Consulting-Specifying Engineer - August 2007 - (Page 17)

M/E Roundtable FIRE & LIFE SAFETY Integrating fire protection, security BY MELISSA HILLEBRAND, Associate Editor Casamassima Grill Giannini Convery Participants Mario Casamassima V.P. of Engineering, Gamewell-FCI, Northford, Conn. James J. Convery, P.E., CPP Project Director, Schirmer Engineering of New York, White Plains, N.Y. Tom Giannini, CPP Director, Security Marketing, SimplexGrinnell, Westminster, Mass. Ray Grill, P.E., FSFPE President, Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Bethesda, Md. T h i s m o n t h’s p a n e l d i s c u s s e s t h e c h a l l e n g e s e n g i n e e r s f a c e integrating fire alarm and security systems, and provides practical solutions. plines during installation. If the responsibilities of each contractor are not clear, this can lead to inoperable systems or cost overruns. If a building system is installed that requires AC power to operate and the power has not been coordinated, the installation of power over and through sensitive equipment may not be optimal and costly. CSE: How are sequences of operation for integrated fire/security systems written and tested? GRILL: Defining the sequence of operation for integrated fire/security systems can be very complex depending on the occupancy and owner requirements. In most occupancies, fire has been—and I believe will continue to be— No. 1 priority over security signals. In the 2007 edition of NFPA 72, the new Annex information on mass notification systems indicates that priorities of messages should be based on the nature of the message to be administered. The committee recognizes that there may be instances where a fire alarm may not be the highest priority in some circumstances. The development of a sequence of operation should take into consideration management policies in complex facilities. (Continued on page 19) Consulting-Specifying Engineer • AUGUST, 2007 CSE: What integration snafus have you seen in the field and how were they fixed? CASAMASSIMA: 1) Running out of node capacity within a network. Solution was to divide the system into two independent networks and utilize a global monitoring station. 2) Adding voice evacuation after the fact. Make sure that the specified system is capable of supporting audio without major network wiring changes. 3) Major application changes required nearing the end of the project. Make sure the specified system can be field programmed and it includes some type of Boolean control script language that can be used to address those changes. GIANNINI: Most of the problems I have seen involve systems that do not have the capability to be integrated to other systems. The preplanning for systems integration needs to be performed by skilled integrators who understand the various communication protocols and application hierarchies of the platforms to be integrated. Many times the systems are never truly integrated, but rather managed from a single location. This scenario still provides a degree of control, but not to the level of a truly integrated system. CONVERY: Field coordination between disci- 17

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Consulting-Specifying Engineer - August 2007

Contents M/E Roundtable Giants 100 Pullout Poster Giants Stand Tall: CSE Giants 100 Report Electrical Design for Tall Buildings HVAC and Fire Safety for Elevator Systems How to Beat the Codes GAS Technology Supplement Recovering Waste Heat from Boilers New Applications for Tankless Water Heating Systmes Techniques Improve for Powder Coating MDF New Tools Available for Heat Treating Steel Direct Drive Engines

Consulting-Specifying Engineer - August 2007

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