm network and make it fully addressable.

The fire department can now quickly identify the exact location of a fire outbreak or another emergency incident. Lima explained: “This system is integrated with gas detection, sprinklers, and access control, so in the case of an event occurring, all doors and gates would be unlocked, and now with only one fire control panel in place, evacuation times are much faster and safer.”

Thanks to close collaboration between the Bosch experts, the Brazcamp Tecnologia installers in Campinas, and end customers at the hospital, the project planning and product installation all ran smoothly.

Eduardo Riguetti said, “Excellent specification and design work was carried out by the integrator and the Bosch engineering team.”

Fire Detection Equipment market to reach over $12bn by 2026

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts

The global fire detection equipment market size is expected to grow from USD $6.78 billion in 2021 to $7.72 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.9%.

The growth in the market is mainly due to the companies rearranging their operations and recovering from the COVID-19 impact, which had earlier led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of commercial activities that resulted in operational challenges.

The fire detection equipment market is expected to reach $12.46 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 12.7%.

Government regulations and mandates on fire detection measures contribute to the fire detection equipment market’s growth. Globally, different government agencies have implemented various laws regarding the installation of fire safety equipment in organizations to ensure employees’ safety.

High installation and maintenance cost may negatively impact the sales of fire detection equipment as the initial investment in installing a fire detection system includes the cost of equipment, installation, and subscription of security monitoring services.

In addition to that, along with maintenance cost makes the use of fire detection systems an expensive affair, potentially hampering the fire detection equipment market’s growth.

Major players in the fire detection equipment market are Johnson Controls, Honeywell International, United Technologies, Siemens, Halma, Gentex, Robert Bosch, Hochiki, Securiton AG, Encore Fire Protection, Sterling Safety Systems, Fire Suppression Limited, Schrack Seconet AG, Napco security technologies, VFP Fire Systems, Siemens AG, Emerson Electric Co., Bosch Security Systems, Tyco International Limited, Spectrex, Inc., Johnson Controls, General Monitors, Inc., Fire Suppression Limited, Schrack Seconet AG, Napco security technologies and VFP Fire Systems.

North America was the largest region in the fire detection equipment market in 2021. Asia pacific was the second largest region in the fire detection equipment market. The regions covered in the fire detection market are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.

Euralarm updates study on False Fire Alarms in Europe

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts

Euralarm’s Task Group False Alarms has released a second edition of the study on false fire alarms in Europe. The new edition has been enhanced by the analysis of the situation in Denmark. In addition, the measures to reduce the amount of false alarms have been updated and newer content has been added.

The Euralarm study focuses on the statistical data of fire alarms and the methodology in the collection and evaluation. Anyone studying the data of the different countries that participate in the study, comes to the same conclusion: that there is no unified approach.

This, said Euralarm, greatly hinders comparisons, which are invaluable when trying to better understand the overall situation and develop effective and simple countermeasures against false fire alarms.

This revised and expanded publication of the study is designed to be the basis to help guide the industry and its stakeholders towards a more uniform approach across Europe, by working together with the European standardisation Technical Committee 72 to implement a common technical language.

It also contains measures for the reduction of false alarms in terms of products, planning, organisation, and maintenance.

The latest edition of the False Alarm Study can be ordered in printed format or as ebook via the publisher or via the main book-webshops.

Weather stations rolled out across Victoria to help fire response

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProductsProjects

New weather stations are being rolled out across Victoria, Australia, to help fire agencies better respond to bushfires and carry out planned burns.

The 10 new portable and remote-automated weather stations include seven portable units which are to be used on location to help firefighters understand fire behaviour and measure weather conditions. The remaining three weather stations are to be static and remote automated, permanently situated at Ballan, East Trentham, and Glenburn where there are no permanent weather stations.

The state government provided more than $680,000 to buy and maintain the Country Fire Authority (CFA)’s new weather units. CFA acting chief fire officer Gary Cook said understanding local weather conditions was fundamental to safely and successfully controlling fires.

Mr Cook said the new automated weather stations would provide data where the Bureau of Meteorology’s weather stations are lacking.

“We use the bureau sites, but this allows us to put more into the field and connect back into the bureau with that information, just to give us a better route of what’s happening across the state,” said Cook. The acting chief fire officer explained that the modern technology would be used in conjunction with current portable, handhold tools in vehicles that are also used to monitor weather conditions, and called the technology embedded into these units “world-class”.

Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes said the units would generate more accurate predictions of where a fire might spread and more accurate local data for community warnings.

“We know that the more information that people have about conditions leads to better safety outcomes,” Symes said. To have seven portable devices we can really deploy them around the state on an as-needed basis.”

Heathcote fire brigade captain Carl Watkins said the portable weather stations will prove extremely useful: “We’re 30 kilometres from the nearest weather station so for localised weather it will be terrific for us. It will give us real-time information that’ll help us on the fireground. It will be a lot more accurate — what the weather’s doing, where you are. It’ll change how we deal with fires.”

Heathcote CFA volunteers travel large distances to fight fires, including at least one 200-hectare bushfire a year.