Fire Dynamics Limited

Real-time displays

Sometimes you don't know what the cause of a problem is and you need to adopt a process of trial and error. FirePoint-2 allows you to see what is happening in real-time so you can make a change and see immediately what the effect of your change is.

Service reminder

Described by one user as a “fantastic idea”. Routine maintenance is important for all fire-alarm systems but the building occupier doesn't always know or care. However, the FirePoint-2 can be instructed to give them a gentle reminder after a predetermined period. If this feature is used then, when it is time for a routine check, the maintainer's name and telephone number can be made to appear on the display of the control panel alternating with a "service due" message.  The service interval can be set to be any number of weeks from between 1 week and 156 weeks inclusive or the feature can be turned off altogether. (156 weeks = 3 years).

Event log

FirePoint-2 is good at remembering things. All significant events are recorded in an internal log. Naturally you would expect a fire-alarm system to log alarm activations and faults but FirePoint-2 also notes many other events. Amongst other things, FirePoint-2 will record when the clock is adjusted, when a walk-test is performed, when detectors are isolated and de-isolated and every occasion when the system is restarted for whatever reason.

Easy to use diagnostic tools

There are many diagnostic displays available as standard on a FirePoint-2 system.  Many of them are a bit hard to describe in words but intuitively simple to use when you see them. We hope to put some pictures here later but in the meantime we offer the following brief descriptions of a few of the facilities ...

• Event log with time & date-stamped records for each event.
• Continuous (repeated) interrogation of one address to help find "lost" devices.  Sometimes, you know the detector is on the system and responding perfectly well but you simply don't know exactly where in the building the device is. With FirePoint-2, resolving this problem is an example of pure simplicity. FirePoint-2 lets you constantly illuminate the LED (light emitting diode) on a single, specified detector while keeping all other detector LEDs off. You can then search the building until you find the "lost" device.
• Dynamic graph of loop current.
• Real-time display of detector responses.
• Real-time display of overall system status.
• Real-time graph of current flowing in the cables.
• Constantly updated count of interrogations for which an expected response was not received.
• Constantly updated count of spurious responses (normally there aren't any, but if you ever have some extraneous source of electrical interference nearby, you'll be glad you had this "tool" in the box).
• Instant view of the number of attached detectors and their overall response status.
• Count of system restarts

Continuous detector monitoring

Under normal circumstances every detector is interrogated at least once in every four-second period. If a detector stops responding, its problem will rapidly be noticed and recorded.  If a detector fails to respond to three successive interrogations then a formal fault will be recorded in the system log . There are some circumstances where intermittent faults can occur on a system. When this happens the FirePoint-2 gives you useful information.  First, even if no single detector is formally faulty the FirePoint-2 can let you know if there have been periods where groups of detectors stopped responding briefly.  This can happen if there is an intermittent cable connection or if there is nearby equipment that generates a lot of electrical "noise" (such as lift motors, arc welders, or radio transmitters). This information is recorded in the event log and can be seen live if you are on-site conducting an investigation.

Hassle free adjustments and upgrades

Sometimes it is necessary to decommission part of an installation while some other works are carried out.  FirePoint-2 makes light work of such things.  Disconnect the necessary cable sections, flick an internal switch, wait ten seconds, flick the switch back. That's it. Reconnecting the sections afterwards is just as easy — in fact it is the same process.  Now what happens if you reconnect the cable sections but have forgotten to flick the switch? No problem!  FirePoint-2 tells you that the detectors have reappeared and presents warning signals until the matter is completed.

Simple detector isolation

How about situations where you need to take just one or two detectors off-line but you don't want the hassle of disconnecting cables?  This might happen if somebody was using brazing equipment that would cause nuisance activations of the smoke detectors. Once again, FirePoint-2 gracefully allows you to do what you want to do. On one of the control menus there is an "isolate" facility that can be used to inhibit fire responses from individual detectors.  Any number of detectors can be isolated. While a detector is "isolated" it will be interrogated as usual but any fire "responses" will be completely ignored. To help ensure that you don't accidentally leave any detectors isolated longer than necessary the control panel will show warning indications for as long as any detector is isolated.