Cygnus’ ‘world-first EN 54-certified and 100 per cent wireless’ SmartNet-100 fire detection and alarm system has been selected by Shield Fire & Security to deliver ‘a robust and reliable solution’ for Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, with the entire system installed in just three days.
The hospital has recently installed its fire detection and alarm systems with the help of installer, Shield Fire & Security, to SmartNet-100. Due to asbestos removal procedures taking place on site, the previous wired fire alarm system needed to be removed. Installing a wireless fire detection and alarm system allowed consistent fire safety and protection for the hospital during its refurbishment.
Cygnus explains that ‘the characteristics of SmartNet-100 as an EN 54-certified and 100% wireless fire detection and alarm system proved the ideal solution for the active hospital site, avoiding all risks of cables being cut during refurbishment works’. With no requirement for hardwired interfaces or expanders, SmartNet-100 allowed the asbestos removal process to continue undisturbed.
Shield Fire & Security co-ordinated with site administrators, Tilbury Douglas, to ensure there was no disruption to the live hospital site, patients, or workers during installation. The installation was separated into two phases – the ground floor, which took a day to install, and the first which, due to its slightly bigger size, took two.
“The nature of this installation necessitated a wireless solution, and as one of the very few truly wireless fire solutions on the market, choosing Cygnus was an obvious choice,” said Lee German, Life Safety Systems manager at Shield Fire & Security. “It was our first time installing SmartNet, and we were extremely impressed by both the speed and ease of installation. We highly recommend SmartNet; it has become our preferred wireless solution.”
SmartNet-100 is built on a combination of radio devices ‘operating on a self-forming, self-healing wireless mesh network with multi-path network redundancy utilising channel-hopping technology that enhances reliability and robustness’. Cygnus says it is up to 20 times faster to install than wired systems.
With both phases using the SmartNet-100 system, 18 heat detectors and 10 manual call points were installed on the ground floor, and 16 heat detectors and three manual call points utilised for the first. In addition, output modules and sound bases were integrated throughout both floors.
The installers at Shield Fire & Security undertook both the basic and advanced level training at Cygnus Academy to become certified installers.
