Mark Fletcher explores fire suppression technology and the necessary attention paid to prevention and planning, no matter which facility is protected. Fire has no prejudices; it doesn’t pick and choose who it affects. That, instead, is down to those in charge of the facilities at risk. Fires are terrible no matter where they happen, from small domestic chip-pan fires, to large refineries, the fall out can be immense – mentally, physically and fiscally – which is why so much attention is paid to prevention and fire-fighting. Insurance can cover losses and Fire Departments can prevent further spread, but if the worst does happen, all manner of resulting issues compound the issue even further. This is especially relevant to premises that contain high-value products or offer high-value services. Prevention is always the best approach, but as media headlines often suggest, even the best preventative measures can be breached or circumvented; either through a combination of random environmental factors, staff negligence, foul play, or just simple plain bad luck. It is in these instances that facilities owners/managers need to assess the net worth of their premises and contents/services, estimate the costs of stock or service loss and then feed these figures into a ‘magic equation’ that determines the importance and value they place on their fire-fighting infrastructure. Fire-fighting solutions are now being viewed in much the same way that industrial safety is being considered. Rather than a necessary cost, that knocks a chunk off the bottom line, facilities managers are now starting to take a holistic view that considers the fire-fighting infrastructure as an investment that actually prevents potentially huge punitive costs. There are many fire-fighting solutions available to facilities managers, but the first and most obvious place to start is in the realm of fire detection. Contemporary advances in image and chemical analysis system have enabled many manufacturers to actually sniff out smoulder points before they even progress into full-blown fires. Examples include both standalone and fully integrated solutions which can be patched into existing infrastructures and expanded as the premises or business grows. One example of a detection system is the Sinteso C-Line fire detectors from Siemens, which offer very high security on the basis of the newly developed detection algorithms. Before an alarm is activated, the signals recorded by the sensor (such as smoke density, temperature or both simultaneously) are converted to mathematical gradients (intensity, rate of increase and fluctuation) and analysed by means of detection algorithms. Chubb, among many others, also offers a range of detection technologies from conventional fire detectors, smoke detectors and gas detectors all the way up to fully integrated and addressable plant-/building-wide systems. Camera-based solutions have also come into their own in certain applications and are normally coupled to existing traditional detection technologies. One example is the SigniFire system from Fike. SigniFire is a state-of-the-art camera-based video smoke detection system, which visually detects the presence of flame or smoke at its source, independent of airflow in the area. The IP camera combines the enhanced resolution and picture clarity of a standard network camera with built-in flame, smoke and motion detector capabilities. As an added bonus, the camera system is also capable of being deployed for intruder detection, adding a security element to high-profile areas. The whole system can be coupled to the company’s FSM-IP Network Video Recorder, a scalable, network video recorder with video management software, designed to support up to 32 SigniFire network, flame detecting cameras, which also offers a network management interface for configuration and maintenance. Beyond fire detection we hit the realm of fire-fighting and the first and most obvious preventative measure in terms of fires spread is compartmentalisation, where high-value assets or stock are segregated from each other to ensure that single-event occurrences remain just that – single. In data centres and similar set ups, backups and redundant configurations also prevent the huge potential penalties that can occur should the worst happen. Detecting and containing the fire then gives fire suppression systems a fighting chance of reducing the impact. One example of a solution developed specifically for data centres is the Victaulic Vortex system, which uses approximately one quarter gallon of water per 1,000 cubic feet of protected space per minute, and can suppress most fires in less than three minutes. This small amount of water is mixed and dispersed into the fire space with nitrogen, which pulverises it to such small particles (droplets less than 10µ in size) that accumulation is negligible – an important factor when dealing with water-sensitive assets. The company’s patented Vortex emitter technology creates a hybrid dispersion where both the water and nitrogen act as suppressive agents, cooling and reducing oxygen levels for an effective two-front assault on a growing fire. Other solutions for sensitive areas, where any water is simply not tolerable, involve the use of inert gases to starve the fire of oxygen. These are typically broken down into two types of application – total flooding solutions, where the gas is applied to an enclosed space in order to produce a certain concentration of gas, or local application, where the gas is applied directly to the fire. The use of either is determined by the locale and type of fire risk and its potential to spread. The main drawback with these approaches is the means to suffocate the fire also has the same effect on personnel, so their application is tightly controlled and monitored. However, some inert gas solutions can address this risk by simply reducing the oxygen count to below the 15% needed by a fire to sustain combustion. Humans on the other hand only need 12% and, one presumes, with alarms sounding they will only stay in the immediate area for a limited time anyway. In all instances, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to fire prevention, detection and fighting. The costs and relative merits of a solution have to be weighed up against the value of the assets they are protecting and then a solution designed around the precise needs.

At least one firefighter has been slightly injured Thousands of people in California have been forced to flee after wildfires hit San Diego county on Wednesday. A major fire engulfed the coastal town of Carlsbad, north of San Diego, scorching several buildings and forcing an amusement park to close. Further north, blazes also caused evacuations at a nuclear plant and a military base. At least one firefighter has been slightly injured. Months of drought have made California particularly prone to fires this year. The state, and other areas on the US west coast, often experience wildfires over the warmer months.  Nine fires raged across San Diego county on Tuesday and Wednesday, and officials ordered at least 20,000 people to leave their homes. The Legoland theme park in Carlsbad was closed due to power surges, while San Onofre nuclear power plant briefly evacuated non-essential staff as a precautionary measure. Fires also hit the military base at Camp Pendleton, between San Diego and Los Angeles. Carlsbad fire chief Michael Davies said such fires were unprecedented this time of year. "This is May, this is unbelievable. This is something we should see in October," he said. Officials say tinder dry conditions following many months of drought – coupled with the winds and high temperatures – have left parts of the region highly combustible.

Joost van Ree is appointed as new head of the Sales Department VSTEP today announced the expansion of its Sales and Business Development team. Mr. Joost van Ree is appointed as new head of the VSTEP Sales Department and will be responsible for worldwide sales growth for all VSTEP simulator products. Following the strong international growth of VSTEP over the past year, the company has appointed Joost van Ree as its new head of Sales. Van Ree will be heading up the company’s global sales force for all its simulator products, including the NAUTIS maritime simulator and RescueSim Incident Command departments. Becoming an integral part of VSTEP management, van Ree brings a career of over 10 years in Senior Sales, Business Development and Management positions with a maritime background to the company. Van Ree will also lead further expansion of the global sales & business development team and the VSTEP partner network. Pjotr van Schothorst, VSTEP Director: “We are very pleased that Joost van Ree has decided to join our team. With a solid background in maritime management and business development, Joost will head up VSTEP’s sales department and bring a wealth of experience to the role. We are confident Joost will expand and maintain the high level of customer relationships our company is known for. “ With simulator installations and clients in over 30 countries, VSTEP continues to build on its reputation of closely working together with its clients to deliver world-class simulator solutions. Joost van Ree will play a key role in executing VSTEP’s corporate strategy as the company maintains itself as a top of the line simulator provider.

For leading pharmaceutical research plant The Baldwin Boxall Vigil system, through Tri Management, was chosen to provide a Voice Alarm (VA) system upgrade to a leading UK pharmaceutical research plant in Hertfordshire. Following the installation of a Baldwin Boxall BVR20 networked system in early 2000s the end user decided to carry out a complete fire detection upgrade to the site, which included a new fire alarm system, detectors, voice alarm, fibre network and loudspeakers. Over 50 control panels, around 9,000 fire alarm devices and about the same number of loudspeakers will be replaced, checked and tested across the site during the 24 month project. At a site that employs around 2,000 staff, it was imperative that any disruption during the replacement of loudspeakers, or any part of the system, was kept to the minimum. Tri Management has carried this out impeccably. Baldwin Boxall was handed the order to provide a replacement VA system in Autumn 2013 – comprising of 14 EVAS digitally networked racks, touchscreen control, fire and control microphones. In December 2013 the systems were delivered to site and installed adjacent to the existing BVR20 racks. During this period a new multimode fibre backbone was installed throughout the complex and the new racks were then connected to the network and soak tested over the Christmas break, thus ensuring there were no faults on the fibre network. The existing BVR20 system remained operational during this period. In January 2014, with the co-operation of Baldwin Boxall’s project management team, Tri Management planned the best way to swap over the BVR20 VA system to the new EVAS system, with the minimum downtime as possible. A programme of works was carried out – starting with the fitting of new fire detection panels, detection loops/devices, and connecting these panels the BVR20 rack system. Strictly adhering to ‘good practice’ methods throughout the project, Tri Management checked all loudspeaker circuits, prior to the migration; clearing any faults found ensured that the new system would be fault free at the time of changeover. New voice alarm termination boxes were installed in each rack room and, initially, connected to the BVR20 system. Loudspeaker lines were fed through the new EVAS racks and re-terminated back onto the old, in preparation for the changeover. One by one, each circuit was disconnected to the correct circuit within minutes. This method, along with taking full advantage of the fact that the system is wired on a dual circuit basis, ensured that there was no system downtime throughout this complex site. Prior to the final swap over, each building was tested with a local alert and evacuate message. At this point it was necessary to amend the messages as the client wished to have the existing old VA messages and not new versions. So, Baldwin Boxall’s engineer simply downloaded the existing messages from the old system then uploaded to the new. Then each local fire microphone was tested. This ensured a smooth transition when the final swap over took place. Effective planning and efficient methods meant that the transition from old to new was carried out in an incredible 2.5 days – which really impressed Tri Management’s client. On the building’s fibre network sit three touchscreen control stations at various locations within the site. At each station, it is possible to quickly view the system status, carry out local and site wide paging, broadcast messages and view various history logs. Two BVRD VA control microphones are also included which enable local and site wide paging, message control, emergency all call, music selection and volume control. Each building is an independent zone, with the ability to evacuate independently. During evacuation, occupiers of the other buildings are automatically advised, via pre-recorded messages, that an evacuation is underway. At various locations throughout the buildings there are background music systems installed to provide radio, CD or MP3 audio whenever needed. Some areas also include wall mounted remote access points for local paging, background music inputs and volume control. There are ambient noise sensors installed to ensure that the system remains audible at all times. Especially important due to the potential for high background noise levels – should there be a need to evacuate a building. The remote access points can be used to communicate with evacuated staff to keep them informed of the situation. As part of the site’s environmental procedures, the old BVR20 system has been completely recycled using the sites WEEE scheme. Commenting, on the system Stuart Nichols, Director of Tri Management said, “We have been delighted with the outcome of this project. Our relationship with Baldwin Boxall’s team has ensured that the system was installed smoothly with no downtime whilst swapping from the old system to new, which was critical at such a vital site. If we needed assistance from Baldwin Boxall their response time was extremely good and we were impressed with their engineers’ ability to come up with solutions when needed.” Nick Baldwin, Marketing Director for Baldwin Boxall, said “During the tour of the site I was most impressed with the installation, it is clear that Tri Management has taken great care when carrying out the work – it was one the most professional installations I have seen. It is obvious that Tri Management has carried out considerable planning prior to the swap over to ensure the end user was left with a system that fully met their requirements.” Both Baldwin Boxall and Tri Management have had a working relationship for many years. Chris Hartup, Baldwin Boxall’s Sales Manager commented, “We have had a long and varied working relationship with Tri Management, and various members of the team, over a number of years. The benefit with this particular site, was the fact that Stuart Nicholls was involved with the very first Baldwin Boxall, VA network changeover at this site, around 13+ years ago, using our BVR20 electronic analogue router(s), utilising a graphic PC based message store (non critical messages), around multiple racks on site . “This prior knowledge, along with detailed

An additional security tool dedicated to fire-fighting and search operations On the 22nd December 2010, a routine operation took a dramatic turn for firefighters in Chicago, Illinois. Two of them died and 14 others were seriously injured after the collapse of a burning building. Since this accident many others have occurred around the world. To prevent such accidents, a simple and effective solution to monitor movements of a structure and alert rescue teams of an imminent risk of collapse: Designed by LEADER in collaboration with international experts in victim USAR research techniques, LEADER Sentry provides additional security of intervention areas on which are engaged rescuers, rescue teams, fire fighters, doctors, workers and other persons or victims. With a simple program setting, the inoffensive laser ray of the LEADER Sentry detects the slightest movement of a structure or mass that may endanger persons: unstable building, vehicle accident, landslide, rockfall or snow slab…  Two LEADER Sentry laser sensors can be linked simultaneously to monitor two different structures or two axis of movement of the same structure. If the movement of the structure under surveillance exceeds the warning threshold chosen, a powerful siren and a flashing light are activated to warn of an impending collapse allowing rescuers to take security or evacuation measures. The applications: LEADER Sentry monitor the stability: • Of buildings during firefighting operations (fire damaged metal structures, wooden houses or building after a fire), • During operations of USAR – Search for victims (after a collapse or natural disaster), • During the work / inspections within dangerous underground structures (Galleries, tunnel, mines….), • During emergency shoring and securing trenches and structures (Trenches, shorings…), • Of constructions and temporary structures (tent, grading, football stadium…), • During operations of construction (scaffolding, buildings under construction…), • During securing of fragile structures (snow on roof of houses or stadium….) or dangerous unstable masses (cliffs, archaeological excavations, landslides of dangerous rocks, felled tree…), • Of wreckage during Rescue on damaged vehicles and road traffic accidents (lifting of damaged vehicles (trucks, train…) or of structures during operations of road rescue (movement or collapse of a bridge or a road structure). Strengths of the product: • Simple and intuitive, • One or two laser heads can be plugged on the same control box to be used simultaneously, • A laser beam with a range of 30 meters (100 feet), • A 98 dB alarm and a red flashing beacon enable teams warning, • A quick and easy programming, • A sharp adjustment by increments from 5 to 100 mm (0.2” to 4”) to determine the acceptable maximum threshold of movement depending on the structure and context • A clear control screen showing movement in real time with the choice of measurement (meters or inches) • Possibility of multi-sources power to be operational in all situations (batteries taken 12/24 V, taken 110/220V). • An automatic switchover to AA batteries back up if the main power source fails, • A telescopic sight enables to precisely pinpoint the laser on the targeted area, Contact us: www.leader-group.eu

Over 200 now confirmed killed  An explosion at a coal mine in western Turkey has left at least 201 workers dead and scores injured, officials say. Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said 787 people had been inside the mine at Soma in Manisa province when an electrical fault triggered the blast. Rescuers worked through the night, but Mr Yildiz said hopes were fading of finding any more survivors. Worried relatives have gathered near the privately owned mine, about 450km (280 miles) west of the capital Ankara. Mr Yildiz confirmed the latest death toll on Turkish TV and said some 80 people had been injured. He said that of the workers inside the mine at the time of the accident, only about 360 of them – including those killed – had been accounted for. Mr Yildiz said that carbon monoxide poisoning had claimed many lives. Oxygen was being pumped into the mine to help those still trapped. He later said hopes were fading that anyone else would be found alive. The electrical fault triggered a power cut, making the mine cages unusable. Those trapped are reported to be 2km (1.2 miles) below the surface and 4km from the mine entrance. The blast happened at about 12:30 GMT on Tuesday. Initial reports said 17 people had died but the death toll leapt later in the day. TV footage showed rescuers helping workers from the mine, their faces and hard-hats covered in soot and dust. Some were carried on stretchers to waiting ambulances. Police were keeping the crowds back to allow emergency services in and out of the area. Sena Isbiler, a mother of one of the miners, stood on top of piles of wood, anxiously craning her neck to see those being led out of the mine. "I have been waiting for my son since early afternoon," she told AFP news agency. "I haven’t heard anything about him yet." Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has postponed a trip to Albania over the accident and is to visit Soma instead, his office said. The mine’s owners, Soma Komur Isletmeleri, said an investigation was under way but the accident occurred despite the "highest safety measures and constant controls". "Our main priority is to get our workers out so that they may be reunited with their loved ones," the owners said in a statement. Lignite coal mining is a major industry in the Soma area, helping to supply a nearby lignite-fired thermal power plant. Analysts say the safety record of Turkey’s coal mines lags behind that of most industrial nations. The country’s worst mining disaster was in 1992, when 270 miners were killed near Zonguldak, on the Black Sea.  (BBC)

Bryan Rambo brings over 30 years of experience in fire-fighting foam concentrates Bryan Rambo brings over 30 years of experience in fire fighting foam concentrates and flammable liquid fire protection with fluorochemicals. After receiving his BS in Chemistry from West Chester University (Pennsylvania) Bryan joined National Foam Inc in 1982 as a chemist, progressing through a number of positions including Director of Chemical Manufacturing, Director of Operations, Foam Concentrate Product Manager, Business Development Manager, General Manager and VP of Sales and Marketing. As well as contributing to major fire protection projects round the world, Bryan coordinated National Foam’s world-wide emergency response system, which supported its customers during emergencies, providing urgently-needed, critical foam concentrates. Bryan has also served his local community for over 25 years as a volunteer firefighter, fire department chief and instructor.

Blueproof kills smoke and fumes from radiators A revolutionary fire suppressant, which not only fights fire but also, for the first time in history, kills toxic smoke and fumes is about to go on sale in the UK. Blueproof is a device, which fits onto ordinary domestic radiators then, if a fire breaks out, automatically detects the heat and sprays a fine mist of water onto the flames, using water from the radiators. This quickly turns to steam and recent, official full-scale fire tests showed that the steam generated by the device’s activation killed the smoke and fumes (which kill more people than actual fires). This is the first time this has ever been achieved. Nottingham-born David Atkinson, a scientist and health and safety expert with four decades of experience in the oil and gas industry, invented the device after he saw news reports of the 2012 house fire in Derby, which killed six children. He was determined to use his scientific knowledge to come up with something that would stop similar tragedies. Said David, ”Conventional fire sprinklers were invented way back in 1812 and have not really changed since then. By using more modern materials we have been able to come up with a device, which has huge potential to save thousands of lives.” Unlike smoke alarms or sprinklers, Blueproof does not need any power. If there is a fire and the device activates it immediately starts to reduce the temperature not only in the room which is alight, but also throughout the building. The devices are made from a high-tech co-polymer material which is impregnated with Titanium Dioxide. Over a year’s development by a team of experts throughout the world has been spent achieving a cutting edge status for injection moulding, ensuring the optimum possible wall thickness of the device. Bluerad Ltd   QUICK FACTS: • In official, full-scale fire tests, Blueproof defeated killer smoke for the first time in history. (Babies and pets are even more susceptible to fumes because their breathing is shallower.) • Blueproof lowered the temperatures by hundreds of degrees within 60-90 seconds of activation. • Blueproof tests show that just a small quantity of water at the onset of a fire is the most significant. • The average amount of fluid in a radiator (12L) is four times what is needed to extinguish a fire in an average sized room. • That’s because when water turns to steam its volume increases by around 1700 times • Each day in Europe 12 people die and over 100 are injured in house fires. • In the UK insurers pay – £3.6 million every day – for damage caused by fires. • Twenty one people die each year because the battery in their smoke alarm was flat or missing. Blueproof needs no power or testing. • Blueproof prevents “flashover” – making firefighters’ jobs much safer.

New guide published E2S has published a complete guide for easy specification and installation for their range of intrinsically safe sounders, beacons and combination devices. The guide is based on the ATEX certification but in general, the guidelines apply to other intrinsic safety standards including NEC and IECEx. Focusing on interface selection, the guide offers advice regarding the advantages and disadvantages of Zener barriers and isolation interfaces and provides the general entity parameters for E2S intrinsically safe products. Typical system diagrams detail how efficiently to employ different types of Zener barriers or isolators to control combination audio-visual signals and multiple alarm stages. Additionally, the article proposes suitable barriers for use with E2S intrinsically safe products which the company can source and supply as part of your product order. The intrinsically safe range from E2S includes audible and visual signals and manual call points suitable for use in Group II Zone 0 and Group I mining plus Class I Division 1 applications. The IS range features approval to ATEX, IECEx and NEC standards as well as Russian TR CU (EAC EX) certification. The guide can be downloaded from www.e2s.com/isguide.