As new global standards evolve, technology in fire suppression systems must do so also in order to achieve ultimate safety and protection with smart fire fighting
With a huge variety of on-road and off-road vehicles in the UK, it’s important that businesses protect these valuable assets against the risk of fire. Not only is it expensive to repair and replace vehicles, but the loss of operations can also be costly, which is why vehicle fire suppression systems are a necessity no matter what industry you operate in.
On-road and off-road vehicle fire suppression are two unique applications for the latest fire safety technology and each system must be tailored to suit each individual make and model of vehicle to ensure complete protection. Whether you have a fleet of company vehicles, or a handful of heavy duty vehicles, fire suppression systems are an integral component to an organisation.
Innovation in the fire suppression vehicle market has continued to unfold with the latest smart technology demonstrating the capabilities of protecting vehicles and their occupants. It is evident that innovative technology in fire suppression systems is key to evolving the smart city. For example, battery-less components have taken the market by storm. With no power requirements, systems protect your assets 24/7. Despite relentless durability and corrosion tests systems activate 100% of the time.
Innovations such as battery capacity or lack of battery source, weight, scale and durability, remote access and more are just a few of the technological advancements that the sector has seen.
Off road vehicles
With expensive equipment and vital off-road vehicles, the damage done by fire is not just to the vehicles itself; it sets a business or operation back in terms of time as well. Vehicles on site are valuable in themselves but they are also essential for company operations. By analysing the environment and operations, the appropriate system can secure your most valuable assets, increase site safety and minimise the impact of a fire in seconds. With advancements this can even be done remotely and effectively.
On road vehicles
One of the most dangerous things which can occur out on the roads is a vehicle fire, putting people and assets at risk. To ensure your vehicles are protected from fire at all times, on-road vehicle fire suppression systems are paramount as a fire not only endangers the driver and passengers, but also the immediate surroundings which could include the public.
Flammable liquids and fuels, as well as electrical wires and overheating can create a fire easily. Whether a fire occurs on mass transit vehicles or company vehicles, the devastation of a fire is something you want to avoid. Fire Suppression technology is able to immediately stop a fire, preventing damage and danger from occurring, and aiding responders to easily analyse the situation and potential threat.
Smart fire fighting
The NIST Special Publication 1191 Research Roadmap for Smart Fire Fighting Summary Report determines the future of smart fire fighting as including smart technology and systems. The report states: “The Smart Fire Fighting vision includes the collection and integration of information from a wide range of databases and sensor networks. It also includes computational tools to analyse that information to make predictions of fire growth, building performance, occupant evacuation and fire suppression. The realisation of this vision would allow fire departments to coordinate better with other community services and fire fighters to execute fireground operations more effectively.
“The vision of Smart Fire Fighting can be realised by harnessing the power of emerging information, communication, sensor and simulation technologies to enable markedly better situational awareness, predictive models and decision making”.
Vehicle fire suppression has come a long way. Over the past decade, significant
developments have taken place particularly on mobile plant fire protection systems. The result is that today’s equipment is more refined and rugged than ever before and provides extensive protection for on and off-road vehicles in many types of inhospitable environments. However, experience shows that in many cases fire suppression systems are often only installed as an after-thought, if indeed they are fitted at all.
Fire protection systems for mobile plant and machinery are designed to prevent fires before they take hold, minimising downtime and costs incurred. Mobile plant and machinery works in harsh environments, operates for long hours without breaks and constantly accumulates dirt and dust. Combined, this means it is an expensive, business-critical item which is at a high risk of catching fire. Any mobile plant fire could cost a business thousands of pounds in a matter of seconds, making the choice of fire suppression solution an extremely important decision and vital in protecting investments.
The benefits of installing reliable fire detection and suppression systems are self-evident, from an economic and a safety point of view. The decision on whether to fit these systems, rests with either the end-user, OEM dealer and occasionally the insurer.
Rising standards
There has been recent updates to standards for fire suppression systems in machinery and vehicles. As technology and machinery continue to evolve, suppression systems must do so as well, in order to continue to protect assets and people.
Changing standards are evident, for example the changing 2020 standards in agricultural machinery. Suppression kits for agricultural machines now have to meet a globally recognised standard – P-Mark SPCR 199. This can typically be achieved with a dual agent system, as reignition of a fire is controlled by a secondary dose of wet chemical foam to cool hot spots. This is particularly important for combines, as fires often reignite around the engine bay.
To abide by the new standards, farms are equipping their machinery with the latest innovation of a dual-agent system – which includes powder and foam retardant and can be adapted to most agricultural machines. This includes a run of pressurised detection tubing that fractures under intense heat. Any loss of pressure initiates the release of a suppression agent – typically dry powder – which is distributed via a separate extinguishing system to eight hoses mounted in high-risk areas.
On most harvesters, the system is predominantly routed around the engine bay, where major damage tends to result in the total loss of the machine. Powder nozzles also direct suppressant down the left side of the machine to smother any flames emanating from the belts and pulleys.
Most agricultural systems are dual agent, so once the powder tanks have been emptied, a dose of wet chemical suppressant is sent down the lines. Several insurance companies, including NFU Mutual, are now specifying auto fire suppression using a non-conductive agent on control panels for AD plants, where hard-to-predict faults can be caused by wire fatigue or overloaded circuits. The kits have also been made mandatory by many insurers of high-value machines in the waste and recycling industry.
The change in standards and the rise in technology demonstrate that organisations must remain vigilant in updating their fire suppression systems in order to remain as protected as possible.
Commentary: Chris Martin, Director, Product Marketing, Safe Fleet Fire, EMs and Industrial Group
Manually operated monitors, also known as water cannons, have been a mainstay in fire suppression largely due to their simple, intuitive operation and low cost of ownership. However, advancements in technology have made electric monitors more widely accepted and in fact more appropriate for many fire suppression applications. Electronics used in the controls of these monitors have improved greatly in recent years, as well as the ability to configure them for specific purposes. These advancements allow for other operational advantages such as operating the fire stream remotely.
Electric monitors have the ability to be controlled from multiple locations, which is the first operational advantage. If aerial apparatus mounted, for example, controls at the pump panel, turntable, aerial tip or platform, or even a handheld controller give the user flexibility in controls to direct the monitor as needed. Manpower can be placed accordingly depending on the specific incident needs.
The next substantial advantage of operating a monitor remotely is the ability to see exactly where the fire stream is being placed. Not only does this reduce the need for a spotter and additional manpower, but you are ensuring that the available water is being used effectively and efficiently to knock down the fire. Valve controls can even be tied directly into the controller to control the flow of water.
The latest in electric monitor control design is the EXM2 series of monitors by Elkhart Brass. The EXM2 input controllers have been redesigned for simpler and more intuitive operation. All EXM2 controllers include standard up/down/left/right monitor controls and nozzle controls for fog/stream. Dedicated STOW, DEPLOY, and OSCILLATE buttons are also featured. The Deploy function allows the monitor to be moved to a predetermined attack position, while the Stow feature returns the monitor to a programmed home position. An AUX button for powering an external device, such as a light or camera, comes as standard.
The new EXM2 solution features leading edge technology. The system includes an integrated Wi-Fi server within the monitor control module. This provides secure access to the EXM2 browser page for simple, intuitive configuration of the monitor and input controllers. Connecting to the monitor via Wi-Fi also allows the user to set travel limits, keep out zones and retrieve diagnostic information, all from a Wi-Fi capable tablet or laptop.
As improvements in technology advance, so will our ability to fight fire. Integrating the two is always the challenge. New designs in electric monitors like the EXM2 have tackled that challenge.
