Feature Fire & Security
Eva Kosanovic of Apollo Fire Detectors examines the main issues surrounding integration of fire detection with other building management systems and explains the latest technological developments
hese days it is common practice to combine the various elements of a building (security, heating, lighting and ventilation), into a single inte-
grated building management system (BMS). This is particularly true of large scale buildings. However, to date there is one essen-
tial building service that has not been fully integrated with the other building control elements. That service is fire detection. This is set to change as tech- nology and detection devices evolve, but first it is important to understand why fire detection systems have been kept separate in the past and explore why integration is so desirable now.
A crucial element Fire detection is deemed safety critical. In other words, while there may be some advantage in several systems shar- ing information, in the case of fire detec- tion, is it really worth the risk to personnel or property if a fault with, for example, the heating system, knocks out the fire detection system? Generally a normal BMS is not sub-
ject to the same strict standards of fire detection systems, and this can lead to some anomalies. For example, where a BMS and a fire alarm system are chan- nelled through a common information gathering system, the cabling must be fire-proof. However, a simple wire con- nection from the fire detection system to the BMS may fall outside this rule. There is no legislation as such on integration, only recommendations.
Left: commercial buildings are becoming larger and more complex
Above: the OpenConnect Gateway from Apollo helps to provide fire detection integration
Right: there are benefits to be gained from integrating fire signals with security, heating and other building systems
BS5839-1:2002, the code of practice for system design, installation, commis- sioning and maintenance in the UK, implies that the fire system should always stand alone. Full integration would therefore negate this code. However, there is no law to enforce the code. Building regulations refer to, but do not insist upon, compliance with the British Standard.
Practical considerations While regulations may appear to dis- courage fire system integration, in practical terms closer interaction between the building systems is not only desirable but also necessary if safety critical procedures are to be effective. The ability for a fire signal to tell a security system to release access doors for use as escape routes is one simple example. Some degree of fire detection integra-
tion has been achieved by the use of interfaces and complex bespoke integra- tion. However, there are some restric- tions because this entails the use of multiple additional devices to facilitate even simple levels of integration between fire devices and other building services equipment. As commercial buildings become
larger and more complex, and the expectations of occupants become more sophisticated, adding more and more physical devices to link building ser- vices together becomes less and less practical. Therefore, it is time to return to first principles and ask, what are we actually trying to achieve?
Find a solution Integration is actually about commu- nication and the benefits of having diverse building products and sys- tems co-operating with each other are obvious. Successful
inter-system
communication can result in faster response times, co-ordinated strate- gies in case of emergency or failure, and pre-planned and pre-pro- grammed evacuation procedures. To help make this integration a real-
ity, Apollo Fire Detectors has developed an off the shelf solution called the OpenConnect Gateway that can take information from a fire alarm control panel and connect it to a building man- agement system using standard proto- cols such as BACnet, Modbus or
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Working together for safety T
LonWorks. The device is effectively a ‘plug and play’ concept that fire panel manufacturers can incorporate into their existing products. Apollo is making the OpenConnect
protocol available to participating control panel manufacturers under licence. The licensed manufacturer will be able to develop their own soft- ware to incorporate this protocol and will provide a suitable physical con- nection between their panel and the OpenConnect Gateway. A benefit of the device is that there is
no need for modification of fire detec- tion and alarm devices used in conjunc- tion with OpenConnect enabled control panels. Nor is there any need for recur- ring engineering for each new project.
Conclusion Fire detection systems evolved for the purpose of protecting lives and prop- erty. For this reason they should always be classed as safety critical, which means that fire detection devices should be physically separate from other building services equip- ment. That said, there is no reason why closer information integration should not be pursued, especially if it brings practical benefits such as reduced time and cost without com- promising the integrity of the fire system. OpenConnect Gateway is one example of how the issue of integra- tion can be resolved far more effec- tively using a single device rather than dozens of individual interfaces or bespoke solutions.
Apollo Fire Detectors
www.apollo-fire.co.uk T: 0239 249 2412
Enter 219 MAY 2011 Electrical Engineering
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