Thursday, October 1, 2009

Why Buy a Fire Control Panel?

By Christopher Williams

Before construction begins on a new building, the governments of most countries, including those in the United Kingdom, require plans for the addition of a fire control panel. Typically, a detailed description of the operation, type, and placement of the fire control panel must be forwarded to the appropriate agency before any work on a new building can commence.

A fire control panel is designed to function as the central point and control for a fire alarm system. It protects the occupants of a building by allowing for the automatic control of fire alarm components, and by processing data from environmental sensors. In some cases, a fire control panel also supplies electrical power to sensors, relays, transmitters, and other critical components of a fire alarm system.

Conventional panels are not typically used in large buildings, but they are often used in smaller buildings, such as schools, restaurants, and small retail stores. This type of fire control panel features one or more initiating circuits, to which multiple sensors are wired in parallel. The accuracy of information received by a conventional panel is limited by the number of circuits it uses. Because each circuit represents a specified zone, the information a conventional panel provides is often less accurate than with other types of fire control panel systems. Emergency fire personnel can only see that a fire exists within a zone, but may not know which room within that zone contains the fire.

The coded panel was a type of fire control panel that was developed before the advent of coded panels. Manufacturing of these panels began in the early 1940s, and continued through the 1970s. Coded panels were similar to conventional panels in many respects. Both types employed the use of zones to help emergency responders locate and suppress a fire. Coded panels, however, used separate "code wheels" to help occupants and emergency personnel locate a fire. A separate code pattern was assigned for each zone, and were usually posted beside strategic pull stations. While some older colleges and hospitals still use coded panels, this type of fire control panel is not widely used in new buildings today.

Multiplex systems were designed as a transition between conventional panels and modern addressable systems. They were frequently used in large buildings and complexes throughout the 1970s and 1980s. During the early development of multiplex systems, this type of fire control panel was coded to operate as a large conventional panel. As technology improved, these panels were coded with advanced features, such as the ability to control more than just fire alarms. In some cases, these panels controlled door locks, electronic systems, and HVAC systems without the presence of any emergency condition or alarm.

Today, addressable panels are most commonly used in new buildings. These panels offer single point fire detections, as well as greater programming flexibility. Single Line Circuiting loops are used to control and power various categories of devices. In many addressable panels, loops can operate sprinkler systems, smoke detectors, and manual pull switches, as well as many other types of devices.

In today's modern buildings, a fire control panel is critical to the safety of occupants and visitors. Selecting the correct fire control panel can help alert emergency responders and occupants in the event of a fire, before property damage and injury can occur.

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