Control Panel

We love fire protection and are proud of the systems and equipment that we install. All fire protection systems must work together to detect, contain, control, and / or extinguish a fire in its early stages. Our staff take the fire safety of your building very seriously and work together to install fire protection systems that work and protect both people and property from the devastating effects of fire.

At Classic we install each fire alarm system to match the requirements and design of the building. Too many companies try to sell you the biggest and newest fire alarm panel. They are more concerned with impressing management than ensuring that you get the right panel that suits your needs.

By providing systems that are designed specifically for each building, we can not only reduce costs, but increase performance.

A Fire Alarm System Consists of:

Fire Alarm Control Panel
Initiating Devices
Notification / Audible Devices
Backup Batteries

FIRE ALARM CONTROL PANELS

At the heart of your fire protection systems is the Fire Alarm Control Panel. There are 2 main categories of fire alarm systems - conventional and addressable which come in a variety of sizes and have a number of optional features that fit any building requirement.

Basic Fire Detection - Conventional Fire Alarm Systems

A conventional system can handle the fire detection requirements for small buildings such as nurseries, small warehouses, shops and any small business. If a fire event occurs, the system will identify the area in the building (the zone) where the field device has been activated. There will be multiple detectors in the same zone as well as audible devices throughout the building that will sound when the panel initiates a full alarm event that requires evacuation.

Pinpoint Risk - Addressable Fire Alarm Systems

When a fire incident occurs, speed and communication are of utmost importance. Knowing exactly where the fire is for evacuating effectively, as well as allowing firefighters to directly target the fire location, will play the biggest roles in reducing the damage sustained. Only an addressable fire alarm control panel can provide the detailed location information required to save lives and reduce property damage.

Eyes & Ears of The System - Field Devices

A variety of devices are installed throughout the building (s). These are called field devices and they act as the eyes and ears of your fire alarm system. They are continuously looking for signs of a fire incident and provide 24-7 communication with the fire alarm control panel.

Provide Clear Instructions - Voice Communication System

The fire alarm control panel will annunciate the presence of a possible fire by sounding alarm bells and sirens (audible devices). These sounds may be confusing to many of the tenants of the building. By using a voice communication system, clear verbal instructions, in multiple languages, can be delivered throughout the building to assist in notification and evacuation as required.

Let's Talk Wiring

The wiring of your fire alarm system must be done in compliance with CAN / ULC-S524, CSA and the Canadian Electrical Code standards.

A Fire Alarm System must have power supplied by a dedicated circuit, separate from all other wiring / circuits. The circuit breaker must be identified as the fire alarm power supply, colored red, and must be lockable in the ON position.

Fully insulated, copper wiring is required for Fire Alarm Systems. Fiber optic cables may be used for data communication links between control units and transponders.

Conventional Systems are installed with Class B wiring, with devices daisy chained together. If there is a break in the circuit, any devices downstream from the break will be left inoperable. Class B loops are not programmable. A supervisory current flows through an EOL at the end of the circuit and monitors the loop wiring integrity. If the control panel receives the supervisory current - all wiring is OK. If the control panel does not receive the supervisory current, it will assume there is a problem and initiate a trouble alarm.

Addressable Systems are installed with Class A wiring, having 2 pairs of wires. If there is a broken wire in the circuit, the panel can still communicate with the devices via a back feed on the other pair of wires. This is called redundancy. Devices that are installed using Class A wiring can be programmed with their own unique address. This allows these devices to report their individual status directly with the fire alarm panel.

The heart of your life safety protection