My team and I are the first defense; we design safety systems that must interact with critical building operations. Fire pumps, elevators, air handlers, and card access are just a few of the common systems a properly functioning fire system must interface. The Security and Fire System installation is a task as complicated and diverse as the buildings they are found in.
Early Fire Systems
People can limit their exposure to financial loss and live longer by having an early response to a fire. The earliest form of a fire alarm was when roving watchmen, who upon discovering a fire, would ring a large hand bell and shout. The fire brigades were alerted by hand bell-ringers and they followed the sound. According to an article published on the Boston Fire Historical Society’s website bostonfirehistory.org, this career grew alongside the world of the telegraph.
In the spring of 1851, Boston installed a specially converted telegraph system. This system was independent of the communications lines of the time. The system consisted of 40 miles of wire, connected to 40 signal boxes and 19 bells. Investments into these systems were great, the cost of paying claims due to fires were even greater. As a result these fire systems were installed all over America by insurance companies. The bells and pull boxes were located in churches, schools, and fire engine houses. The main building in the system is known as the central station. Each signal box had a unique code entered by pulling a lever which rotated a mechanical gear attached to a cylinder. The cylinder had several pins attached to it in precise places that opened and closed a switch when rotated (like a music box striking the notes on a steel comb). When the system was activated, bells sounded with the distinct ringing pattern associated with the specific box reporting the fire. The ringing pattern would let fire brigades know where to muster. The original systems have been improved upon leaving the original systems to decay. A few cities, such as Boston still have functional systems to this day.
Current Safety Systems:
Where we are today and where we will be tomorrow?
The systems of today, involve Closed Circuit Television (CCTV), Heating Venting and Air Conditioning (HVAC), card access, security, fire, RF transmission, and Mass Notification. Though this career covers so many systems the fire aspect has a very storied past and is ultimately why the entire field of expertise is referred to as Fire Protection Engineering. Video recording has been a staple of security systems from the cameras beginning. Fire systems must be able to stop air handlers from transferring smoke from one area to another, close dampers, turn on exhaust fans, or pressurize areas with outside air for refuge. You may be familiar with key fobs or identity cards that give you access to rooms. Card access began as a security function then became so large that it is treated separate from other systems. Many doors will need to be unlocked, window dampers opened, and some restricted areas locked down. RF transmission is the aspect of using radio communications. In rural and remote areas radio transmitters are used to signal fire services. Satellite and microwave transmitters are being employed to replace radio transmitters. Mass Notification is as technologically advanced as the newest phones and computers. When a University needs to inform you of a situation that may concern you, an automatic text, email, or instant messages is generated by a system collectively known as Mass Notification. The voice that comes from the elevator, or speakers located throughout a building are systems that can be summoned by Mass Notification for emergency use. The systems of today must be fast, as fast as an ‘active shooter’ scenario plays out. The systems of tomorrow will need to be faster, more versatile, and keep pace with commercial technology.
Tomorrow most certainly brings changes in how life safety systems are monitored. In an article from the NFPA Journal titled: Shared Paths Fire alarm systems Ethernets and the issue of interconnectivity, Wayne Moore, P.E. referred to a technical committee studying network reliability stating they "have struggled with issues relating to the use of such networks…..This resulted in a small step forward in the development of requirements…." To put what is said here in clear terms, the NFPA is trying to put life safety systems on the Internet. What this change might allow is legitimate users, local police, federal authorities, or the NSA access to the cameras, sensors, and speakers of private systems. This brings about a new set of skills and concerns for the professionals here. With access, these systems could be operated remotely with determined outcomes.
