Exploring the future of fire safety in a Sustainable World

In a recent blog published by Apollo Fire Detectors, the company delves into the evolving landscape of fire safety technology in the context of sustainability and a net-zero world.

This timely piece highlights the fire industry’s journey towards aligning its essential safety role with environmental responsibility, a path that is both necessary and challenging.

The industry’s alignment with sustainability

The blog emphasises the indispensable role of the fire safety industry in safeguarding lives, buildings, and infrastructure crucial for the green transition.

It notes that, unlike some sectors, the fire safety industry is at the beginning of a profound shift towards merging safety with environmental responsibility​​.

The inherent sustainability of fire detectors and alarm systems, as argued in the blog, aligns with broader sustainability objectives, particularly the UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, which focuses on sustainable cities and communities​​.

The role of Apollo Fire Detectors in sustainability

Apollo is taking an active role in driving changes within the company and its product offerings to align with sustainability and net-zero targets.

Sustainability Manager Vicki Wells highlights the need for a collective industry effort to achieve sustainable fire detectors and alarm systems, including increasing knowledge and skills on sustainability topics and defining common goals​​.

The blog also discusses how choices in system design, manufacturers, and products can significantly influence the carbon impact of fire detection and alarm systems, highlighting the need to consider the entire carbon footprint, including operational efficiency, embodied carbon, and indirect carbon caused by fire systems​​.

The importance of sustainable systems in the face of climate change

The urgency of making fire systems more sustainable is underscored by the intensifying effects of climate change.

Evolving market demands, legislation, green building practices, sustainability certifications, and a growing emphasis on carbon measurement in buildings necessitate significant steps towards sustainability​​.

Many companies in the value chain are setting sustainability goals, such as measuring the whole-life carbon of products and reducing average embodied carbon, leading to the question of what fire detectors and alarm systems will look like in a greener, net-zero future​​.

The collective effort for sustainable fire safety

The journey towards sustainable fire detectors and alarm systems requires collaboration across the value chain, involving manufacturers, installers, specifiers, consultants, system integrators, construction companies, and building owners.

Despite challenges such as greenwashing, Apollo is leading the charge in meeting increasingly ambitious sustainability and net-zero targets​​​​.

IFSJ Comment

This blog from Apollo Fire Detectors sheds light on a crucial aspect of fire safety – its intersection with sustainability and environmental responsibility.

As the world moves towards a net-zero future, the role of fire safety systems in this transition becomes increasingly significant.

Apollo’s initiative in driving sustainability in fire detectors and alarm systems is not only commendable but necessary.

Their efforts reflect a broader industry movement towards integrating environmental considerations into safety technologies.

This is vital for ensuring that the fire safety industry not only contributes to protecting lives and properties but also plays a part in the global effort to combat climate change and promote sustainability.

Apollo introduces REACH Wireless: Flexible + Reliable + Practical

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

Apollo Fire Detectors provides flexible finance options with new Leasing Programme

Apollo Fire Detectors has launched a new Leasing Programme in partnership with Shire Leasing to offer simple, flexible finance options to install or upgrade fire alarm systems without an initial capital outlay.

Apollo’s purpose is simple: to keep people safe from fire every second of every day. To help overcome financial barriers, the company has developed a bespoke programme to enable more building owners and managers to install the right fire system without an initial capital outlay. All Apollo installers within the UK can apply to become an Apollo Leasing Provider, enabling them to win more business and guarantees payment in full on completion of each project.

Benefits for Apollo Leasing Providers

  • Overcome financial barriers – An affordable solution to ensure there is no compromise with fire safety by selecting the system that’s right for the job.
  • Payment security – Installers receive 30% payment up front with the balance paid in full on completion of the project.
  • System maintenance can also be included and invoiced monthly in arrears as required.

Benefits for Building Owners

  • Get the right fire system needed now with no initial capital outlay.
  • Plan budgets easily with fixed monthly payments.
  • Reduce tax – Finance lease rental payments can be 100% tax deductible against profits.
  • System maintenance can also be included for an additional monthly charge, giving complete peace of mind.

Irina Cruse, Head of Marketing says: “Quite often investment into fire safety is more of a grudge purchase than a desired one. This is even more true in the current climate, when end users are trying to survive in the newly shaped COVID reality, making careful choices on where to place their cash. Lack of investment into fire safety essentially means higher risk to the safety of the people. The Apollo Leasing Programme has been designed to protect more people by removing financial barriers to the installation of the right fire detection system, release building owners from the need for a major up-front investment and offer payment security to the installers.”

To find out how you can become an Apollo leasing provider, visit: www.apollo-fire.co.uk/products/leasing

Apollo Fire Detectors’ announce free online training courses

Hundreds of fire industry professionals from over 30 countries have benefitted from Apollo Fire Detectors’ free online training courses available throughout the COVID-19 lockdown period.

The weekly virtual CPD seminars and product focused webinars have proved so popular that the company has extended the initial six- week programme of events into July and August, and potentially beyond.

Warren Moyle, Senior Technical Support Engineer at Apollo Fire Detectors, who has been leading most of the online training said: “We wanted to support the industry during this difficult time by sharing our expertise and technical knowledge. We’re grateful that people from all over the world including Greece, Singapore and Egypt have been willing to invest in their professional development and learn more about our products. We’ve had some great feedback and we’re looking forward to delivering the next phase of courses that we’ll be running over the summer.”

Aimed at consultants and specifiers, Apollo is delivering online industry focused CPD accredited seminars covering topics such as An Introduction to BS 7273-4, EN54 Part 23 and An Introduction to BS 5839 Pts 1 & 6. Apollo has also condensed its existing full-day face to face CPD accredited training courses into one-hour CPD accredited courses to ensure that customers wanting to attend these sessions don’t miss out due to the lockdown.

Throughout July and August, there will also be a series of 30-minute product orientated webinars, providing useful advice and insights to installers, covering features and benefits, applications, demonstration videos and frequently asked questions for numerous Apollo ranges including XPander, AlarmSense and the Apollo Test Set.

Customer feedback so far includes: “The webinar was simply wonderful. Techno-filled experience of the trainers was really good. The Q&A session helped me to learn new things. Keep it up and boost our knowledge on Apollo products.”  Plus: “Thank you Apollo, these are great sessions without spending time travelling. Your experience in the field gives us many things to learn about the fire industry.” As well as: “Very informative presentation, with good definitions of terminology. Not an area I knew anything about previously.”

All webinars are being hosted on Microsoft Teams events, which allows attendees to watch live and interact with presenters via a moderated Q&A. All registrants receive a recording of the webinar after the event, so those who don’t make the live event still get the opportunity to watch it on demand.

Date Topic
Wednesday 1st July Hybrid Wireless CPD
Wednesday 8th July Test Set Loop Screen
Wednesday 15th July Introduction to BS7273-4
Wednesday 22nd July AlarmSense
Wednesday 29th July Detection principles and device selection /S65/XP95
Wednesday 5th August Xpander
Wednesday 12th August Introduction to BS5839 Pts 1 & 6
Wednesday 19th August Test Set Introduction
Wednesday 26th August Service, Test and Maintenance

For more information and to register for the free online training visit http://apollo.ly/9k

Apollo Fire Detectors deployed in Ulster Bank

Apollo Fire Detectors’ SOTERIA ® range of detectors has been chosen to protect Ulster Bank’s headquarters in Belfast. Owned by RBS, Ulster Bank Group moved its headquarters to a development in Donegall Square East in Belfast in 2000. The building required a life cycle replacement of its existing fire alarm system, which had been in service for 18 years, along with additional detection as necessary to validate L1 coverage.

The development was created around the façade of an old Methodist church designed by Dublin architect, Isaac Farrell, and consists of a reinforced concrete frame with flat slab floor construction including a double storey basement.

In order to cause the least amount of disruption to staff, the work was all carried out after-hours and at weekends over a 12-week period, while also making sure the system was fully functional and all work areas clean and tidy for staff coming in the next day.

Integrated services supplier Aramark Ireland was selected by Ulster Bank to perform the role of main contractor for the works. Following a tender process, fire alarm specialist Ashdale Engineering Ltd was appointed to replace the existing closed protocol fire alarm system and PAVA system.

Aramark project manager Michael Hyland said: “We were pleased to be able to appoint Ashdale for the key role of fire alarm replacement. Having delivered a similar project with them in 2015 for the same client we had total confidence in their ability. Ashdale performed flawlessly and the project was delivered on time and within budget.”

In the role as principal contractor Aramark were also responsible for all the health and safety management relating to the project. Some of the work involved detection replacement in the 25-metre-high atrium, working at height over areas of plant, lift shafts and HV switch rooms.

Health and Safety Consultant for Aramark, Gary Henderson said: “The project certainly had its challenges but with planning, consultation and coordination with Ashdale and other contractors we were able to deliver the project safely and without incident.”

Apollo’s SOTERIA® range of devices were chosen for this project, which included the optical smoke detector, heat detectors, multisensors, manual call points and interfaces. Covering a range of areas from open plan offices, carpark, plant rooms, kitchens and canteen, SOTERIA® reportedly met the customers’ expectations of enhanced detection to minimise the risk of false alarms and provide a future proof system using next generation technology.

A total of 645 optical detectors, 89 heat detectors, 24 multisensors, 83 manual call points and 78 interfaces combine to provide the ideal solution for Ulster Bank. All controlled by a fire panel from Advanced.

David Moore, Team Leader at Ashdale, said: “The decision to select the Apollo SOTERIA® range of device for this project was an easy one. Having used SOTERIA® on a number of other projects recently we knew the devices were easy to install and commission. They also provide a modern aesthetically pleasing look in a modern office environment.”