Apollo Intelligent Fire Detection System Protects Robin House Children's Hospice In Scotland
An intelligent fire detection system incorporating over
400 Apollo devices has been installed to protect a children's
hospice near Loch Lomond. Robin House is one of only two children's
hospices set up by the Children's Hospice Association, Scotland
(CHAS). The fire detection system was supplied and commissioned by
Glasgow-based Advanced Fire & Security, which will also
maintain the system.
Robin House is a modern, architecturally innovative building set
in the heart of the National Park. The hospice offers specialist
palliative support through respite care and emergency care for
children with life limiting, life threatening and terminal
conditions, and provides regular short term breaks for up to eight
children and their families at a time.
The eight family bedrooms plus the eight children's bedrooms can
cater for up to thirty-five people and are located on the lower
floor and ground floor, where each has its own exit.
Straightforward evacuation procedures were key to the building
design in order to accommodate the varying degrees of mobility of
the children staying at the hospice. In addition, there is lift
access to the first floor, a hydro-therapy pool and several
communal areas featuring walls and ceilings made entirely of glass
so that the beautiful surroundings can be enjoyed to best
advantage.
The fire system specification stipulated an open protocol system
for which replacement products would be readily available. Advanced
Fire & Security recommended Apollo technology. Peter Keenan,
Director of the company, explained: "Apollo was the perfect choice
for this system because the technology is well proven and it is
also backwards and forwards compatible. The system can accommodate
changes of use so that if an extension of the system or replacement
detectors were ever required, this would be a simple
procedure."
Advanced Fire & Security supplied an intelligent fire
detection system based around a four-loop control panel. The system
incorporates 100 smoke detectors and 42 multi-sensor detectors from
Apollo's XP95 range, plus
eight sets of beam detectors for some of the larger, communal
areas.
The fire detection system is designed to provide 'one out, all
out' evacuation in the event of an alarm, but there is provision
for an abnormal reading to be investigated to avoid unnecessary
disruption to the children and their families. Staff are alerted to
an incident first and can cancel the alarm within two minutes if no
action is required. If the alarm is not cancelled within two
minutes, sounder beacon units are triggered to signify full
evacuation. One member of staff is allocated to each family to
ensure that all parties exit safely.
The fire detection system also interfaces with other equipment,
including a VESDA aspirating smoke detection system, all internal
corridor doors and the lifts in the building, which will return to
the ground floor in the event of a fire.
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