Fire Detection Systems

A fire detection system identifies smoke, heat or another hazardous event and raises the alarm early for the people inside the building. Karagiannis Security Systems® installs conventional and addressable systems, with correct organisation of zones or addresses, programming of the agreed operating scenarios and testing of detectors, call points, sounders and outputs.

It is equally important to be clear about what such a system does not do. Fire detection does not prevent a fire from starting and it does not replace the approved fire-safety design. It detects and raises the alarm, unless the project includes a separate extinguishing system.

Who the service is for

Fire detection mainly concerns buildings with many occupants, stored value or many separate areas:

• Hotels and hospitality premises.
• Offices, shops and commercial buildings.
• Warehouses, workshops and production areas.
• Medical practices, education premises and assembly areas.
• Blocks of flats and shared areas.
• New-build and refurbishment projects.
• Installations requiring a conventional or addressable system.

Five problems a well organised system solves

1. Delayed detection of smoke, heat or another hazardous event.
2. Inability to identify the exact area or device that has activated.
3. Ageing installations with repeated faults or no available support.
4. Lack of organised activation of sounders and auxiliary outputs.
5. Lack of integration with doors, air conditioning, lifts or other technical systems.

Conventional or addressable

The choice between the two technologies depends on the size, layout, use and requirements of the installation. Both can provide reliable detection when they are correctly selected and correctly installed.

Conventional fire detection

In a conventional system, detectors and call points are organised into zones. When a device activates, the control panel indicates the zone in which the event has occurred, not necessarily the individual device. This suits smaller or simpler installations, where each zone corresponds to a clearly defined area.

Addressable fire detection

In an addressable system, every device has a unique address. The control panel can display exactly which detector, call point or module has activated. This is particularly valuable in hotels, multi-storey buildings, large warehouses and premises with many separate areas.

Cabling and expansion

Conventional systems are organised into separate zones and circuits. Addressable systems use loops onto which many devices can be connected. The addressable architecture offers greater flexibility on complex projects, but it requires proper design, programming and technical documentation.

There is no single right answer for every building. The decision is based on the fire-safety design, the actual layout, the ability to maintain the system and any requirements for future expansion.

Smoke detectors or heat detectors

The detector type is not determined by the panel technology alone. It depends on the area, its use and the relevant fire-safety design. A smoke detector may be suitable in an office, whereas a kitchen, boiler room or area subject to steam may call for a different approach.

The wrong choice leads either to unwanted activations or to delayed detection. For this reason the detector type is selected area by area, not uniformly for a whole building.

Cause and effect scenarios

A fire detection system can activate sounders throughout the building, in accordance with the agreed operating scenario. It can also send signals to doors, air conditioning, lifts or other technical systems through a suitable output, volt-free contact or module.

Two points need to be clear from the outset. Fire detection does not automatically take over the operation of other systems: it provides the appropriate signal and executes the agreed scenario in line with the design. Every such function is also implemented in cooperation with the installer responsible for the other system. Releasing doors during a fire alarm, for example, is possible where this forms part of the approved operating scenario.

Connection to an alarm receiving centre

Depending on the control panel, the communications equipment and the agreed service, a fire detection system can be connected to an alarm receiving centre. Equally, fire detectors connected to an intruder alarm panel can transmit their events under their own procedure.

Alarm installation and fire detection address different risks and are designed separately, even when they coexist in the same building.

A single installation for hotels and commercial buildings

In hotels and larger commercial premises, fire detection is rarely a standalone project. It sits alongside room telephony, Wi-Fi, CCTV, access control and television signal distribution. Karagiannis Security Systems® also delivers the VoIP telephone systems for the same premises, so that security, communications and the network are designed as one working solution.

What the handover includes

On every fire detection project we undertake:

• Selection of a suitable detector type for each area.
• Correct organisation of zones, loops and addresses.
• Programming of the agreed cause and effect scenarios.
• Testing of detectors, call points, sounders and outputs.
• Clear separation between our scope and work belonging to third-party systems.
• Support and planned maintenance.

The scope of every project is defined before installation begins, and the system is handed over after a functional check of the agreed capabilities.

What we never promise

To be clear from the start, a fire detection system does not cover:

• It does not prevent a fire from starting.
• It does not replace the approved fire-safety design.
• Project compliance is not confirmed without the relevant design and complete information.
• No detector can be treated as one that will never produce an unwanted activation.
• Third-party equipment is not isolated or controlled without the responsible installer.
• Automatic extinguishing is not included when it is outside the project scope.

Equipment

We use conventional and addressable fire detection systems from manufacturers we support technically. The control panel, detectors and interface devices are chosen on the basis of the design, availability and genuine technical support capability, not on the basis of a brand name.

Support and maintenance

Technical requests are assessed according to their severity and their effect on the operation of the system. Remote checks are carried out where the system and the connection allow, and site visits are scheduled according to availability. Maintenance services and technical support contracts are available.

On an existing third-party installation, a technical inspection is carried out before support responsibility is accepted. On an old or end-of-life system, we explain the real limitations before proposing a solution.

Service areas

Our offices are at 17is Noemvriou 6-10, Melissia, Attica.

• Primary zone: Melissia, Nea Penteli, Penteli, Marousi, Vrilissia, Kifisia and Chalandri.
• Northern suburbs of Athens: Ekali, Dionysos, Drosia, Anixi, Agia Paraskevi, Papagou, Cholargos, Iraklio, Nea Ionia, Lykovrysi and Pefki.
• Wider Attica, including central Athens, the southern and western suburbs, eastern Attica and Piraeus, following assessment.
• Outside Attica, selected projects following technical and commercial assessment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between conventional and addressable fire detection?

A conventional system identifies the zone in which the event has occurred, whereas an addressable system can identify the individual device that has activated. Both technologies work reliably when they are correctly selected and installed for the particular premises.

Does a fire detection system extinguish the fire?

No. It detects and raises the alarm, unless the project includes a separate extinguishing system. It also does not prevent a fire from starting and does not replace the approved fire-safety design.

Can the existing cables be reused?

Only after their type, routing and actual condition have been checked. In many cases they can be reused, but the answer is given after the inspection rather than before it.

Can the fire detection system be connected to an alarm receiving centre?

Yes, depending on the control panel, the communications equipment and the agreed service. Fire events can be transmitted and handled under their own procedure.

Request a quote for a fire detection system

Karagiannis Security Systems® has been designing and installing fire detection systems across Attica since 2006, under Hellenic Police licence Ref. 3015/39/60/4343-e. Call us on +30 210 7781577 (Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 16:00), email info@karagiannis-security.gr or visit us at 17is Noemvriou 6-10, Melissia 15127, for a site survey and a quote.