David Leigh of Detectomat UK reviews the potential for design-conscious fire detection solutions using new product and system developments from the fire industry.

• In what product areas of fire detection has there been an aesthetic improvement in design?
• What are the benefits of a wire-free fire detection system?

Blending with traditional interiors and keeping up with changes in interior design styles and moods is a challenging task for suppliers of building components.

However, a review of the general range of smoke detectors available suggests that this challenge has until recently been totally missed or not taken up by most fire detection and alarm companies.

The need for aesthetically pleasing devices is applicable to new build and refurbishment or retrofit applications.

In the latter two areas there is also the issue of installation time, access, damage to decoration, ugly surface wiring and general disruption.

These are the current issues. Facilities managers, builders and developers need a solution to the complex requirements of providing good fire protection while at the same time ensuring rapid, cost-effective installation with minimal business disruption.

Fire detection needs to be attractive, complement the décor and avoid the need for ugly surface wiring or damage to decorations from installing concealed wiring.

Figure 1. A recessed glass detector.

Standards and the legislative framework

Fire system components and design-conscious solutions

A fire detection and alarm system should be appropriate to the task as determined by risk assessment, conform with relevant BSEN Standards and comply with the Building Regulations.

There can be many alternative solutions to achieving the cover or level of protection required. However, some are more design-conscious than others.

For example, most detection and alarm systems require automatic detection and there is a large range of suppliers but most smoke detectors have been designed by electronic engineers with little or no regard for aesthetics.

However, products are now emerging that recognise that aesthetic design is as important as detection performance.

And the designer range in Figure 2 is such an example, providing self-contained alarms, conventional and addressable detectors with a range of designer covers and colours: white, black, satin silver or glass to match traditional or contemporary interior designs.

Figure 2. A designer range of detectors.

Integrated detector/sounder/beacon products and the opportunity to semi-recess detectors as per Figure 1 are other areas in field devices where consideration of aesthetics is coming through in modern designs.

Control and indication panels are also an area where size and design are an important factor and here too we've seen significant reductions in size over the years with considerably more thought being given to aesthetics.

Wire-free radio as part of a design-conscious solution

All fire systems require an interconnection of the various components including detectors, manual call points, sounders and control panels, which is normally done in electrical cabling or, as commonly termed, hardwiring.

Installing cables in existing buildings is time-consuming and presents access issues, damage to decoration, ugly surface wiring and general disruption, which can lead to unhappy clients.

All of these issues can be resolved or avoided with wire-free or radio fire alarms providing a far more design-conscious solution and happier clients.

Radio, as a communication medium, has been available for many years at a high cost.

However, application of the latest technology has produced wire-free systems, which can provide cost-effective solutions for systems as small as two self-contained alarms in a residence or as large as a shopping centre.

Systems currently available range from networked wire-free, analogue addressable systems to radio alternatives to single addressable loop or conventional panels (Figure 3).

Figure 3. A small radio system.  

Hybrid or gateway systems have also emerged. This is where a hardwired analogue addressable system can be extended or initially configured with one or more radio gateways.

If a facilities manager is faced with the need to extend fire detection coverage to comply with an updated fire risk assessment, this can provide a particularly useful and cost-effective solution.

Facilities managers and owner/managers want the highest level of safety for their building occupants but they also want to avoid disruption and damage to the building decoration and fabric, which only a wire-free solution can provide.

The need to avoid disruption and damage is wide-reaching and as a consequence the demand for wire-free solutions is significant as a proportion of the overall market and growing at a rapid rate. Listed buildings are of course one of the most sensitive areas

Case study: RRO and a gospel church listed building

When Avon Fire and Rescue ruled that their existing fire protection was inadequate, the Gospel Church Hall in Bath chose a wire-free, radio fire detection system.

The introduction of the RRO and the results of a risk assessment and fire audit persuaded the church administrators to bring the premises up to standard.

The church is a Grade II listed building, which meant that the potential damage from the installation of a hardwired system was unacceptable and a wire-free solution would have to be sought.

The hall is in continuous use seven days a week by members of the public for various clubs, meetings and activities so there was a real need to avoid disruption, mess and dust - another benefit of using a wire-free solution i.e. minimum installation time and disruption.

Having considered various alternative solutions, the church selected a wire-free fire detection system because it offered a cost-effective solution for the task.

They also chose designer optical smoke detectors with integral sounders, which complement the churches interior design (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Glass detector/sounders with church lights.

And because all the sounders were integrated within the detectors, the system did not require the installation of sounder circuits.

In a listed building this was a significant benefit i.e. no need for wiring additional sounder circuits, avoiding damage to the fabric of the building. The wire-free system was installed within eight hours, resulting in little disruption to the church hall's activities.

And because cabling was avoided, labour costs were reduced to the minimum, resulting in considerable financial savings.

This example demonstrates the clear benefits from using radio wire-free fire alarms to provide fire protection in listed buildings, and the potential for replication is vast.

Conclusion

Further information