Fire alarm technology doesn’t move very fast, and there are very good reasons for this. Because fire is about saving lives, codes and standards dictate what is allowable, and it takes time to make sure each new development is absolutely safe.
A case recently came before the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma involving a PERS system. The estate of decedent filed a claim against the manufacturer of the PERS system and the company that leased and monitored the system in the District Court of Grady County, Okla.
There are many code- and standards-regulating bodies that have a say in state and local fire codes, including UL, Intertek and others. But NFPA 72 — the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code — is arguably the most influential. SDM spoke with Richard Roux, senior electrical specialist at NFPA about recent and upcoming changes to the code one integrator referred to as “the Bible” of fire protection.
What dealers getting into the mobile personal emergency response system (mPERS) business should know about the market, the technology and what’s required to support it.
Personal emergency response systems (PERS) traditionally have worked only in a user’s home, enabling users to summon help with the push of a button — typically on a pendant that the user wears. But recent years have seen the introduction of mobile PERS offerings (mPERS) that can work outside the home using cellular service for communications to the central station.
This year at ISC West, Honeywell will highlight expanded connectivity for homes and businesses, as well as technology advancements in false-alarm reduction and wireless fire detection.
AES Corporation, a manufacturer of long-range wireless private mesh radio alarm communication products and services, will be exhibiting at ISC West 2016. AES will showcase new UL-listed and NFPA-compliant fire products.