Dispatch Control and Management of Modernized Fire Alarm and Notification System

Completed project for dispatch control and management of fire alarm system for warehouse complex.

Fire Alarm System Monitoring and Control

Abbreviations Used in Text

• Dispatcher Workstation - automated dispatcher workstation
• Monitoring, Dispatch and Control System
• Automatic Fire Alarm System
• Alarm and Evacuation Control System
• Fire Automation Control Panel
• Fire Damper
• Smoke Extraction Fan
• Manual Fire Call Point

Warehouse Fire Alarm System Dispatch Control

Dispatch control occupies the highest level in the unified fire protection structure of the warehouse complex and is organized as follows.

SYMBOLS USED ON MIMIC DIAGRAMS

General view of the fire alarm page of the modernized dispatch system is provided.

This page shows building locations and signals from the fire control station. To navigate to the layout of any warehouse complex section, click once with left mouse button on the desired image. Same action is needed to navigate to the fire protection systems control page. For example, let's consider the office building - click once on this image. The floor plan of the office building opens. To navigate to any floor, click on it, for example click on the first floor button. The first floor layout of the office building opens.

A BACK button is provided for returning to previous page. A MAIN button is provided for navigating to the general page.

CONTROL

To enter the control, monitoring or manual call point module menu, double-click left mouse button on the device.

To activate or block a module, enter password and press MODULE TEST ON or DISABLE MODULE respectively. To cancel activation or unblock module, enter password and press MODULE TEST OFF or ENABLE MODULE respectively. To enter optical sensor menu, double-click left mouse button on the device. To block sensor, enter password and press DISABLE SENSOR. To unblock module, enter password and press ENABLE SENSOR.

To block required zone, navigate to sensor or manual call point menu, enter password and press INFO, then press ZONE POINT ID, menu of required zone will open, and by pressing DISABLE ZONE button we block it. For unblocking, press ENABLE ZONE button.

NOTE

When alarm signal appears, audio notification activates at fire control station. Only after eliminating the alarm cause, reset must be performed at SCADA or graphical station, where special Reset buttons are provided for returning peripheral equipment to initial position.

Technical Description of Warehouse Complex Fire Alarm System

Automatic Fire Alarm System

Automatic Fire Alarm System is designed for rapid fire source detection during air smoke in protected premises, ensuring safe people evacuation and assisting emergency services in people rescue, fire detection and extinguishing.

Equipment used in modernized fire alarm dispatch control must identify fire source location. High reliability is achieved through continuous monitoring of each smoke detector status and alarm level priority selection, minimizing false alarms. Fire alarm installation generates impulse during fire for controlling:

• general ventilation
• smoke control ventilation
• fire curtains
• notification systems

Main Technical Solutions Adopted in Project

For premises protection, fire alarm and notification system is adopted consisting of:

• Intelligent fire alarm control panel where information about occurring events is displayed. See documentation and operation instructions for the control station.
• Graphical station where equipment location information, its status and occurring events are displayed. See documentation and operation instructions.
• Manual call point push-button station, serves for receiving fire signal, activates when glass is broken.
• Optical smoke detector, serves for receiving smoke signal in fire zone.
• Non-addressable optical-electronic linear smoke detector, serves for receiving smoke signal in zone.
• Module with two monitoring inputs and one control output, serves for monitoring and signal transmission to peripheral equipment like fire dampers, notification station and others.

Fire Alarm System Operation Principle

System operation principle is based on continuous monitoring of electrical modes in addressable analog signal lines. When detector or push-button station installed in protected premises, on evacuation routes (meaning corridors), activates, the corresponding block must accept and memorize the signal, logical block processes information and forms signal, depending on activated device:

• "Preliminary alarm" when smoke detector activates
• Fire when push-button station activates or when second smoke detector in same zone activates

More detailed information about occurred event is displayed on liquid crystal indicator and personal computer.

During "FIRE" signal, the fire alarm station takes corresponding, pre-programmed action, forms impulse for controlling engineering networks, smoke control ventilation, automatic extinguishing according to Table No.1. Note: According to building codes, ventilation shutdown and smoke protection activation may be performed from fire alarm manual call point signals installed on evacuation routes.

Table No.1

Note:

• Smoke extraction damper abbreviation
• Smoke extraction abbreviation
• Fire damper abbreviation
• Warehouse ventilation damper abbreviation

In all fire occurrence scenarios, fire notification must be mandatorily activated. When alarm signal appears, audio notification activates at fire control station. Only after eliminating the alarm cause, reset must be performed at fire or graphical station, where special Reset buttons are provided for returning peripheral equipment to initial position.

PEOPLE NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

The facility subject to notification system equipment represents an administrative-warehouse complex, consisting of:

• Office and amenity building
• Main warehouse building
• Checkpoint
• Packaging warehouse
• General maintenance facility
• Project executed as working documentation with approved sections

GENERAL NOTIFICATION SYSTEM PROVISIONS

Equipment installed according to this project does not serve as noise and vibration sources dangerous to human health and life, and does not pollute environment.

• Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard. Describes general principles and topology of structured cabling systems for commercial buildings.
• Commercial Building Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces. Describes principles of cable routing pathways, selection of telecommunications rooms, equipment rooms, entrance facilities, equipment placement principles.
• Residential Telecommunications Cabling Standard. Telecommunications standard for residential buildings.
• Administration Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings. Describes principles of all cable network components marking.
• Commercial Building Grounding and Bonding Requirements for Telecommunications. Describes principles of telecommunications equipment electrical grounding.
• International analog of commercial building telecommunications standard
• Electromagnetic compatibility of technical means
• Electrical installations
• Communication facilities installation instructions
• Computer facilities buildings and premises design instructions
• Safety rules
• Automation installations.
• Communication and signaling working drawings.
• Basic requirements for project and working documentation.
• Rules for equipment, products and materials specification execution.
• Diagrams types and general requirements.
• Conventional graphical images of electrical equipment and wiring on plans.
• Automated requirements for document content.
• Alarm and evacuation control systems in buildings and structures during fires.

STRUCTURED CABLING SYSTEM COMPOSITION

Structured cabling system composition. Horizontal and vertical segment cable lines for notification system based on appropriate cables - from facility communication center to acoustic notification devices.

EMBEDDED DEVICES

The project provides for use of cable routing devices - embedded conduits, pull boxes, wall and ceiling penetrations - passages through interior walls. Cable in false ceiling space should be installed in trays with 100, 200 mm diameter and PVC corrugated conduit with 16-50 mm diameter.

FIRE NOTIFICATION STRUCTURE

Notification System

The notification system is an integral part of automatic fire protection in the building. The modernized notification installation is primarily designed for notifying staff and clients about fire and other emergency circumstances, and also allows making service announcements to any notification zones. The proposed modernization allows receiving emergency signal from fire alarm and broadcasting fire notification signal to specified zones within 20 seconds with absolute priority over music broadcast and other operation modes. Notification system signal can be transmitted both automatically, when fire alarm system emergency relays activate, and manually through microphone. All equipment is designed for professional operation and equipped with mounts for installation in standard 19" cabinet. Equipment has compliance certificates with electrical safety and electromagnetic compatibility standards.

Characteristics

• Preamplifier mixer
• Zone selector
• Emergency panel
• Monitoring panel for 10 zones
• Audio signal selector for 10 zones
• Power voltage distributor
• CD mp3-player
• Console for 10 zones
• Desktop microphone
• 1000 W amplifier
• 19" cabinet
• Microphone console

Cable

During creation of this project, requirements of following standards were considered:

• Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard. Describes general principles and topology of structured cabling systems for commercial buildings.
• Commercial Building Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces. Describes principles of cable routing pathways, selection of telecommunications rooms, equipment placement principles.
• Residential Telecommunications Cabling Standard. Telecommunications standard for residential buildings.
• Administration Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings. Describes principles of all cable network components marking.
• Commercial Building Grounding and Bonding Requirements for Telecommunications. Describes principles of telecommunications equipment electrical grounding.
• International analog of commercial building telecommunications standard.

Network laying

Electrical wiring laying should be performed according to Electrical Installation Rules. Cables in ducts should be fixed to prevent deformation of sheaths and conductors under cable gravity action. Cables should be laid with 1-3% length reserve in serpentine pattern, sufficient for preventing possible displacements and temperature deformations.

POWER SUPPLY AND GROUNDING

Power supply and grounding of equipment and notification devices should be performed according to requirements of Electrical Installation Rules, manufacturer technical documentation and this project.

ABBREVIATIONS LIST

• American wire gauge system - American methodology for wire gauge assessment
• Electronics Industries Association - electronic industry association
• Protection rating classification according to international standard
• Connector type for eight conductors
• Telecommunications Industry Association - telecommunications industry association
• Local area network
• Structured cabling system
• Main distribution panel
• Uninterruptible power supply
• Non-guaranteed power supply system
• Uninterruptible power supply distribution panel
• Non-guaranteed power supply distribution panel
• Non-guaranteed power supply distribution box
• Uninterruptible power supply distribution box
• Electrical Installation Rules
• Notification system

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