Today’s fire systems play a crucial role in alerting people to a potential threat. I heard a fire chief give a presentation to installers at a life-safety conference once. He said, “The truth is, you guys do the job for me. A fire erupts, we roll the trucks, get to the scene and usually everyone [...]
An interview with Barnes-Jewish Hospital’s manager of plant operations. Mike Menzel, manager of plant operations for Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, attributes the safety of patients and staff to a strict adherence to fire-protection codes, by-the-book installations and a commitment to maintenance and training. Menzel oversees 6.5 million square feet of space at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, [...]
Craftsmen must coordinate efforts to properly install detectors. The proper installation of duct smoke detectors is critical to preventing the transfer of smoke and other toxic gases during a fire. Unlike standard smoke detectors that are set up by a single installer, heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC)-contaminant monitors can be set up by installers of various trades, [...]
A manufacturer’s specific recommended practices must be followed when testing duct-type smoke detectors (refer to NFPA Standard 90A, Section 6.4, 2002 Edition, and NFPA Standard 72, Chapter 10, 2002 Edition). In general, all smoke detectors should be tested or inspected at least annually. This will ensure the detectors are sampling the air stream, are operative [...]
There are several important documents that provide guidance concerning the performance, application and installation of duct smoke detectors: 1. U.L. Standard 268A, Standard for Smoke Detectors for Duct Applications 2. NFPA Standard 90A, Section 6.4 (2002 Edition), Installation of Air Conditioning and Ventilating Systems 3. NFPA 92A, Recommended Practice for Smoke Control Systems 4. NFPA [...]
Ultra-sensitive laser-based technology protects electronic equipment. Fire and smoke not only endanger lives, they can also cause varying degrees of damage to any type of facility. In a high-tech facility, such as a hospital, even a small fire can be devastating to its operation. Electronic equipment is particularly vulnerable to smoke, much more so than [...]
New standards cut back system failure risks. In May 2004, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) revised UL 1971, regulating how operating currents are to be measured and how voltage ranges are to be listed and published. Historically, fire-alarm system designers used 24-volt current draw for computing voltage drops on audible and visible (AV) circuits. However, voltage drops [...]