Emkay Installs Apollo In Scottish Schools Refurbishment
Ten sites in north Lanarkshire completed to
date.
Emkay Fire Detection Limited has won various
contracts to supply Apollo-based fire detection systems in schools
across North Lanarkshire. The contract, which covers refurbishment
of lighting and fire alarms in schools throughout the area, was
awarded by North Lanarkshire Council to various Electrical
Contractors of which Emkay Fire Detection Ltd was the
Supplier.
North Lanarkshire in the heart of Scotland has a
population of around 321,000 and covers one of the largest local
council areas in the country. The Council is responsible for 130
primary schools and 26 secondary schools, as well as a number of
nurseries and special needs units.
To date, Emkay Fire Detection has fitted modern fire systems in
ten schools as part of the Council's refurbishment programme. Most
of the schools have straightforward fire protection requirements
and range in size from Auchinloch Primary, a 1930s village school
serving 100 pupils, to Mossend Primary & Nursery which has
around 360 pupils.
Emkay chose Apollo's XPlorer range for these installations. The
XPlorer range has been designed to provide the benefits of analogue
systems without having to commit to complex design and
commissioning. Key features include proven digital technology, a
pre-alarm to help reduce false alarms and flexibility of system
configuration. The range includes an optical smoke detector, a
standard heat detector, a high temperature heat detector, a manual
call-point and a choice of two bases. A range of XPlorer interfaces
for equipment switching is also available.
On larger projects such as Cumbernauld High School, however,
Emkay recommended that Apollo XP95 analogue addressable fire
detectors should be used. "The XP95 range is better suited to the
scale and complexity of buildings like Cumbernauld High, plus it
was more economical for this particular application," explained
Tommy Flynn, Emkay's Managing Director.
XP95, like all Apollo intelligent detector ranges, is based on a
digital, open protocol. This ensures backwards and forwards
compatibility, greatly simplifying extension of the system or
replacement of detectors to meet future requirements and changes of
use. An open protocol also makes upgrades logistically easier
because work can be carried out in phases over time. The XP95 range
includes an ionisation and optical smoke detector, a heat detector
and a multisensor. The detectors are robustly designed and can
operate over a wide range of temperatures and humidity levels. They
are also equipped with a drift compensation feature to minimise
false readings caused by dust.
Cumbernauld High School comprises a main building that houses
classrooms in three low-rise blocks, plus separate buildings linked
to the main block by corridors that house the departments of
technology, business studies & sciences and home economics.
There is also a large main assembly hall and a PE block that
includes a swimming pool.
The existing fire protection treated each building separately,
with no communication between the different blocks. Emkay supplied
a networked fire detection system comprising five Advanced
Electronics control panels - one for each of the main buildings.
These monitor around 400 Apollo XP95 fire detectors and will
trigger an immediate evacuation of the entire school in the event
of an alarm.
The complexity of this site meant that part of the installation
had to take place during term time. Emkay phased their work around
the normal school timetable and ensured continuous fire protection
throughout the refurbishment.
Related Products