Author Topic: Several Fire Panels - connected vs. disconnected  (Read 4683 times)

Offline Sivp98

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Several Fire Panels - connected vs. disconnected
« on: November 13, 2007, 01:25:18 PM »
Hi All, need your advice/opinion on the scenario.

Office occupies entire building except for the lower grnd floor, which belongs to other company (it is often unoccupied). Office and the lower ground have separate fire panels connected together, in addition a fire panel of adjoining building is also connected. Now due to refurbishment in lower grnd and other issues (likely to go on for long time) false alarms started to occur quite often. Some time ago it was decided to disconnect the office fire panel from the other two, as it badly affects business. However the final decision has not be made so far.

There is a number of pros and cons to the situation, however any ideas on the best solution of the situation.

thanks,
Paul

Offline kurnal

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Several Fire Panels - connected vs. disconnected
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2007, 02:30:37 PM »
How many floors in the building?
Is there a compartment floor between office and lower ground floor? If so to what standard?
Do any staircases or access routes from the lower ground floor connect to any of the upper floors?

Offline Sivp98

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Several Fire Panels - connected vs. disconnected
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2007, 03:22:59 PM »
Kurnal,

thanks for coming back on the issue.

10 floors.  Not sure about the standard, but there is a ceiling void.  Separate (from office part of the building) entrance to the lower ground.  

Interestingly, the fire panels were linked that way that if it is triggered in the lower ground or adjoining building then it would trigger office fire panel, but if the fire panel was triggered in the office building it would not trigger fire panels in the lower ground or adjoining building.

Graeme

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Several Fire Panels - connected vs. disconnected
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2007, 05:48:39 PM »
i would suggest that you get in a  fire company to address the false alarms first and then try to suss out what sort of sytem you have and how they have all been connected.

Offline kurnal

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Several Fire Panels - connected vs. disconnected
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2007, 10:17:12 PM »
Whilst Graemes solution is by far the safest and most suitable there are a number of possible scenarios that may also be suitable. In a building of this height there will be substantial compartmentation in place and it may in some circumstances ( a perfect world) be possible to consider the two as seperate entities. Coming back a little from this there may be opportunity to install a couple of heat detectors in key areas down below to give some warning of a fire in the lower floor to the management of the office. It would be unlikely that when originally installed a fire alarm in the LG floor would result in full evacuation of the upper floors  if compartmentation is in place.

Offline Sivp98

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Several Fire Panels - connected vs. disconnected
« Reply #5 on: November 14, 2007, 01:02:54 PM »
Kurnal, Graeme,  thanks for your input on the issue.  We will discuss this with the owners of all involved areas to find some sencible way out.

Thanks again for your help.

Paul