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| The SigniFire system detects fires by looking for the tell-tale signatures of smoke and flames in video images |
Fioke Signifire, an innovative fire detector, has been chosen by E U Fire & Security, one of the UK’s largest independent fire alarm distribution companies, as the basis of the fire protection installation in a void above a media studio at a High School in Cheshire.
The SigniFire® system detects fires by looking for the tell-tale signatures of smoke and flames in video images. This is the first application of the system in the UK and is already making rapid inroads into the US fire detection market.
The new media studio at the school was constructed by converting two existing squash courts. The courts were far too high for their new use so, as part of the conversion process, a false ceiling was fitted. The result was a large void above the false ceiling, for which it was difficult to provide fire protection, due in part to there being no convenient access for testing and maintaining detectors.
“While point detectors were clearly unsuitable in this application, the Fike SigniFire® system provided a very convenient and effective solution,” said Ben Moore, National Sales Manager with E U Fire & Security. It was only necessary to install a single SigniFire® camera in each void area in order to provide complete protection, as these cameras are capable of protecting a much larger area than point detection.
In addition, SigniFire® cameras require no routine maintenance, and their correct functioning can be readily confirmed simply by monitoring the images they produce. With SigniFire®, this application was easy to address, but the requirements would have been very hard to satisfy in any other way.
A Fike SigniFire® system uses dedicated high-performance CCTV cameras to monitor a protected area. The images produced are analysed within the camera to look for the characteristic signatures of light from flames and reflected flames or the tell-tale image degradation produced by smoke. The images can also be monitored and recorded in the usual way for surveillance purposes, thereby eliminating the cost of a separate CCTV security installation.
In extensive independent testing, the SigniFire® system has been shown to provide a dependable and faster response than traditional fire detectors in a wide range of scenarios. And in large spaces, such as the void at the High School in Cheshire, SigniFire® provides superior protection with fewer installed devices than are required with traditional fire detection systems, which translates directly into savings in total installed costs.
