The most crucial part of fire prevention is early detection as well as warning occupants of the danger and emergency. Fires can double in size every half minute. Within two minutes if a fire is not detected early or controlled it can become life-threatening. This is why early detection and proper communication is absolutely vital.
All Fire alarm and detection systems should be installed by a fully licensed and qualified electrician. They must be installed by following manufacturing guidelines and state government regulations. Our team at Inline Electronics is highly skilled, experienced, and accredited so you know your fire alarm system installation is 100% safe, reliable, and top-of-the-range quality.
FIRE ALARM/DETECTION SYSTEMS
Full fire alarm systems are found in offices, factories, and public buildings. While some other fire alarm detection devices such as smoke alarms would also be found in homes. The systems alarms are triggered and notify everyone of a potential fire/emergency and the need to evacuate the building. Fire alarms can also incorporate a remote signal system which will then send an alert to the fire brigade via a central station. Each fire alarm system has Australian standards that set out the requirements for each design, installation, and commissioning. Making sure they conform to the requirements of the appropriate standards.
Fire alarm detectors have a range of different hazards/emergencies they can pick up including:
Smoke – Three types of smoke detectors
– Ionization
– Light scattering
– Light Obscuring
Heat – These sensors can work on a fixed temperature basis or the rate of changing temperature. Meaning sensors can go off when the set temperature is exceeded.
Carbon Monoxide Fire Detectors – Electronic detectors are used to indicate the outbreak of fire by sensing the amount of carbon monoxide in the air.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors – Work to detect the level of poisonous gas produced by combustion in the air but don’t detect smoke or other combustion products.
Multi-Sensor Detector – Combines inputs from both optical and heat sensors. When triggered the detector returns a value based on the combined responses from optical and heat.
Different types of fire alarm systems include:
Conventional – Call points and detectors are arranged in to zones to make locating the cause of the alarm more simple. Each zone is indicated in the fire alarm control panel with either an indicator lamp and/or a text display.
Addressable – The detection principle of an addressable alarm system is the same as a conventional alarm system except that each detector is given a set address and the control panel can determine which detector initiated the alarm.
Intelligent – Intelligent fire alarm systems work to evaluate the environment around them and communicate to the control panel whether there is a fire, fault or if the detector head needs to be cleaned. Their primary purpose is to help prevent the occurrence of false alarms.
Wireless – These are an effective alternative to a traditional hard-wired alarm system. They utilize secure, license-free radio communications to interconnect the sensors and devices with the controllers which provides a full intelligent fire detection system without the need for cabling.
FIRE EVACUATION SYSTEMS
Using emergency warning and intercom systems, they assist in the control of evacuation procedures during emergencies. If there is a fire and the sensors are triggered, the selected warning signal will be automatically activated. All businesses should be prepared with a fire safety officer who is trained and familiar with the location and use of equipment, evacuation safety plans, location of fire alarms, exits, and the emergency warning intercom system. Every staff member or person in the building should also be educated on the fire evacuation procedure.
Generally, in large multi-floor factories and buildings, you can have a multizone fire evacuation system installed. This way the large area is divided into manageable evacuation zones and each level has its own visual and/or audio intercom with alerts and evacuation tones.
For smaller or single-level complex, your fire evacuation system can be less complex and doesn’t need to be zoned but still provide a system that sends alerts and evacuation tones.
OCCUPANT WARNING SYSTEMS (OWS)
This system is designed for fire alarm alerting and evacuation control in larger, more complex buildings. These systems alert occupants inside the building of a fire emergency but they don’t provide detailed information such as evacuation routes or instructions, these features are in an EWIS.
There are two standard signals, either a tone or a tone with a voice message. When this is triggered you will hear either the standard “rising whoop” alarm tone or a pre-programmed voice message explaining things such as what is occurring, what you need to do, and instructions on where to start moving towards (assembly point).
All warning alarm systems can have visual alarm devices such as flashing lights installed. These are usually used in a high noise area where an audible alarm would be ineffective. Visual alarm signals are required in hearing-impaired occupant designated areas.
EMERGENCY WARNING SYSTEMS (EWIS)
Instead of the whole building receiving the evacuation alert simultaneously, the premises is divided into multiple evacuation zones. Once the signals are received from the fire alarm system, the EWIS system controls a zone-by-zone staged evacuation as per the pre-programmed instructions.
Emergency Warning Systems can also contain an intercommunication system. This includes all of the standard EWIS features with the addition of a dedicated emergency telephone communication between the master emergency control panel and the fire warden intercommunication points in each zone.
If your building contains a loudspeaker used for background music or other non-emergency purposes, the EWIS will automatically override this and begin to alert occupants of the emergency. Today’s fire systems are at a very intelligent level. Now being able to detect where the fire is, whether or not the smoke is coming from a fire threat or a burnt piece of toast, and also advising when the detector needs to be cleaned or serviced.
With some listed above, a number of key features of particular EWIS systems include:
– this can be connected to allow control and monitoring of the main ECP from multiple locations.
Networking Capability – Enables multiple ECP’s or equipment racks to be interconnected through a large building complex.
Easy Operation – These systems can be designed with a vertical format keyboard, and manual key switch selects manual, automatic, and isolate.
Flexible Configuration – Choice of multiple watt RMS power amplifier modules, selection of evacuation signals, background music, local and non-emergency paging by zone, up to 3 discrete Warden Intercommunication Point locations available per zone, emergency alarms and Public Address override non-emergency features.
Special digitalized voice messages – Available for both evacuate and alert signals
Modular construction – facilitates fault diagnosis and repair
Site programmable facilities – Include delays, zone grouping, zone isolation, cascade enable/disable and service fault history access.
Factory programmable facilities – Include the system itself, control relay outputs, special cascade sequences, warden zones, call point mapping, and other optional features.
