Homeward Bound
A non-profit animal shelter receives a generous fire protection donation
The Blue Earth Nicollet County
Humane Society in Mankato,
Minn., a nonprofit, no-kill
shelter, has been caring for hundreds
of homeless, injured, abandoned and
abused animals since 1977.
BENCHS has a limited paid staff
and relies on donations and volunteers
to help care for the animals. It does
not receive any funding from the city
or national animal welfare or humane
associations.
The current facility is rapidly deteriorating,
and at 800 square feet, it can
only be licensed to accommodate 10
dogs and 35 cats, which is not enough
to support the 50 animals the shelter
receives every month. The roof leaks,
drywall and plaster are crumbling, and
due to the lack of space, the dogs have
limited time and space to play in the
small yard.
Thanks to generous donations,
BENCHS was able to purchase land for
the construction of the new Riverside
Regional Pet Center, a 6,266-squarefoot
state-of-the-art facility, which is
nearing completion.
A Good Cause
Global leaders of life safety, Silent
Knight by Honeywell and System Sensor,
and local fire alarm installer Spectrum
System, teamed up to donate
much-needed equipment and services
to the Riverside Regional Pet Center.
Considering the challenge of evacuating
the building of numerous volunteers,
staff and kenneled animals, being
able to quickly respond to smoke and
fire is paramount.
The shelter needed a system that
can detect and pinpoint the origin of
emergencies, and alert occupants and
first responders of any alarm situations
in seconds.
Bill Winker, animal lover and president
of Spectrum System, approached
Silent Knight and System Sensor
about donating equipment for the new
shelter. Silent Knight donated the IntelliKnight
5700 addressable fire alarm
control panel, System Sensor gifted
SpectrAlert Advance HR horns and
P2R horn strobes, and Spectrum System
handled the complete installation.
"We have always used Silent Knight
to ensure our customers receive a top-of-
the-line system that is easy to manage,"
Winkler said. "The fact that the
5700 is addressable will allow the humane
society to quickly and efficiently
respond in case of a fire-related emergency.
And System Sensor is our goto
product; the HR and P2R have attractive
finishes and are easy to install.
We are thankful for the opportunity to
work with Silent Knight and System
Sensor to help with a good cause, and
we look forward to the opening of the
new shelter."
The IntelliKnight 5700 is a 50-point
single-loop addressable fire alarm control/
communicator system. The control
panel features addressable sensing technology,
built-in digital communication,
distributed intelligent power, an easyto-
use interface, drift compensation
and maintenance alerts.
"IntelliKnight fire alarm systems
are non-proprietary and sold through
local security equipment distributors,"
said Mike Fischer, Silent Knight's vice
president of sales. "If Spectrum System
decides to move, the shelter's system
can be serviced by another certified
fire alarm dealer familiar with Silent
Knight systems, and parts will always
be readily accessible."
The HR horns and P2R horn
strobes are primary-signaling notification
appliances. The horns have three
alarm options and an option to switch
between a temporal three-pattern and a
continuous pattern. They also can send
a maintenance alert when they need
to be cleaned or replaced, rather than
initiating a false alarm. In an animal
shelter, where dirt and hair levels are
expected to be high, these intelligent
devices will prevent a large number of
false alarms.
A New Home
The new sustainable, environmentally
friendly facility will be large enough
to house 20 dogs and 60 cats and includes
isolation areas for animals that
need to be quarantined. Other features
include state-of-the-art air exchange
and filtration systems, full kennels with
outdoor runs and play yards for dogs,
condominium-style housing for cats to
live communally, a surgical suite and
handicap accessibility.
"The new shelter will be a showcase
in our community, region and state,"
said Susan Kroon, the president of
BENCHS' board of directors. "It is
essential that the precious occupants
of this beautifully designed building
that's LEED-rated are protected by a
system that's as sophisticated as Silent
Knight's 5700. We want to thank Silent
Knight for gifting the shelter this wonderful
system. The dogs and cats are so
fortunate to have caring people reach
out to them."
Thanks to the generous fire-protection
donation, the shelter saved approximately
$4,000.
The Riverside Regional Pet Center
was scheduled to open in January
2010 but was delayed due to funding
constraints. The current goal is to raise
$1.2 million to complete construction,
cover campaign costs and create an endowment
fund to ensure the future of
the shelter.
To make a donation, please visit
www.benchs.org/newshelter.php.