Connecting a building’s fire alarm and emergency lighting systems to the same centre makes both installation and cabling easier. The intelligent, unit-specific battery back-up system is also an investment in the safety of the building.
In order to ensure safety in a building with a central battery system, route and emergency lights must be wired using fire-proof cables, so that the flames do not damage the electrical wiring during a fire resulting in an emergency lighting failure. Fire-proof wiring systems, however, are cumbersome and difficult to install.
- We wanted to develop a safety system that would be lighter by design, but more secure in terms of functionality. The end result was the FIREscape fire emergency lighting system with unit-specific battery back-ups, which combines fire alarms and emergency lights to the same centre using shared cabling. The units are wired to the same loop and each light has its own battery, so an ordinary KLMA cable is sufficient, says Peter Malmelin, Product Manager with responsibility of fire safety systems at Hedengren Security.
In practise, the equipment of the FIREscape system consists of a multi-function centre, which combines the Neptolux LED-based route and emergency lights and high-quality fire alarms. All detectors and lights have the same base, to which the unit can be secured by turning it into place.
Proven improved safety
The innovative system developed by Hedengren Security has been in use in shopping centres, office buildings and manufacturing already for over 10 years. The first multi-function centre was installed in 2007.
- The intelligent combined safety system has been praised by designers and installers especially due to its ease of installation. The functionality of the system has already been proven in several real-life situations and its intelligence has been concluded to improve fire safety, says Malmelin.
The intelligent system minimises damage
The better safety of the combined system is based, for example, on the intelligent route lights with changing symbols, which is one of the features of the FIREscape system. When the fire alarm is activated in a specific zone, the system directs the symbols of the route lights in a manner that allows people to escape along the safest route while avoiding the fire area.
- Separate fire and emergency lighting systems with static route lights continue to direct people to all emergency escape routes, even if one of them were to have a fire, Malmelin explains.
In order to obtain a clean overall situational status, the menu structure of the shared keypad divides the systems into their own views. Rescue personnel can quickly see what fire alarms have been activated during a fire alarm, for example, or maintenance personnel can control lighting functions with ease.
The FIREscape fire safety system, which is developed and manufactured in Finland, is produced in accordance with European standards. The fire alarms are EN54 approved. The emergency lights are ATS-approved and fulfil the EN 62034 standard.
Prodex FIREscape multi-function centre
- One addressable line is integrated into the modular centre in the standard configuration. It can be expanded with addressable and/or conventional line cards.
- The centre includes powered fire and fault outputs, in addition to a freely programmable control connection.
- The centre has four timed lines, the channel integration of several centres and battery capacity of up to 80 Ah.
Interested – Ask for more details!
Our sales team is available at +358 (0)207 638 635 or security@hedengren.fi