Articles by Joan Engebretson

Commercial fire alarm panels traditionally have not been one of the most dynamic product development areas within the security industry — a situation that has arisen, some say, because of heavy code requirements. In recent years, however, fire alarm panel manufacturers have introduced several new capabilities that can save business customers money, enhance system performance, and even generate new recurring monthly revenue (RMR).

Addressable fire alarm systems would appear to be tailor-made for the K-12 educational market — and many schools already have adopted the technology, simplifying maintenance and providing more detailed information in the event that the local fire department must be called in. Yet, budget issues have prevented some schools from installing addressable fire systems and have prevented some schools with older addressable systems from obtaining the latest generation of the fire alarm technology.

Despite the wide range of options for wirelessly connecting video surveillance cameras, video professionals agree on one thing. Where it is feasible to use a wired solution, integrators should choose that option, they say. As John Estrada, CEO of Cernium, explains, “If you already have wiring, you should use it; it’s more reliable.” Cernium is a Reston, Va.-based video camera manufacturer that does business as CheckVideo and offers both wired and wireless products.

With more and more residential accounts foregoing a traditional phone line in favor of cellular or VoIP, security dealers increasingly are installing alarm systems that use alternative forms of communications such as cellular, wireless mesh or Internet protocol (IP) communications over the customer’s broadband Internet connection.

Security dealer Sonitrol of Indianapolis used to install a lot of photoelectric beams for protecting the perimeter of commercial installations, but today the company relies exclusively on a wireless camera system for perimeter protection. As Sonitrol of Indianapolis Sales Manager, Mike McCalip, explains, the company uses the Videofied camera from St. Paul, Minn.-based RSI Video Technologies, which has its own power source, eliminating the need to trench for wires.

To date carbon monoxide (CO) detection has been a requirement primarily for residential installations. But that’s changing fast. Some states have passed laws requiring CO detection in commercial buildings with sleeping areas such as hotels and dormitories, as well as residences. The latest versions of the International Building Code (IBC), International Fire Code (IFC) and several National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes and standards have similar requirements.

Six months ago I thought Spanning Tree was a California Merlot,” jokes Ed Davis, vice president of marketing for Somerset, N.J.-based IP video and fiber product manufacturer American Fibertek, in reference to an Ethernet protocol used to create a self-healing ring.

For years, video surveillance was too costly for all but the most upscale of residential customers. But thanks to advances in video and communications technology, that’s no longer true. Some dealers now sell video to 10 to 25 percent or more of new residential accounts.

Security dealers that install smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors for the residential market soon will have to meet some new requirements as a result of changes made to the latest National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. The standards involved are the 2010 version of NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm & Signaling Code, and the 2012 version of NFPA 720, the Standard for the Installation of Carbon Monoxide Detection & Warning Equipment.