Integrated Fire Safety Control

Healthcare institutions are complex, often having a large footprint and comprising many different departments with different fire protection needs – from A&E and intensive care units to operating theatres, wards and patient reception areas.

In these settings, a networked fire panel system will be most beneficial - as it communicates information among distributed fire alarm control panels and network nodes on a site, enhancing control over the fire safety of the entire building. Additionally, one can program a networked system to fulfil many roles, such as alerting people to real and potential emergencies by voice, light or sound, activating smoke containment systems and governing evacuation procedures.

Smoke and Fire Containment

The highly vulnerable patient population in hospitals and other long-term healthcare facilities are often unable to respond to a fire alarm on their own and must rely on the staff to ensure their safety in case of a fire or related emergency. The immediate evacuation of dozens of patients, many of whom will likely be in fragile health, isn’t a practical solution. Healthcare facilities adopt a “stay put” strategy regarding fire safety, allowing staff and patients to be protected where they are without the need for total evacuation. Fire doors and acoustic fire door holders are therefore critical safety features of a healthcare building. Acoustic door holders detect fire alarms and release self-closing fire doors from their open position, allowing them to close naturally and creating a barrier to help contain or delay the spread of fire and smoke, and allowing occupants to evacuate to a place of safety.

In the case of free-swing doors, overhead hydraulic door closers hold fire doors in an open position until a fire activates the closing mechanism. A fire signal can trigger the closing sequence in different ways. For example, door closers are either directly wired to a fire control panel via the loop or wired indirectly to the panel via an interface device (but the closer is powered locally), while others are purely wireless and will activate based on the sounder going off.

Evacuation Assistance for People with Disabilities

1By law, non-domestic buildings such as healthcare facilities with more than one storey must have refuge areas for people who cannot easily use fire escapes and evacuation lifts. In the event of a fire or other emergency, wheelchair-restricted customers will be evacuated to the refuge areas. These areas are generally fitted with a disabled refuge alarm or an EVC (emergency voice communication), which allows occupants to be in constant contact with firefighters, fire officers or building managers. Facilitating the evacuation of hearing-impaired staff or patients during a fire is also a key consideration when planning evacuation procedures. Although most fire alert systems will have flashing light beacons as a visual warning, installing a sound enhancement system such as induction loops could help transmit the message that an evacuation is in progress.

Early Fire Warning for Occupants

Addressable sounders, visual alarm devices (VADs) and combined sounder VADs are considered a mandatory requirement and an integral part of fire detection and alarm system in healthcare environments. Deployed with compatible and addressable fire panels, their purpose is to visually and audibly alert building occupants of a fire alarm. It is advisable to carry out a fire risk assessment and site survey of the area to be covered before applying any system design. This will determine the type and specification of the devices required; for example, mental healthcare facilities might require special consideration. As such, alarm devices in this application should be of reduced volume and aim to alert staff without causing anxiety to the patients.

Emergency Communications for Distressed Patients

Quick response time is essential during emergencies in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare institutions where vulnerable people are present. A nurse call system facilitates communication between healthcare providers and their patients, helping to address a potentially life-threatening situation immediately. Different nurse call systems are available and selecting the appropriate one will depend on the application. A basic hard-wired system which allows residents to summon help from their bedrooms or bathrooms is more suitable for general use in smaller care homes. Conventional systems such as these, do not submit specific information other than the fact that assistance is required. An addressable, hardwired nurse call system on the other hand offers more advanced information such as the reason help is required or that emergency assistance is urgently needed.