Fire Systems - what do they do?
Written by Jay Heine
Fire safety is a major concern in any school, or office building. In the event of a fire, time is a huge factor in saving lives. The most important tool in warning people of the emergency at hand is a fire alarm system.
One of the most common types of fire system designs utilizes a central computer to monitor various nodes or sensors throughout the building. A few common sensors in a fire system are Water pressure (for sprinkled buildings), Duct sensors in HVAC units, Smoke and Photo sensors. These nodes send information to and from the controller allowing it to monitor various conditions in the building. Sensors are usually grouped into zones, each with a unique address. This allows the central computer to identify which sensors are activated should an emergency arise. This information is displayed to the user via a graphical display panel located in the lobby or entrance to a building. Depending on what information is programmed into the system, other data can be viewed in this terminal such as the temperature in the area or room of the tripped sensor or what floor the alarm is coming from, etc.
If the fire system is mechanically integrated with ventilation systems (HVAC), through the use of duct detectors, relays and VAV controls it can shut down the air handlers and close ducts. By doing this, if a fire should breakout, the heat and smoke from the fire will not be spread through the building. This also helps to prevent fire growth by reducing the amount of oxygen fed into the burning areas.
If the building utilizes video security, video verification can also be added. Bringing up the video associated with any fire or burglar alarm would allow effective validation of the alarm to provide the highest level of response. Integrating voice evacuation into the solution would allow communication with the occupants in the facility so if, for example, a fire alarm sounds, detailed instructions are provided on how best to evacuate.
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