Built in 1938, Spring Lake Heights Elementary School in Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey was ready for an upgrade. Three of the school’s existing classrooms were to be renovated, as well as the addition of two completely new classrooms. A plan was created to not only equip the addition with a new fire protection system, but to modernize the rest of the building’s outdated system and retrofit it into the newly installed system. Along with new monitoring equipment and peripheral devices, state-of-the-art sprinkler monitoring software would be installed throughout.
Intuitive configuration
When retrofitting current existing peripheral components into the new fire protection system, Eastern Fire & Safety, LLC led by Manager Chris Campion, had to ensure that those components were compatible with the new system. There was also a need to be able to monitor the new system in its entirety. Because this installation took place in a public school, specific procurement requirements needed to be met. One of those requirements is that they accept the lowest price bidder for routine testing, inspection, and maintenance. That means that whatever software system that was to be installed at Spring Lake Heights Elementary had to be simple to use and easily maintained.
Chris Campion, Managing Member of Eastern Fire & Safety, LLC decided that a two-phase plan needed to be implemented to successfully establish Potter equipment throughout the entire facility. Campion chose Potter due to its flexibility and ease of use, “All of Potter’s components are simple and easy to understand. The configuration of systems is intuitive. There is nothing overly complex or difficult. Configuration is simple and direct,” Campion said.
Graphical monitoring control software
The second phase required all peripheral detection devices to be transferred to the new Potter IPA-4000 panel
The first phase was to install a Potter IPA-4000 in the new addition and migrate the existing outputs from the older section of the building to that new panel. Campion said, “The flexibility of the IPA-4000 allowed for economical panel configuration to match the existing framework and support expansion to meet the needs of the new addition.” The IPA-4000 allowed them to easily configure components from the old system into the new panel, while also giving them the capability to scale the system into the new addition.
The second phase required all peripheral detection devices to be transferred to the new Potter IPA-4000 panel, also adding new remote annunciators and PotterNet workstations throughout the entire building. PotterNet is Potter’s graphical monitoring control software. It is a desktop application that facilitates the monitoring and control of IPA, AFC/ARC, or PFC-4064 fire alarm control panels.
PotterNet’s intuitive interface made it an easy choice for Campion who, after working with the software, was amazed, “I’ve wasted so much time setting up other similar graphical monitoring software so I was really dreading this, but I am stunned by the simplicity of PotterNet. It’s the perfect application for the market.” Campion and his team were easily able to update the building with Potter equipment and ensure the safety of students and faculty. Today the facility is well protected and running smoothly.