Page 34 - Security Today, August 2017

life safety devices.
Due to this complexity, each integrator had to submit weight
specifications of the technologies being recommended for installa- tion. This allowed the facility to determine whether the ceiling could withstand all of the weight it would be holding, especially under cir- cumstances such as inclement weather. A typical office building or re- tail store has enough support where security and fire installers never need to consider the weight of the equipment.
“Even though we examined a collection of 3D drawings, it is dif- ficult to envision until it comes to life,” said Loud. “Once we estab- lished the design build, we then had to overcome the challenge of installing our systems at the same time as everyone else.”
Bill Van Loan, president of Critical Systems, described this chal- lenge as the ‘card trick installation.’
On a strict timeline, the integrators were required to complete the installation of their devices on a busy ceiling, and at the same time as the other components and trades – sprinklers, HVAC, structural steel, electrical, fans, curtain walls, volleyball nets, basketball nets and many other retractable sporting apparatus.
“For the fire installation, a major challenge was perfecting the strobe synchronization,” Van Loan said.
He goes on to explain that the National Fire Protection Asso- ciation (NFPA) code requires having three or more strobes in the same “field of view” across the busy ceiling. The planning that went into the intricate design layout was sizable, considering the constant movement of scoreboards and nets they needed to work around. To accomplish this complicated task, the integrators installed several multiple power supplies which simultaneously push out synchroniza- tion to all strobes.
Both Loud and Van Loan attribute the success of the installation to their teams. “One way to get over these challenges is to have people on staff with experience,” Loud said. “Good management and com- munication kept us from getting in trouble.”
Optimizing Fire Protection: Combining Detection and Mass Notification
When it came to the fire alarm technology, Critical Systems looked
for a networkable, intuitive state-of-the-art system that had charac- teristics of survivability, for instance the ability to withstand a breach and still work properly. They chose the Honeywell | Gamewell-FCI E3 Series system, which has the added benefit of being one of the only panels U.L. listed for both fire and mass notification messages in one setup.
Within a fiber optic backbone, this integrated and intuitive system can communicate seamlessly across the vast campus. This advantage authorizes facility operators to bypass individual maintenance and security points from any building, and allows them to broadcast mass notification messages across the campus, inside the facilities and out- side on the playing fields. Once additional indoor facilities are added to the campus, LakePoint buildings will be connected through a fi- ber optic network to monitor all facilities from redundant command centers—or for more unique situations, have the ability to transmit
Mass Notification Pay Offs
It has become increasingly common for facilities to choose professionally installed and monitored fire systems as they are the ideal backbone for mass notification systems. While there are myriad advantages to this approach, intelligibility and reliability are two that were essential to the success of the LakePoint installation.
Intelligibility. Fire systems are inherently code compliant and in 2010, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 72, Chapter 24 code changes made great strides for fire system performance. While 2010 may seem like quite a while ago, when it comes to code adoption, incremental changes take time. This specific update, for the first time, introduced “intelligibility” requirements for mass notification systems.
Intelligibility refers to the clarity of the voice commands. Though it sounds like a basic requirement, there are many scenarios where this is dif- ficult to comply with. For example, the LakePoint building could have as many as 6,000 people in it at any time, from cheering families to wheezing basketball players. On top of that, there might be retractable walls and play-by-play commentary spanning the entire building. All of these noises and barriers combined could potentially drown out the clear sound of a PA system. Perhaps it becomes difficult to decipher between a fire evacuation or a lockdown.
But with the Chapter 24 changes, the clarity and intelligibility requirements ensure that the voice announcements are enunciated in a manner that facilitates quick and accurate decision-making to direct occupants to safety.
Reliability. Public address (PA) systems aren’t held to strict industry standards, despite their importance in notifying a large group of people. Conventional PA systems are not required to be tested and maintained, but many buildings continue to use them due to their flexibility in relaying voice instructions in emergency situations.
In many locations around the United States, this could mean that a speaker might fail when trying to notify a group of people of a situation, and the building operators wouldn’t know until it’s too late.
On the other hand, fire systems are held to rigorous industry standards and are regularly inspected. Therefore, commercial buildings are required to have a functioning, and reliable, fire alarm system that meets NFPA code. Unlike common PA systems, trained professionals confirm the systems are highly dependable as they frequently test alarm signal communications, confirm functionality and immediately inform building operators of potential issues.
18
0817 | SECURITY TODAY
COVER STORY