Making a Virtue of a Necessity

Meeting fire safety approvals required by law doesn't have to be a headache. Bosch's integrated fire detection and voice evacuation solutions can be tailored to any size of business or institution, from small shops, schools and offices, to very large sites such as high-rise buildings, industrial complexes and airports.

The installation of fire safety and voice evacuation systems can in some ways be described as ‘making a virtue out of necessity', since it's an expense that businesses and institutions have to bear by law from which there is no obvious financial return. Of course, they appreciate that regulations are important but they still want to adhere to them with as little cost and disruption to their business as possible. EN certification and standards conformity are the most important aspects of Bosch's integrated fire alarm and voice evacuation solutions, and rigorous testing by independent laboratories gives the customer and the user a lot of security and peace of mind. What suits large sites would be inappropriate and far too expensive for smaller sites, so the company's modular fire and voice evacuation systems can be tailored to any site and their integrated solutions provide a complete safety chain built on a combination of proven systems, from early detection to orderly evacuation. Bosch detectors, built for accuracy and reliability, indicate exactly where a hazard exists, and the voice evacuation system can transmit warnings to the affected area or the entire building or complex and initiate orderly evacuation with clear messages that keep everyone calm.

Products for Every Project
For small to medium sized sites, Bosch has the Fire Panel 1200 Series which supports up to 254 peripherals, and the Plena Voice Evacuation System which can support up to 60 zones and one or two channel operation. A recently introduced RS-232 interface module is used to integrate the Fire Panel 1200 and the Plena Voice Evacuation System giving supervised control of up to 120 voice alarm triggers and ‘smart' voice evacuation control via the fire panel. This solution significantly reduces cabling and hardware costs as against using dry contacts to connect systems together can represent a large proportion of the overall cost due to the cable installation work. The 5000 Series Modular Fire Panel is usually the better option for larger venues. A networked solution comprising the Praesideo fully-digital public address and emergency sound system and a 5000 Series Modular Fire Panel can intercommunicate via the Bosch Building Integration System (BIS). This networked solution can accommodate up to 32,000 peripherals and makes fast warning and phased evacuation possible in large building complexes in the event of fire. The BIS also works with worldwide open and tested IT-standards such as OPC, XML, HTML and Windows - which means that security programs from third parties can also be easily integrated. If fire breaks out, the BIS interface provides easy visualization of the nature of the emergency on its Windows-based browser user interface. The BIS is also capable of starting predefined procedures and sending predefined warning messages over the Public Address and Voice Evacuation system. So it provides valuable support to security personnel and reduces the chance of mistakes, improving the safety of the whole complex.

Sports Made Safe
The security chain is also fully EN-certified - approved for EN 54-2 and 4 for fire and for EN 54-16, EN 60849 and ISO 7240-16 for EVAC. Each system meets the highest standards for quality, safety, and functionality, and offers exceptional flexibility and options for expandability. Arena Zagreb, Croatia's prestigious new multi-purpose sports, concert and exhibition center, features an integrated security system centered around Bosch's Building Integration System and the company's advanced EVAC, CCTV and fire alarm security solutions. The fire alarm system comprises almost 1,500 420 Series intelligent fire detectors and other peripherals. These are controlled by two 5000 Series Modular Fire Panels connected to the BIS. The system also features built-in redundancy with each central system supported by a second 5000 Series panel available to take over if the main panel should fail. The fire panels are connected via the BIS to a Praesideo Public Address and Voice Evacuation System which offers virtually limitless networking and multi-zone possibilities allowing phased evacuation.

Sound Where It's Needed
The 100 V EVAC loudspeakers are designed to ensure that emergency messages are not interrupted in the event of a fire. Every loudspeaker incorporates a ceramic block and heat-resistant wiring to protect the circuit from short circuits in the event of fire reaching the loudspeakers. In addition, fire domes are mounted on the ceiling speakers to prevent fire traveling to adjacent areas through the over-ceiling spaces. Maaspoort Sports & Events is a multi-purpose center that in 2006 went through a major makeover which included the installation of a state-of-the-art fire detection and voice evacuation system. The building complex hosts major league basketball and badminton matches and has training facilities for other sports. It also hosts concerts, dance parties and shows. An integrated fire alarm system was chosen, featuring the 5000 Series Modular Fire Panel in combination with the Praesideo Emergency Sound System which also serves as a digital public address system.

In the Zone
Different types of smoke detectors (from the 420 Series) with multi-sensor technology were installed to meet the individual requirements of the various areas. The Fire Detection System is addressable, meaning that all components can be installed and connected on a cable loop, thus making installation and future expansion of the system very simple. Detector information can be displayed at any time on the user interface of the fire panel. The building is divided into 10 zones providing public address for the sports hall, offices and foyer, with or without background music. The voice evacuation messages, transmitted throughout the entire building in four languages, always have priority over other messages and music. Because of the large number of spectators that can attend top basketball games, sound intensity in the main sports hall can rise to very high levels that, together with echoes, can impair the intelligibility of emergency messages so the main hall has 14 loudspeakers along the sides of the galleries that are positioned in such a way that sound is equally divided and echoes are avoided. Virtually invisible ceiling loudspeakers are used in all other spaces such as the foyer, the offices and the new business club.