Fire Safety Testing - Case Studies

In the spring of 2021, the Vernadsky Research Base, a Ukrainian Antarctic Station, was equipped with an Ajax security system featuring FireProtect and FireProtect Plus fire detectors. The Ajax equipment was delivered at a distance of 16 thousand kilometers that protects the scientific base in Antarctica. From this article, one will learn how to install a fire alarm system at a facility if that facility is a polar station. Presence of previous fire alarm There was, but no o...

When Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) upgraded its Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) to Panasonic TOUGHBOOK 33 devices in 2018, it was also one of the first fire services in the country to install demountable devices in the rear of the appliances to accompany firefighters when they leave the vehicles. Operational tool Three years on and these demountable Panasonic TOUGHBOOK notebooks have become more than a computer; they are viewed as an “operational...

Textron Systems and Howe & Howe Inc delivered the fourth RIPSAW® M5 vehicle to the U.S. Army, in support of the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) medium program. With innovative engineering and systems integration, this vehicle offers unprecedented endurance and revolutionary capabilities. Its hybrid engine allows for quiet maneuvers and increased reliability. speed, mobility, and unmanned capability Leveraging Howe & Howe’s commitment to innovation, and Textron Systems’ de...

AEI Cables has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to supply low voltage power and fire performance cables to the prestigious Sky City project at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). The supply of the cables for power, control and fire performance for the commercial and retail sector of the site starts in September and will continue, until early next year. AEI Cables will work in partnership with its long-term Hong Kong distributor, Fordex Electric Company Limited for the project lo...

Whilst low temperatures and fire don’t seem like a likely combination, there are in fact many factors that make cold storage susceptible to fire risk. Econofoods understand the critical business impact a fire would have at their stores. Keeping the food at the right temperatures in controlled cold storage is essential to providing customers with the best produce. specialist fire protection measures Due to the harsh conditions of a bulk freezer room Wayne Behrens of Coetzer Fire Services...

The underground car park of a renowned private bank in Hamburg, Germany was recently equipped with a high pressure water mist (HPWM) system from AQUASYS. The high-quality, firefighting system replaces the existing sprinkler system, which was out of date. Since the outdated pipes of the sprinkler system were laid in the walls and could not be replaced, the optimal solution was to use small dimension on-wall pipes and thus, the HPWM system. High pressure water mist (HPWM) technology The HPWM te...

In early April 2021, when industrial fires broke out in two different locations, they both had the same devastating outcome. On April 10, a fire started in a furniture factory in County Antrim, in the United Kingdom, damaging the building. Two days later, a fire swept through a bed-making factory in Dewsbury, UK. Neither building contained a sprinkler system, nor businesses that are now counting the cost of the damage and dealing with the disruption to their livelihoods. Once again, they must q...

Award-winning Taktis fire panels, manufactured by Kentec Electronics Ltd., a globally renowned manufacturer of life-critical control systems, are protecting students and property at the University of Nicosia’s (UNIC) new state-of-the-art student residences, located in Cyprus. Integrated fire system The integrated fire system was installed by Kentec Installation Partner (KIP) Glosec Dragon Ltd. (GLOSEC), a Cyprus-based business that specializes in the design, installation and maintenance...

The lift station had 14” pumps dating back to 1961 that were still in service; failing valves flooding the station; a motor control center from 1984; and drive shaft-driven pumps that had become antiquated. “The station had become a local legend for operators in Mansfield,” said Bob Coker, wastewater treatment plant manager for the city of Mansfield. “Nobody understands the troubles with that [station anymore],” Coker said, noting that previously workers would spen...

C-TEC’s new CAST ZFP fire alarm system is protecting an exciting new hospitality venture in Cheshire, United Kingdom. Situated in the beautiful village of Tattenhall, The Bear and Ragged Staff has been radically transformed from a derelict shell into a high-end pub, restaurant and hotel, by a team of talented professionals, including Brian Mellor, an award-winning chef, and Martin Hilton, an industry-renowned beer sommelier. Featuring a fabulous bar/restaurant, eight en-suite bedrooms, a...

The Vizcaya Provincial Council in Spain, has invested seven million euros in its fire prevention, firefighting and rescue services. Almost 25 percent of the existing fleet will be replaced by new trucks, which will enhance efficiency and improve rapid response. The 15 new vehicles include six heavy-duty urban fire trucks, three heavy-duty large-tank pumpers, three first-response trucks and three automatic turntable ladders, all fitted with Allison fully automatic transmissions. Heavy-duty urba...

SPIE UK has been awarded a new contract for the supply and installation of replacement high voltage switchgear by Merseytravel. SPIE UK will be supplying, installing, and replacing high voltage switchgear, low loss transformers, and high voltage, low voltage, and control cabling at the Promenade Ventilation Station, which provides ventilation and power to the Kingsway Road tunnel, which runs under the River Mersey between Liverpool and Wallasey. Not costing the earth Four 1500kVA Wilson e3 Lo...

FlamePro, a renowned British manufacturing specialist of life safety garments and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for firefighters, has been awarded a £4 million contract by Capita, to provide its firefighting PPE for the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD), across the next decade. Firefighting PPE tender The competitive tender, part of Capita’s contract with the MOD, saw four different PPE providers bid for the contract, with FlamePro being appointed to provide its full ensem...

A fire that destroyed hundreds of rented units at a three-story self-storage warehouse in Manchester, United Kingdom, has once again brought into sharp focus the wider impact of fire and the vulnerability of buildings with no sprinkler systems. Self-Storage Tameside facility fire About 125 firefighters and 25 fire engines were called to battle the blaze at the Self-Storage Tameside facility, in Denton, on 21st February 2021. Thankfully, there were no injuries, but the wider impact to the hundr...

The innovative and globally renowned manufacturer of lightweight construction technology, Nemak Linz GmbH, has been relying on the high pressure water mist (HPWM) technology from AQUASYS for over 20 years. At the beginning of 2021, the extraction system was expanded. AQUASYS upgraded the new sections with single nozzles in less than 2 weeks and thus, ensured the rapid restart of business. Highly efficient cooling effect of HPWM The highly efficient cooling effect of the AQUASYS HPWM system pr...

Based in the heart of Leicester, Beauchamp City Sixth Form has recently opened its doors for its first term to welcome 350 A-Level students, following a dramatic renovation of a city center office block, formerly home to BT. The new four-story college, opened by The Lionheart Academies Trust, presents classrooms, labs, and IT suites, as well as study spaces and a library which will give students “access to the latest academic research in their chosen areas of study”. To ensure fire...

Heathfield is a dynamic and vibrant boarding school for girls aged 11-18, surrounded by stunning grounds in Ascot, Berkshire, with outstanding facilities. The school has an unrivaled emphasis on nurturing each girl so that she achieves the best possible results while living life to the full by participating in sport, drama, music, art, and an extended variety of extra-curricular activities. Work has just been completed on the new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) facility. This...

A fault-tolerant network of fire alarm control panels from Advanced has been selected to protect the 3Ts Redevelopment program at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. 36 4-loop MxPro 5 fire panels, 46 repeater panels, and two custom-built AdSpecials panels from UK-manufacturer, Advanced, are to be installed at Brighton’s 3Ts hospital redevelopment as part of phase one of the program. Custom-built panels Phase one involves the construction of a 13-story building with two basement levels, lo...

Vimpex's Hydrosense Water Leak Detection System has been installed in Dublin Airport’s new Visual Control Tower (VCT) to protect the new state of the art facility from water ingress, which could seriously damage electrical, communication and computer networks. Visual Control Tower (VCT) The 87-meters high tower is Ireland’s tallest occupied structure and a commanding new addition to the city’s skyline. It comprises three separate but integrated building elements, the control...

A fault-tolerant network of fire alarm control panels from Advanced has been selected to protect the 3Ts Redevelopment program at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. 36 four-loop MxPro 5 fire panels, 46 repeater panels, and two custom-built AdSpecials panels from UK-manufacturer, Advanced, are to be installed at Brighton’s 3Ts hospital redevelopment as part of phase one of the program. Phase one involves the construction of a 13-storey building with two basement levels, located on the main...

The flames and billowing smoke rose high enough to veil as an acre of bone-dry grasslands was ignited by a slow, fiery ooze belching from something called a drip torch. The initial wave of heat could have easily seared the clothing of the sturdy crew of firefighters who purposely set this section of land aflame, but they knew which way the wind was blowing and lit accordingly. That is what a prescribed burn looks like. USDA Forest Service employees repeat similar scenarios on national...

Following the successful delivery of more than 5,000 sets of high-quality structural firefighting PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) from globally renowned specialist PPE manufacturer, MSA Bristol (MSA Safety Incorporated) and its Australian distributor, Pac Fire Australia (Pac Fire), Australia’s Fire & Rescue New South Wales (FRNSW) fire service has continued with their roll out and expect to have an additional 5,000 sets of structural PPE delivered by June 2021. The expectation is...

Hush ActiV, C-TEC’s innovative new BS 5839-6 domestic fire alarm system, is providing first-class fire protection at a luxury apartment block in Bolton, United Kingdom. Set in stunning landscaped gardens in Horwich, a small town on the edge of the West Pennine Moors, Swallowfields is a collection of 28 contemporary new-build apartments featuring spacious living spaces and high-specification fittings. Hush ActiV smoke detectors Each dwelling has been equipped with Hush ActiV smoke detect...

The Allen-Stevenson School is a private school located on the Upper East Side locality in Manhattan, New York City, occupying two inter-connected buildings. Due to a need for additional space, the school expanded the existing buildings vertically, while renovating the remaining floors and constructed a new inter-connected building, adjacent to the original. The project proceeded in a phased manner and services included advising the client on appropriate phasing and implementation of the fire al...

Hyatt House is a new thirty-story high-rise hotel built in Chelsea. This project had an aggressive opening schedule and Sparc coordinated between the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and the fire alarm contractor to schedule inspection dates that aligned with the team’s Temporary Certificate of Occupancy goal. Sparc also prepared project variances and fire alarm system affidavits for issuance of a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy.

The West Tower (Alexandria Center) is a fifteen story office building with technological and medical based tenants, constructed in 2015, in New York City, USA. FDNY fire alarm system LoA Since its construction, Sparc (Sparc Fire Protection Engineering, LLC) has assisted multiple tenants in the West Tower building in obtaining their FDNY fire alarm system Letters of Approval (LoA), which also allowed for the issuance of their Temporary Certificate of Occupancy or permanent Certificate of Occupa...

Rave Mobile Safety (Rave), the critical communication and collaboration platform that customers count on when it matters the most has announced Morris County, in New Jersey and Blair County, in Pennsylvania, are among the latest counties to leverage the company’s Vaccine Distribution Solution to identify and communicate with vulnerable populations, deliver tailored guidance and logistical information, and conduct ongoing check-ins to ensure the success of vaccine rollout. Vaccine Distribu...

Uni-Guard Fire Protection specializes in supplying, installing, and servicing fire alarms, fire extinguishers, and emergency lights across the UK. At the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, Uni-Guard was commissioned to replace an existing fire alarm system for a COVID overflow hospital. Warehouse refurbishment   A local industrial warehouse and office building in Hampshire was undergoing refurbishment for use by the NHS as a potential COVID overflow hospital. The building required a new fir...

The fire incident at Action Footwear store on Jan 25, 2021, that resulted in injuries to four Chula Vista Fire Department firefighters has been determined to be accidental. The National Response Team from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), along with the Chula Vista Fire Department, completed the investigation into the origin and cause of the fire that occurred on Monday, Jan 25, 2021, at 5:40 pm, at Action Footwear, 655 H Street, Chula Vista, California. Action Fo...

The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) is exercising an option in their contract with Saab regarding aerial firefighting capability in Sweden. Saab will provide two additional aircraft with an associated crew. The order from March 2020 concerns the capability to fight fires with two bucketing aircraft yearly, from 1 April to 30 September, through 2023. MSB is exercising the option in the contract for two more aircraft, beginning with the 2021 fire season. This is a resource that will be a...