Feature Fire Safety
False alarms are still a major issue in the UK. However, here, Rick Love, senior product manager, Notifier-by-Honeywell, looks at how technology is helping in the fight to reduce the rate of false alarms
ith a cost of around £1bn per year to UK fire services, false alarms are an unsustainable drain on the public sector budget. In addition, as the Fire Industries Association points out, there are further costs for building operators who can lose production, incur the disruptive impact of evacua- tion of staff or other occupants, insur- ance premiums can be affected and, worst of all, firefighters are tied up and are unavailable to respond in a timely way to a real emergency.
That is why fire sector authorities and industry are working together to reduce the chances of false alarms as much as possible. Effective system design, implementation, servicing and staff training all have a key role to play here. Yet addressing issues around technology is also central to cutting down the number of unwanted alarms and the risks associated with them. As a result, manufacturers are focusing much of their development effort in linking fire detection technologies with effective system design, in order to ‘engineer out’ false alarms in all types of premises - from factories to sports stadia, from high rise flats to heritage sites.
Detection technologies One area where technology is responding to the demand to reduce false alarms is that of multi-criteria detection. Here, each detector can have up to four different sensing tech- nologies dependent on the environ- ment to be protected.
In addition to standard optical smoke detection, other technologies which can be incorporated within a single sensor can include a heat sensor, infrared flame sensor and a carbon monoxide gas sensor. The detectors contain a sophisticated ‘brain’ which combines and analyses the data from each sensing element, in order to provide a rapid response to a real fire yet remain extremely resistant against false alarm incidents. Another key feature of this intelli-
gent technology includes self optimis- ing sensitivity adjustments, including a drift compensation facility. As the detectors accumulate contamination between cleaning intervals, the sensi- tivity is not increased by this contami- nation. However,
if 18 the level of
contamination decreases, the detec- tors automatically become more sensi- tive again, ensuring that coverage is not compromised.
No smoke without fire? W
For larger areas, beam detection has traditionally been the method of choice. These have proved a cost effec- tive and reliable means of fire detec- tion. Latest developments in loop controlled beam detection technolo- gies also provide intelligent adjust- ment and drift compensation to ensure optimum sensitivity in environments susceptible to false alarms. An alternative is offered by aspirat- ing detection systems. The most modern solutions now use a three tiered check on every air sample - parti- cle separation processes, dual optic technology and an acclimate drift com- pensation mode. This ultra-sensitive technology can detect smoke 300 times
Above: Rick Love, senior product manager, Notifier-by-Honeywell
Left: manufacturers are focusing much of their
development effort in linking fire detection
technologies with effective system design
fire detection in areas where mainte- nance is difficult, including lift shafts or high ceiling voids, warehouses or large public spaces. In addition, the latest aspiration devices are IP-enabled, providing managers with real time status updates to multiple e-mail addresses, wherever they are in the world, guaranteeing the earliest possible warning regardless of their location.
These aspiration systems can also be integrated with other fire protection systems in place to trigger the imple- mentation of a co-ordinated response. Furthermore, the rigour of these three levels of smoke verification guarantees that the alarm will never be triggered incorrectly. A device which guarantees false alarm immunity thereby avoids the disruption and lost time caused by unnecessary evacuation.
faster than traditional smoke detection systems such as beam detectors. The early warning these devices deliver is invaluable, as it gives site managers additional time to investi- gate and extinguish the danger sooner and if necessary reconfigure the system to prevent costly down-time. This early warning is particularly ideal for site managers with responsi- bility for large sites with numerous and hard to reach areas, who may be unable to effectively respond to the threat without this extra time. Aspirating systems can deliver accurate and discreet early warning
Utilising communications Other technologies have also been adapted to minimise unwanted alarms. For example, by linking paging systems to the fire alarm system, a building manager can automatically be notified of a potential problem and confirm the situation before summon- ing the fire services. The latest aspirat- ing smoke detection systems incorporate onboard Ethernet capabil- ity, meaning an early warning of a potential fire can be sent instantly via e-mail anywhere in the world. Adopting an all embracing approach is crucial to any strategy to reduce unwanted false alarms, especially con- sidering that a fire alarm may be acti- vated by a number of events other than a real fire. Steam, smoke, dust build-up or aerosol sprays can all set alarm bells ringing unnecessarily, as can tempera- ture changes or accidental or malicious tampering with ‘break glass’ points. The impact of these and other trig- gers can be significantly reduced by a wide range of actions by the building operator. In addition to proper risk assessment and high quality system design, siting and installation by prop- erly qualified providers, effective ongoing maintenance and staff train- ing can all help ensure that unwanted call-outs are minimised.
Notifier-by-Honeywell
www.notifierfiresystems.co.uk T: 01444 230 300
Enter 209 FEBRUARY 2014 Electrical Engineering
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