The building’s most recent retrofit included equipment from the mid-1980s, and wiring was substandard. The previous installation also included a legacy of more than 300 unsightly holes throughout the building, and generally appeared to have been performed at a poor professional level.
“The state of the existing equipment, and the difficulty in maintaining it, had created an unacceptable state of safety readiness,” says David Perna, president of Fire Brigade Alarm Systems, a Division of Sarasota Electric Corp., the contractor hired by the condo association to install a new fire and life safety system.
Perna organized the Lido Surf and Sand project, beginning with the bid process. Job foreman David Ballew laid out the system and plans by floor, area, circuit and other components. Installation manager Seth Mooney led a team of expert installers, following carefully devised plans and paying attention to the smallest of details.
Perna and Mooney installed Silent Knight’s Farenhyt IFP-1000VIP control panel, along with System Sensor’s SpectrAlert® Advance notification devices. Ideal for a midsized building such as Lido Surf and Sand, Farenhyt IFP-1000VIP is a flexible analog addressable fire alarm control panel system combined with an integrated single channel voice evacuation system. The system installed in the condo building supports a seamless combination of fire detection and audible/visible notification provided by SpectrAlert Advance speakers and speaker strobes.
The SpectrAlert Advance line is designed for easy configuration and installation. The innovative, plug-in type devices have separate back plates that allow for pre-wiring before connecting the speakers, which eliminates ground faults on start up. Furthermore, a shorting spring tests wiring continuity to provide instant feedback during the installation. Finally, the speakers’ protective coating eliminates exposed speaker components and prevents nicked wires.
Among the challenges faced by the Fire Brigade Alarm Systems team was the additional wiring needed for the equipment upgrade. The previous installation had left plates in the ceilings and stucco finish with existing holes that could be utilized for wire replacement throughout the building. It was necessary, however, to drill through concrete walls to allow for larger wire runs to accommodate the additional wiring for the speakers. Ultimately, the building was completely rewired.
Differentiation in wiring color was also utilized, at no additional cost, to facilitate easier wiring identification in the future. To do this, Fire Brigade Alarm Systems purchased 10,000-15,000 feet of cable in five different colors. The procedure, which is standard practice for the company, enables the job foreman to lay out the system with a different color for each floor, area or type of circuit, aiding in everything from installation, troubleshooting and inspection to ongoing maintenance.
Lido Surf and Sand now has a modern, totally effective fire alarm and life safety system. In the event of an emergency, building residents will now be able to understand what is happening and what they need to do. In addition, the upgraded building has a much more attractive appearance with the patching of 300 holes from the previous retrofit. A focus on attention to detail and quality created goodwill with the condo association and residents alike.
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Tags: A/V Notification
Posted in Audible/Visible Notification, Case Histories, Residential, Spring 2009
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