Connecticut School Rebuilds Fire Alarm System After Mother Nature's Fury

  • Feb 17, 2012

A Connecticut school system damaged by two natural disasters continue to receive aid from an integrator. 

A lightening strike in 2010, followed by Hurricane Irene a year later, damaged the school facilities' fire alarm systems beyond repair. The previous systems were also plagued by false alarms and staff spent countless hours searching for elusive spare parts to keep them online. With a frozen budget tying the school to its current systems, the school's Maintenance Supervisor, Guy Boucher, scrambled for a quick, reliable solution with proven longevity.

Silent Knight by Honeywell and local integrator Barnum Engineered Systems stepped in to provide a Farenhyt fire alarm system. Cost-effective retrofit and expansion capabilities, ease-of-use and multiple local sources for products and service were this middle and high school's primary fire alarm system requirements.

A new Farenhyt IFP-100VIP  fire alarm and voice evacuation system from Silent Knight was installed in the school's gymnasium building by Bill Compton, now a sales engineer with Barnum Engineered Systems of Derby, Conn. Compton happened to be working for another company on a phone system in the school at the time.

"I mentioned my situation to Bill and he told me that he could have a new panel up and running before school started," Boucher said. "I took that to my manager and he went for it."

Paramount to the school's cost-effective, timely retrofit was Barnum's ability to re-use the previous fire alarm's existing copper wire and quickly replace any damaged detectors with new System Sensor devices. Built-in code wheels enabled each detector's point address to be set quickly.

After earning an appreciation for the ease of use and smooth operation of the gymnasium's new Farenhyt fire alarm system from Silent Knight, Mother Nature stepped in once again.

"On August 28th, Hurricane Irene blew in and we had no power for several days," Boucher said. "When the power came back on, the old fire alarm panel in the main school building did not."

After seeking a number of quotes, Boucher reached out to Barnum again, which got a new Farenhyt IFP-1000VIP system installed, online and code approved before the start of the school year less than two weeks later.

In terms of the decision to go with the Farenhyt IFP-1000VIP  panel, Boucher wanted an expandable, future-proof system - one that could accommodate the addition of carbon monoxide detection, if and when local code changes come to fruition.

"I knew that with the IFP-1000VIP, we could have as many as eight addressable loops, which could easily accommodate any system growth," Compton said. "And having worked on close to a dozen conversions with existing cables, I've found the Silent Knight system to work extremely well."

While Boucher intends to continue working with Compton, he appreciates having a fire alarm system that does not tie him to one vendor for the future. Being produced by Silent Knight in the United States is another positive factor for this public school system.

To make it easy for Boucher to monitor the gymnasium from the main school building, Barnum connected the two systems together utilizing one of the eight addressable loops in the IFP1000-VIP panel. Barnum also converted old heat detectors in the classrooms to addressable Farenhyt IDP thermal detectors. Now Boucher can monitor extreme shifts in classroom temperature thermal events through the Farenhyt fire alarm control panel, which is a big fire safety jump for the school.

Given the high-intelligibility standards of the Farenhyt system's audio capabilities, upgrading it to also serve as a mass notification system is another option Compton has offered the school. The introduction of a new Emergency Communications System from Silent Knight in early 2012 will enable a good number of existing Farenhyt systems to easily integrate this new mass notification technology.

"Barnum Tech's Mike Kozma and Chris Ramos came in, banged it out, we did some testing, and it all worked," Boucher said. "I'm very pleased with the Farenhyt system, and if I had to do it again, I don't think I'd change anything."

Featured

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.