A major project to upgrade the fire protection at Dover Docks,
Europe's busiest and most successful ferry port, has been completed
during the port's 400th anniversary year.
Involving the installation of over 2,300 devices, 44 control
panels and seven miles of network cabling, the new system is based
on Apollo Discovery fire detection technology. The system was
installed by independent specialists Fire Alarm Fabrication
Services Ltd (FAFS), who were awarded the contract by The Harbour
Board following a full tender.
The Dover Harbour Board was established in 1606 under a Charter
granted by King James I and continues as the statutory body
responsible for the administration, maintenance and improvement of
the 240 acre site. Today, The Port of Dover is one of the world's
busiest and most successful ports, with some 14 million private and
commercial passengers, 2.5 million cars and 2 million lorries
travelling through it each year.
The demands on fire safety provision at Dover are wide-ranging.
The Harbour Board is responsible for managing the Western and
Eastern Docks situated two miles apart, including a wide array of
passenger and freight buildings from cruise and ferry terminals to
immigration holding areas and cold stores.
Buildings, manned and unmanned, accommodate visitors and staff
and include car parks, an IT centre, high voltage sub-stations,
workshops and storage areas containing hazardous materials. In
addition, the Dover Harbour Board is landlord of Georgian flats
along the seafront and has to manage a large number of listed
buildings.
This diverse range of activity, together with continuing
development at the site, has major implications for fire safety and
The Harbour Board undertakes regular reviews the most radical of
which took place in 2002. They wanted to make sure that the fire
detection system would provide adequate protection for the entire
site as it then was, while offering the flexibility and scalability
to accommodate future requirements.
Following the tender process, FAFS was appointed to provide
specialist fire system installation and maintenance support. They
selected Morley-IAS control panels in combination with Apollo
intelligent fire detection devices as the equipment best suited to
the task.
"One of the biggest challenges was to accommodate a wide range
of detectors, some of which are up to 15 years old," says Terry
Davies of FAFS. "The unique backwards compatibility offered by
Apollo's open digital protocol enabled us to deliver a highly
cost-effective solution. At the same time, the Docks present a
hostile, corrosive environment and the chosen solution had to be
suitably robust to withstand the pressures of the natural elements
combined with the logistical demands of an international port."
The Port was sub-divided into four sections, each supported by a
separate loop. A P1 system is specified for the parts of the
complex that may be unmanned for any period of time, with the
highest category P1/L1 system for the public buildings. To
accommodate the diversity of activity across the site, the system
includes optical, ionisation, beam and aspirating detection
devices.
Every device is monitored constantly at three separate
locations, with any loss of signal investigated immediately. The
whole network reports through to the police station situated at the
edge of the Eastern Dock.
Evacuation procedures are tightly controlled and take into
account the large volumes of traffic and people spread over a wide
area. A pre-alarm function is used to isolate an area at risk,
enabling staff to check the potential problem and restrict or
evacuate the area as necessary, so minimising disruption.
FAFS continues to support the fire detection equipment by
undertaking regular service and maintenance, delivering
comprehensive training for Harbour Board staff and providing advice
and support.
George King, Electrical & Mechanical Manager for Dover
Harbour Board, comments: "We operate in a highly volatile market
and the only thing that is guaranteed is change. With the
Morley-IAS and Apollo system in place and the ongoing support of
FAFS, we have a fire protection system with the resilience and
flexibility needed to respond to whatever demands are placed on us
in the future."