SPECIAL FEATURE
FIRE, SAFETY & SECURITY The XPander wireless system was used to protect the construction management offices, marketing suites, changing rooms, and communal spaces for the workers in the building, whilst under construction. XPander proved to be a reliable temporary fire protection solution for these areas that didn’t interfere with the fabric of the building and could be installed and dismantled quickly when the project came to the final fit-out stage.
Quick and easy to install Since there is no cabling needed, wireless fire alarms are less intrusive, cause less disruption, and are therefore easier and quicker to install. This makes them ideal for schools, hospitals and care homes. They are more cost-effective too, and allow businesses to continue as usual throughout the installation. A good example of this was the installation of XPander devices in five care homes owned by the family-run home care company, Care By Us, where carers look after young people and adults with learning difficulties. During installation, carers could carry on with their duties and the residents were not distressed by the work.
Removed for maintenance
Apollo’s XPander range of wireless fire detection products
aspect of the building must remain intact as it was before. This makes wireless systems the perfect solution.
Alongside wired systems Wireless systems are a great way to expand and enhance existing wired fire alarm systems. For example, The National Trust adopts the approach of using hard-wired systems where possible, and integrated wireless system components where wiring and access is more difficult or detrimental to the building preservation. This is a useful strategy in many other environments too. In some cases, wiring to an outbuilding or storeroom may be impossible due to a hazardous environment. In this scenario, utilising a wireless system would be ideal. The wired loop would include a translator, as this module is used to communicate with the wireless devices. Having a simple addition to a wired loop that doesn’t interfere with the integrity of the system is essential. Schools are another common application for wireless systems, where upgrades undertaken by the school could affect the fire system. This means that a solution
needs to be put in place that protects the rest of the school whilst also protecting those working on the upgrades. A wireless system could be temporally adopted, housed in the working area, to provide protection without having to compromise or interfere with the existing wired loop. This approach provides complete protection in the most professional, convenient and cost-effective way possible. Naturally, it also allows smaller, simple adhoc system add-ons to existing systems to be completed without detailed planning or building disruption, and with the minimum amount of time and fuss.
Temporary structures Wireless systems are also great solutions used for temporary structures such as marques at festivals and other events, or for temporary premises whilst under construction. This was the case at TwentyTwo, a 62-storey building in Bishopsgate, London, comprising 1.275 million square feet of office space, over 100,000 sq-ft of leisure and social space, including restaurants, art galleries, a gym and a spa.
“Since there is no cabling needed, wireless fire alarms are less intrusive, cause less disruption and are therefore easier and quicker to install.”
An added benefit is that the devices in a wireless system can also be removed for any maintenance work, or in case there are any modifications happening in the building or worksite. If any of the devices in the wireless alarm system require updating, it is very easy to replace the old one with a new device. This also helps to maintain the integrity of the fire alarm system.
Training and support Wireless fire alarms systems are ideal solutions for almost every location; they are reusable, reliable and scalable. So if the location is inaccessible or has hard to reach points that require fire protection, if there are restrictions preventing you from hard-wiring into the walls, or you don’t want any unsightly wires, then wireless solutions are the way to go. Whilst they are far easier to fit than wired systems, Apollo Fire Detectors provides a range of free training courses for this and its other products and services. Its ‘Hybrid wireless fire detection and system principles’ course explains how the system works and outlines the features and benefits. It also describes how to perform radio surveys, and frequency and channel selection for multiple interfaces. Apollo Fire Detectors, apollo-fire.co.uk
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