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Making a virtue of necessity

Meeting fire safety approvals required by law does not have to be a headache.

The installation of fire safety and voice evacuation systems can in some ways be described as ‘making a virtue of necessity’, since it is an expense that businesses and institutions have to abide by laws on which there is no obvious financial return. Of course, they appreciate that regulations are important, but they still want to adhere to them with as little cost and disruption to their business as possible.

Bosch has built a reputation for providing fire alarm and evacuation systems that are easy to install and operate, are fully functional and fully approved to the most demanding European and international standards. The EN certification is one of the most important aspects of Bosch’s integrated fire alarm and voice evacuation solutions. All products used in these solutions are not just in conformity with the required standards, but fully certified after rigorous testing by independent laboratories. This gives the customer and the user a lot of safety, reliability and peace of mind since it guarantees a very high technological level and extensive functionality.

Anja Huchthausen, Bosch’s product marketing manager for Fire Systems

Integrated solutions

Another important aspect that makes Bosch a serious contender in this area is its in-depth competence in both fire detection and voice evacuation. The company therefore positions itself as a one-stop-shop able to provide complete integrated solutions. This is in marked contrast to many other vendors who can only partly offer these competencies. If they do offer both, they are obliged to use third party brands that could lead to compatibility issues.

Having the right building protection system gives everyone peace of mind, from property owners and security personnel to employees and visitors. But what suits large sites would be inappropriate and far too expensive for smaller sites. With its modular architecture, Bosch fire and voice evacuation systems can be tailored to any site.

Flexible interfaces

For small to medium sized sites, Bosch has the Fire Panel 1200 Series, which supports up to 254 peripherals, and the Plena Voice Evacuation System, which can support up to 60 zones and one or two channel operation.

An RS232 interface module recently introduced by Bosch is used to integrate the Fire Panel 1200 and the Plena Voice Evacuation System. The new interface allows supervised control of up to 120 voice alarm triggers and smart voice evacuation control via Bosch’s Fire Panel 1200.

For larger venues, the Bosch 5000 Series Modular Fire Panel is usually the better option. A networked solution comprising the Praesideo digital public address and emergency sound system and a 5000 series modular fire panel can intercommunicate via the Bosch Building Integration System (BIS). This advanced networked solution based around the BIS can accommodate up to 32 000 peripherals and makes possible fast warning and phased evacuation in large building complexes in the event of fire. The BIS also works with worldwide open and tested IT-standards such as OPC, XML, HTML and Windows – which means that security programs from third parties can also be easily integrated.

One of the big benefits of the BIS is its graphical user interface based on Windows and using familiar Internet browser technology. If fire breaks out, the BIS interface provides easy visualisation of the nature of the emergency. The BIS is also capable of starting predefined procedures and sending predefined warning messages over the Public Address and Voice Evacuation system. So it provides valuable support to security personnel and reduces the chances of mistakes, improving the safety of the whole complex.

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