Warning Systems
FFP Canterbury Ltd has the capability and experience to design and install any system to suit your building. Warning systems are designed for the specific need of each building and take into account the requirements of the building to comply with the New Zealand Building Code documents, the environment within the building and the ability of the occupants to be alerted and to evacuate safely.
Fire alarm systems
These systems are most often based around Manual Call points (the red break glass switches on the exit routes of buildings), and a warning tone sounding throughout the building. Detectors which respond to increasing temperature, particular types of smoke, flame or other phenomena are added to the system to ensure that the building is protected as designed. A poorly designed system will cause false alarms or not detect a fire early enough.
Specific solutions can be provided for difficult, dusty, dirty or wet environments, or specialised detection equipment to detect very low levels of smoke, invisible to the eye, to protect sensitive plant or infrastructure.
Fire Alarm Systems in New Zealand are installed to comply with NZS 4512, and all warning systems are required to be installed with the approval of the Building Consent Authority (the local Council) via a Building Consent application. In altered or new buildings, this will invariably require a fire report from a Fire Engineer or licensed designer to ensure that the building meets Building Code requirements.
Early warning systems
Smoke is as damaging as fire, so early detection in critical areas is essential to preventing damage. FFP Canterbury Ltd are qualified installers of a number of early warning and ultra-sensitive detection systems and can tailor a system to the environment you most need to protect.
While conventional smoke detectors operate at with a visible haze of around 4% obscuration per metre, we can provide systems which will detect a fire at less than 0.01% obscuration far lower than the eye can detect or even the nose. Low level smoke detection can provide indication of the first signs of an overheating component so a replacement can be made without downtime to the systems.
Some clients use thermal imaging devices to detect the fire at this stage as the fire is too low to see. Different levels of alarm and real-time smoke indications allow visibility to the conditions in the environment. Coupled with a Gas Flood system, this is the best you can provide for your systems.
Other warning systems
Warning Systems are also installed to detect other dangers such as Methane or Ammonia, or for operational purposes such as Lock Down or Man-trapped alarms.
Contact our team to discuss what is best for you or for an appraisal of your building