Security Systems News

February 2011

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SECURITY SYSTEMS NEWS FEBRUARY 2011 www.securitysystemsnews.com FIRE SYSTEMS INSTALLATION 21 New fire test center will aid installers/dealers By Tess Nacelewicz WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—UTC Fire & Security’s new Fire Innovation & Test Center here will benefit the company’s dealer network by dem- onstrating for dealers and their customers how the products they sell and install actually perform, the test center’s program manager said. “As I like to say, ‘seeing is believ- Nuclear Continued from page 20 lower risk factor so when they submit their [license] application to the NRC, they have a better opportunity to have their license renewed.” In December, the Shearon Harris nuclear power plant in New Hill, N.C. became the first plant in the nation to fully tran- sition to a new fire protection program based on NFPA 805. “We believe the move to [the risk-based] NFPA 805 makes sense: It focuses on areas of the plant where fire can do the most significant damage to operations,” said Julia Milstead, spokeswoman for the Progress Energy plant. She said the previous standards were “more of a one-size-fits-all approach for all plants, regardless of significant differences in their design, vintage and layout.” The Shearon Harris plant replaced human fire patrols with an air sampling fire detection system supplied by Safe Fire Detection of Monroe, N.C. Milstead described how the system works: “Detectors con- tinuously pull air samples from electrical cabinets that contain safe shutdown components for the plant. The system uses cloud chamber technology to detect any combustible particles in those cabinets produced from off-gas- sing ... The incipient detector systems enable us to detect the potential for fire hours, even days, before a person can actually smell or see smoke.” Ron Robertson, president of Safe Fire Detection, a global sup- plier of specialty fire protection products, said the use of such air sampling technology is “better for the whole nuclear industry and better for us.” On Jan. 3, the NRC issued an announcement that the Duke Energy Oconee Nuclear Station in Seneca, S.C. was granted per- mission to transition to the new NFPA 805 standard. The NRC said an additional 46 reactors at 29 sites have also said they plan to adopt the NFPA 805 approach. The NRC also said it “expects other U.S. nuclear power plants will consider adopting this approach once the industry gains experience in implementing the standard.” SSN Does Your Inspection Reporting System Deliver the Critical Data Your Customers Need? BuildingReports’ web-based inspection reporting system and unique bar code technology can deliver device specific reports for your customers with more detail than any other system! ing’ on some of these products,” Roger Riley told Security Systems News. “This facility will serve as a place where we can coordinate with our dealer network, our installers, and bring customers in ... to witness live fire tests.” Also, he said, “dealers and install- ers can come in and understand the product and how it gets installed and so forth.” UTCFS, headquar- tered in Connecticut and a division of United Technologies Corp., broke ground on the 15,000-square- foot center on Dec. 16. In a statement, the company said the facility, to open in January 2012, would be a “state-of- the-art facility, enabling the delivery of leading tech- nologies and cost effective solutions” to customers. The company said the center will have a test hall of more than 3,300 square feet that will “enable live fire testing of water mist, clean agent systems, foam and other fixed fire suppression systems, as well as portable fire extinguishers.” Bill McGann, VP of engineering for UTCFS’ global fire products business, said in a statement the center “will allow us to conduct scientific testing of fire suppres- sion systems,” sharing that learn- ing with industry regulators and customers. SSN *0 1 1 0 2 1 0 0* Trusted reporting data your customers need:  3rd Party Verification  Inventory & Warranty Report  Time/Date Inspected  Automated Product Recall Alerts  Service Authorizations  Discrepancy Reports  24/7 Access  NFPA Embedded Codes & Standards 770.495.1993 sales@buildingreports.com www.BuildingReports.com The world’s most trusted inspection reporting solution

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