Global Fire Equipment launches FALCON fire detection and extinguishing panels

by Breaking NewsFire DetectionFire SuppressionFirefighting EquipmentProducts

Global Fire Equipment (GFE) has expanded its fire protection portfolio with the launch of two new control panels, FALCON and FALCON Ex, designed for commercial, industrial and critical infrastructure applications.

The new range brings together certified fire detection and extinguishing control technology, with GFE saying the panels have been developed to support vigilance, reliability and precision across a range of fire safety environments.

FALCON is an intelligent conventional fire detection control panel intended to meet a wide range of building requirements, while FALCON Ex is a dedicated extinguishing control panel certified to EN12094-1 for fire suppression management.

According to GFE, the FALCON panel offers a scalable conventional fire detection solution with Double-Knock logic to help reduce unwanted alarms, cause-and-effect programming and EN54-certified reliability supported by comprehensive power supply monitoring.

FALCON Ex has been developed for applications where fire suppression performance is critical. The panel includes advanced discharge management, integrated Hold and Abort functions, and full monitoring of valves, pressure, release circuits and extinguishing status to support operational control.

Both panels are certified to EN54 and EN12094-1 requirements. GFE said the range has been created to meet the evolving needs of fire safety professionals by combining certified performance with ease of use.

José A. Azevedo, Business and Innovation Manager of the GSS Group, said: “Innovation remains a pillar of our international growth strategy. The FALCON range reinforces our commitment to delivering Portuguese-developed technology capable of meeting the fire safety challenges faced by customers around the world.”

Part of the GSS Group, Global Fire Equipment develops and manufactures fire detection, alarm and control systems for customers in more than 90 countries. The company said the launch of FALCON and FALCON Ex strengthens its strategy of delivering certified fire protection technologies to international markets.

Halma buys Global Fire Equipment for €42.5 million

by Breaking NewsFire DetectionSafety

Halma expands fire safety sector with Global Fire Equipment acquisition

Halma, a technology company, has announced the acquisition of Global Fire Equipment, S.A. (GFE) for its safety sector company, Ampac.

As reported by Halma, the cash consideration for GFE is €42.5 million (£36 million) on a cash- and debt-free basis.

The acquisition will be funded from Halma’s existing facilities.

GFE, based in Faro, Portugal, designs and manufactures fire detection and alarm systems.

The company’s products are installed in over 90 countries.

GFE’s unaudited revenue for the 12 months ending 31 March 2024 was €16.2 million (£13.7 million).

Global impact of fire safety

Ageing and crowded infrastructure contribute to fire-related deaths, with around 200,000 people dying globally each year.

Many of these deaths are preventable with fire protection systems.

Governments worldwide are introducing regulations focusing on prevention, early detection, and effective response to reduce fire-related fatalities.

GFE’s fire detection and alarm systems are tailored to meet diverse fire protection needs for commercial and industrial applications.

The systems are fully certified and known for their reliability and effectiveness.

Statements from Halma and Ampac executives

Tony Messercola, Managing Director of Ampac, expressed satisfaction with the acquisition, stating: “We are pleased to add GFE to our portfolio of fire detection and evacuation systems.

“GFE has a strong brand reputation, backed by proven technology and outstanding customer service.

“This acquisition aligns with our strategy of expanding our presence internationally and providing the most effective fire detection and evacuation solutions in the industry.”

Marc Ronchetti, Group Chief Executive of Halma, commented: “GFE’s technologies are complementary to Ampac’s fire safety systems portfolio and will further expand the geographical markets it serves.

We are excited by the opportunities we continue to see for purpose-aligned acquisitions to join Halma.

It is also great to see our existing companies adding new capabilities and distribution reach through bolt-on acquisitions to accelerate their long-term growth.

We are delighted to welcome GFE to our portfolio of market-leading fire detection companies.”

Financial details of the acquisition

The acquisition of GFE was completed for €42.5 million (£36 million) on a cash- and debt-free basis.

Halma will fund the purchase from its existing facilities.

For the 12 months ending 31 March 2024, GFE reported unaudited revenue of €16.2 million (£13.7 million).

GFE’s acquisition is expected to strengthen Ampac’s position in the fire safety market and expand its product offerings.

The integration of GFE’s technologies with Ampac’s existing systems is anticipated to provide enhanced fire detection and evacuation solutions globally.

Comprehensive fire detection and alarm system safeguards Turkey’s leading health university

by Featured NewsProjects

Biruni University selects advanced fire system

After a competitive bidding process, Biruni University in Istanbul, Turkey’s premier comprehensive health and public health educational institution, selected the Global Fire Equipment (GFE) Turkey’s proposal.

The fire and security company was tasked to design, supply, commission and install a fire detection and alarm system across the university’s vast campus. The university was founded under the auspices of the World Education Foundation and currently has a diverse student population of 6,000 students, with more than 400 from overseas.

Wide-reaching system to cover expansive campus

Biruni University’s campus, located in the heart of Istanbul, spans a staggering 70,000 m2. The new fire detection and alarm system has been designed to safeguard 20,000 m2 of structures on this campus. Key locations include a 153-bed hospital, dental healthcare facilities, state-of-the-art laboratories, computer rooms, and the campus library. On an average day, the campus population is around 800 people.

Robust and responsive fire protection system

GFE Turkey led the design, installation and commissioning of the fire detection system. The sheer size of the campus and the variety of structures that required protection necessitated an addressable system with high-capacity loop panels, ensuring optimal fire detection for all individuals and buildings within the university.

State-of-the-art equipment deployed

The system consists of more than 1,100 GFE devices. These include 1,000 ZEOS addressable smoke detectors, 20 ZEOS addressable heat detectors, 150 addressable manual call points and two addressable gas detectors. The operation of all these devices is coordinated via two of GFE’s addressable fire alarm control panels.

Overcoming design and installation challenges

Throughout the project, GFE Turkey faced and overcame several challenges. These included managing elevators, pressurising fans, dampers and photocell doors. The ever-evolving nature of the project also required expanding the number of zones covered by the fire detection and alarm system due to significant distances between some of the buildings.

Praise for GFE Turkey’s technical expertise

Levent Aydın, the Head of Support Services Directorate at Biruni University, said: “We were very impressed by the expertise and technical support provided by GFE Turkey. Their team clearly understood the unique demands of protecting an expansive university campus, and we are confident in the system they designed. It meets our present needs and can accommodate future expansions should we add new buildings.”

A significant achievement for GFE Turkey

Murat Efir, Regional Director at GFE in Turkey, who is based at GFE Turkey’s headquarters in Istanbul, remarked: “We were thrilled to be chosen for this project, not only because we could fully comprehend and meet our customer’s requirements, but also due to our technical expertise. Our fully addressable system is a perfect fit for the vast campus and buildings at Biruni University.”

For more information on Global Fire Equipment, interested parties can visit the official website at www.globalfire-equipment.com.

IFSJ Exclusive: Investing in the future of detection

by Breaking NewsFire DetectionIFSJ Exclusives

IFSJ looks at Global Fire Equipment’s new fire safety system manufacturing plant, its recent work in Istanbul and its plans for Intersec 2023

Just ahead of Intersec 2023, leading European-based fire safety system manufacturer, Global Fire Equipment (GFE), announced the opening of its new manufacturing facility in the Algarve region of Portugal. The new facility represents an investment of €7.5 million by GSS Group, creating a new home for two of the group’s companies – GFE and CREATECH Emergency Lighting.

One of the largest fire safety system manufacturing plants in Europe

At 7,500-sq m, the facility is more than twice the size of GFE’s previous plant, and the land purchased spans 16,0000 sq m so there is plenty of scope for further expansion should this be required as the company works towards its ambitious future growth targets. GFE has sustained impressive growth over the last 10 years, including double digit growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CREATECH Emergency Lighting has also achieved strong growth and will need the increased manufacturing capacity to help deliver its international sales ambitions. GSS Group sees a significant market advantage of integrating both its fire safety and emergency lighting divisions under one roof, with space to expand in the coming years.

Initially the new facility will operate a single 8-hour shift pattern, but GFE could triple production capacity as there is the option to add two further 8-hour shifts thus allowing the facility to operate 24/7.

A number of dedicated manufacturing zones are incorporated into the new facility, including on-site injection moulding and PCB SMD/THT assembly. The new assembly lines have been designed to maximise efficiency in the manufacturing process and, with the additional space, GFE has been able to increase stock storage and dispatch areas by 400% compared to its previous plant. Other areas include product testing, general assembly and management, sales and administration.

All manufacturing and office support are scheduled to be in place by the end of January 2023, with the remaining services moving in by the end of February. The new facility is located within 2km of the former site so all employees will retain their positions and GFE will continue to have good access to the labour market within the Algarve.

Building a sustainable and energy-efficient manufacturing facility was one of GFE’s key pre-requisites for the new plant. The Algarve is one of the sunniest places in Europe which allows GFE to maximise on[1]site solar energy generation. By installing a large number of solar carports, GFE’s on[1]site solar energy generation has jumped an 600% compared to the former plant which means that almost 90% of the facility’s energy needs can be supplied by solar power.

Paul Pope, GFE’s Global Business Development Manager, comments: “Our new manufacturing facility reflects the vast amount of work and investment every member of the GFE team has put into the company over the past few years. Our drive to deliver high quality and affordable fire safety systems is at the forefront of our operations and is clearly evident in the design of this facility. We are also delighted that we have been able to invest in energy efficiencies which will undoubtedly make our business more sustainable.”

Joao Paulo, GFE’s Founder and Managing Director, adds: “Building on our years of manufacturing experience and technical developments, this facility will ensure that we not only continue supporting our existing customers with industry-leading products and technical support, but also that we will be able to expand further into new markets around the world.

“We have always been focused on ways to improve efficiencies in our manufacturing process and have been able to develop sophisticated automated production lines in our new facility to increase our manufacturing capacity. While these productions lines will carry forward GFE’s drive for automation, we will also be looking to expand our team to ensure we continue to meet the high quality standards our customers know they can rely on.”

Intersec 2023

The opening of GFE’s new manufacturing facility coincides with the company’s launch of a number of new products which will be showcased on GFE’s stand (F10 in Hall 3) at Intersec 2023 in Dubai. The new manufacturing facility will be vital in ensuring GFE can meet the anticipated high market demand for these new products which include a new ZEOS 2 range of detectors and new panels.

Commenting on the products on show at Intersec, Paul Pope, says: “Intersec is widely regarded as one of the most important industry exhibitions in the Middle East, and as it’s such a strategically important market for us, we’re delighted to have a strong presence again at this year’s show. We are also particularly pleased to have Intersec as a platform to showcase our new ZEOS 2 range of detectors which we believe will generate a lot of interest in the market.

“Innovation is at the heart of GFE, with further new products expected later this year. The combined impact of our new manufacturing facility, new products and the expansion of our international sales teams means that 2023 is set to be a very exciting year for GFE and the market as a whole.”

Equipping Istanbul

A strategically important region for Global Fire Equipment, the local team in Turkey has been operating since 2013, completing a vast range of projects. GFE Turkey, was chosen to design, supply and install the fire detection and alarm system for Eston Sehir Mahallem, a prestigious residential development located in the Bahcesehir district of Istanbul, Turkey.

The development comprises 315 flats and villas on 68,000-sq m area, 70% of which is dedicated to green spaces and social and leisure areas, such as pedestrian walkways, bike paths, a children’s park and sports fields.

The design, installation and commissioning of the fire detection system for the development was undertaken by GFE’s appointed distributor in Turkey, GFE Bina Kontrol Sistemleri. GFE’s fire alarm system was chosen because it is modern and innovative, and also because it meets the legislative requirements set by the Turkish Government for residential developments which have become increasingly stringent in recent years.

The system for Eston Sehir Mahallem comprises eighteen addressable control panels, 500 ZEOS addressable smoke detectors, as well as other addressable devices including manual call points, sounders and Gas detectors.

Feride Cilesun, Site Manager at Eston Sehir Mahallem, comments: “We have been very impressed with the support and expertise of GFE Turkey at every stage in this project. They were able to give us a working system in a very short space of time which offers extensive configuration options and a great range of value-added features. The quality of all the equipment installed throughout the development is very high, and the technical support and expertise of the GFE team has been invaluable.

“We have been particularly impressed with GFE’s remote monitoring and control software, Odyssey, which allows us to manage the development in a preventative failure manner. Odyssey has also enabled us to integrate the fire detection and alarm system with the development’s third-party public address system and voice alarm system so that in the event of a fire, we are able to quickly and easily notify residents in the affected areas to evacuate their properties. The finished system is very user friendly and reliable, and we now have an ongoing maintenance contract with GFE which we have also been very happy with.”

Murat Efir, Regional Director (Turkey and Balcans) at GFE, who operates out of GFE Turkey’s headquarters in Istanbul and has worked for GFE since 2013, adds: “There was strong competition during the tender process, GFE was chosen because of our bespoke approach to the project and our extensive expertise in large[1]scale projects in the region, including hospitals, hotels, schools and other residential developments. GFE’s reputation in Turkey is very strong and we have experienced significant sales growth over the past 8 years. We have stepped up our presence in the region and are continuing to strengthen our customer offering. We are also looking forward to launching a number of new products in the coming year, including products that have been designed specifically for the Turkish market such as a detector which is capable of detecting both LPG and PNG leaks.”

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

Global Fire Equipment unveils new manufacturing facility

by Breaking News

Leading European-based fire safety system manufacturer, Global Fire Equipment (GFE), has announced the opening of its new manufacturing facility in the Algarve region of Portugal, representing an investment of €7.5 million by GSS Group, creating a new home for two of the group’s companies – GFE and CREATECH Emergency Lighting.

The 7,500-sq m facility is more than twice the size of GFE’s previous plant, and the land purchased spans 16,000-sq m meaning there is plenty of scope for further expansion should this be required as the company works towards its future growth targets.

GFE has seen sustained growth over the last 10 years including double digit growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. CREATECH Emergency Lighting has also achieved grown and will need the increased manufacturing capacity to help deliver its international sales ambitions. GSS Group said it sees a significant market advantage of integrating both its fire safety and emergency lighting divisions under one roof, with space to expand in the coming years.

Initially the new facility will operate a single 8-hour shift pattern, but GFE could triple production capacity if it wishes as there is the option to add two further 8-hour shifts thus allowing the facility to operate 24/7.  

A number of dedicated manufacturing zones are incorporated into the new facility, including on-site injection moulding and PCB manufacture. The new assembly lines have been designed to maximise efficiency in the manufacturing process and, with the additional space, GFE has been able to increase stock storage and dispatch areas by 400% compared to its previous plant. Other areas include product testing, general assembly and management, sales and administration.

Building a sustainable and energy-efficient manufacturing facility was one of GFE’s key pre-requisites for the new plant. The Algarve is one of the sunniest places in Europe which allows GFE to maximise on-site solar energy generation. Having installed a large number of solar carports, GFE’s on-site solar energy generation has jumped an impressive 600% compared to the former plant which means that almost 90% of the facility’s energy needs will be supplied by solar power.

All manufacturing and office support are scheduled to be in place by the end of January 2023, with the remaining services moving in by the end of February. The new facility is located within 3km of the former site so all employees will retain their positions and GFE will continue to have good access to the labour market within the Algarve. 

Paul Pope, GFE’s Global Business Development Manager, commented: “Our new manufacturing facility reflects the vast amount of work and investment every member of the GFE team has put into the company over the past few years. Our drive to deliver high quality, affordable fire safety systems is at the forefront of our operations and is clearly evident in the design of this facility. We are also delighted that we have been able to invest in energy efficiencies which will undoubtedly make our business more sustainable.”

Joao Paulo, GFE’s Founder and Managing Director, adds: “Today marks a pivotal moment in our company’s history. Building on our years of manufacturing experience and technical developments, this facility will ensure that we not only continue supporting our existing customers with industry-leading products and technical support, but also that we will be able to expand further into new markets around the world.

“We have always been focused on ways to improve efficiencies in our manufacturing process and have been able to develop sophisticated automated production lines in our new facility to increase our manufacturing capacity. Whilst these productions lines will carry forward GFE’s drive for automation, we will also be looking to expand our team to ensure we continue to meet the high quality and standards our customers know they can rely on.”

Read IFSJ’s exclusive article with GFE in the latest edition.