| Amherst Alarm Inc.
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| 435 Lawrence Bell Dr. |
| Buffalo, NY 14221 |
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| Phone (716)632-4600 |
| Fax (716) 632-1156 |
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| NY State License # 12000015868 |
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 Addressable Fire Alarms: Detecting Fire with Pinpoint Accuracy |
 by Mark Wolffer |
| Your fire alarm sounds. You go to the control panel to see where it’s coming from. The display on the panel tells you it’s coming from zone three which is labeled simply, “West Side”. Great. Now you know that an alarm condition exists somewhere on the west side of your building. But what kind of alarm is it? Is it a smoke detector? Heat detector? Pull Station? Which room is it coming from? Quick answers to these questions would come in quite handy in an actual fire emergency where every second counts. This information plus much more is made available to you with an addressable fire alarm system. |
| Addressable fire alarm systems have many life safety and economic advantages over conventional zone-type systems. Conventional systems are easier to program and have lower equipment costs, but also have limited capability for expansion and provide less information during an alarm. Instead of being divided into zones, addressable devices each have their own unique address that pinpoints the exact location and type of alarm or trouble condition. Addressable systems are also easier to install and have more room for expansion. |
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| Some addressable systems automatically adjust the sensitivity level in smoke detectors based on the environmental conditions. This cuts down on false alarms. They’ll even tell you when a smoke detector is dirty and requires maintenance. |
| You’ll save money on service calls too since service technicians will be able to locate trouble conditions more quickly by analyzing the data provided at the control panel and going directly to the source instead of troubleshooting an entire zone. |
| Addressable fire alarm systems are being installed in all types of buildings including offices, schools, hospitals, day care centers, retail centers, areas of public assembly, and industrial facilities. If you already have a conventional fire alarm you can easily upgrade it to an addressable one since the same wiring can be used. This will save you a lot on installation labor and wiring costs plus making your building a much safer one to work in. Call me at 632-4600 or e-mail me at markw@amherstalarm.com for more information on addressable fire alarm systems. |
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