C-TEC News
Here you will find up-to-the-minute news, views, hints, tips, technical updates, case studies, white papers, links to new help videos and more from the UK’s leading independent manufacturer of quality life safety electronic systems.
PEAK PERFORMANCE!
C-TEC’s powerful CAST ZFP addressable fire system is protecting a magnificent residential development in South Africa’s Cape Town.
Owned by the Rawson Property Group and located in one of the most beautiful areas of the city, Newlands Peak is an ultra-modern 11 storey development featuring a restaurant, state-of-the-art fitness centre and rooftop deck with two heated swimming pools.
In a project supplied by C-TEC’s South African distributor, Brigit Fire, a series of 8-loop CAST ZFP touchscreen-controlled fire systems were specified for the building by top consulting engineers, De Villiers & Moore, and installed by Manyene Holdings, the Cape Town-based specialist systems integrator.
All-encompassing fire detection
Divan Lerm of Brigit’s Detection and Special Risk Sales Department said: “CAST was selected for its capacity to create a powerful high-quality system. As each panel can easily accommodate over 25 base sounder visual alarm devices per loop plus smoke, heat and multi-sensor devices, this meant that the client’s requirement to equip all 260 apartments with all-encompassing fire detection could be satisfied efficiently and cost-effectively.
“The ability to set the sensitivity thresholds on the smoke, heat and multi sensors to minimise false alarms via the programming tools was also hugely importantly to our client due to the multi-occupancy nature of the building. This is such an excellent feature.
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SAFE HOUSE!
Hush Pro, C-TEC’s revolutionary BS 5839-6 Grade C domestic fire alarm system, is protecting a radically renovated historic building in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Built in 1839 by local architect, William Owen, and located in the ancient county town of Haverfordwest, Pembroke House is a Grade II listed building which has been transformed from a derelict hotel into 32 high-quality affordable housing apartments.
Each studio features an easily accessible low-level Hush Pro Controller connected to a series of Hush Pro smoke detectors, base sounders, multi-sensors and heat detectors all seamlessly interfaced to a powerful C-TEC XFP 2-loop addressable fire alarm panel to provide fire and fault monitoring and the highest levels of fire protection.
Andrew Davies, MD of Ocon Fire and Security, the life-safety specialists who completed the installation said: “A key factor in our client’s specification of Hush Pro was the system’s ability to notify building management immediately in the event of a real fire and, at the same time, its potential to virtually eliminate false alarms.”
“Hush Pro’s unique capacity to differentiate between Fire Level 1, usually a false alarm reported locally in the dwelling, and Fire Level 2, almost always a real alarm activated outside of the dwelling, reduces false fire alarms, unnecessary call-outs and the risk of a real fire alarm being ignored. As our client required immediate notification in the event of a fire but also first-class false alarm management, Hush Pro proved ideal.”
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EVACUATION ALERT SYSTEMS
New legislation, the recent revision to BS 8629 and the HSE’s ‘Be Ready’ campaign are set to accelerate demand for evacuation alert systems. Here C-TEC’s Business Development Manager, Andy Turner, examines the current climate and focuses on a cluster of projects where evacuation alert systems are being used to protect people should stay-put fail.
Why are evacuation alert systems required?
In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster, the Scottish government quickly brought in a law requiring manual evacuation systems to be installed in new residential buildings taller than 18 metres. This meant a standard was needed to ensure these systems would be effective, so BS 8629 was written so it would be available when the law came into effect.
Following this, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry phase 1 report was published, which recommended that evacuation systems should be installed in all new and existing high-rise residential buildings. Demand has also been fuelled by the new amended Part B of the Building Regulations which came into force on 1 December 2022. This states that evacuation alert systems should be fitted in all new high-rise residential buildings over 18m in England.
The HSE’s new ‘Be Ready’ campaign calls on the 12,500 high-rise residential buildings across England to register with the Building Safety Regulator and appoint a ‘responsible person’ by October 2023. The move to increase resident safety in tower blocks by informing owners and managers of their legal duties and the recent revision of BS 8629 are likely to intensify interest in the evacuation of tall buildings.
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C-TEC at FIREX 2023
C-TEC is exhibiting again at Firex International.
Hosted at London’s ExCeL on 16-18 May, Firex is the UK’s biggest fire safety event and the place to be if you’re a specifier, fire safety specialist, property developer or housing professional.
C-TEC will be showcasing a host of innovative solutions designed to enhance fire safety in high-rise buildings including ENVISION, our new Cloud-based fire alarm remote access, service and site management software solution, EVAC-ALERT, our new BS 8629 evacuation alert system, Hush Pro, our revolutionary BS 5839-6 Grade C domestic fire system and CAST, C-TEC’s powerful own-protocol fire system.
Andy Scott, C-TEC’s Project Director will also be presenting “What’s new in BS 8629 – an overview of the 2023 amendment to the code of practice for evacuation alert systems” in the show’s Expertise and Guidance Theatre on Wednesday. An expert in the field of fire safety, Andy will explore the origins of BS 8629 and highlight where, why and how evacuation alert systems should be utilised.
Brian Foster, C-TEC’s UK Sales Manager said: “Firex is always successful for C-TEC. We’re delighted to be sponsoring the International Tall Building Conference and supporting the IFSEC Engineers of Tomorrow Competition once more, an initiative aimed at raising the profile of engineering apprentices in the industry.”
C-TEC is exhibiting on Stand FI 2010. To register, visit https://www.firex.co.uk/en/home.html
FREE PA/VA SYSTEM WEBINARS
C-TEC’s sister company, SigNET AC, is rolling out a series of webinars as part of its mission to increase knowledge of public address/voice alarms systems within the fire and security sector.
Hosted by SigNET’s audio expert, Tremayne Crossley, the free 30-minute sessions will focus on Ambient’s market-leading EN54-16 certified VA/PA systems which are exclusively available through SigNET for C-TEC’s customers. Ambient’s Director of Business Development Neil Voce will also be on hand to assist. Packed with facts and open to everyone, the webinars will also feature full Q&A sessions at the end.
Said Tremayne: “Our latest webinars are a great way to get up-to-speed on why, where and how public address and voice alarms are utilised and discover more about the latest legislation and technology on the market.”
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Top of the League!
C-TEC’s innovative CAST fire alarm system is now in operation at South Shield’s Football Club’s 1st Cloud Arena Stadium.
Established in 1888, the ‘Mariners’ are a leading light in the Northern Premier League. The club recently invested in a state-of-the-art 900-seater stand in a move to upgrade facilities and generate additional revenue.
C-TEC’s super-intuitive and intrinsically EN54-13 compliant CAST system features a 2-loop CAST XFP addressable fire panel connected to CAST detectors, sounder VADs and call points to provide the ultimate in fire detection technology at the ground.
Matthew Jefferson, Sales Director of ACS Technologies, the North-East based specialist life-safety systems company, said: “CAST is powerful, cost-effective and perfect for projects like this. The system has all the key features you need such as easy-installation and none of the complicated ones you don’t which is exactly what we look for in a fire alarm system.
“We also like that C-TEC is a UK manufacturer and appreciate the excellent customer service provided by our account manager, Simon Griffiths, and the technical support team.”
Conceived and designed by C-TEC as part of a 10-year, multi-million-pound project, CAST is the world’s most-advanced ‘distributed intelligence’ fire alarm system protocol. CAST’s cutting-edge control panels, detection and alarm devices are all designed and manufactured at the company’s state-of-the-art UK manufacturing facility to guarantee that every single component integrates flawlessly to create systems that work perfectly – from a simple ‘one out, all out’ system to a sophisticated multi-panel networked system. All CAST systems are also fully compatible with ENVISION, C-TEC’s powerful Cloud remote access, data management and system testing software.
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New Heights!
EVAC-ALERT, C-TEC’s new evacuation alert system, is now in operation at Delaney Heights, a radically renovated tower block in Salford.
With 119 affordable rent apartments featuring floor to ceiling windows and stunning city views, the building cost over £9M to refurbish and is named after Shelagh Delaney, Salford’s famous playwright and the author of ‘A Taste of Honey’.
The EVAC-ALERT system installed there comprises a powerful 3-loop panel connected to single and multi-way flat interface units, self-testing sounders and Equality Act-compliant visual indicators and vibrating pillow pads, all designed to fully comply with BS 8629, the code of practice for evacuation alert systems.
Leading the way!
C-TEC has teamed up with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) in a bid to inspire budding fire engineers.
In the first phase of the programme, 25 second year fire engineering students visited Challenge Way to discover more about C-TEC’s systems specifically our revolutionary fire alarm solutions for high-rise residential buildings.
Highlight of the day was a tour of C-TEC’s manufacturing plant where the students were invited to watch demonstrations of our new Yamaha surface mount machine and visit the training facilities where we train over 1000 engineers a year.
Said Andy Green, C-TEC’s Marketing Manager: “The event was highly successful. We are very proud of our world-class manufacturing and training facility and welcomed the opportunity to showcase it to potential customers, employees and innovators of the future. We also visited our R&D department in Mawdesley, Lancashire, to give the students an insight into how C-TEC’s products are visualised and designed.”
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SAFE HOUSE!
C-TEC’s revolutionary CAST XFP fire system has been installed at a stunning spiritual retreat in Llangollen, North Wales.
Set in acres of lush woodland and overlooking the picturesque Ceiriog Valley, Tan-Y-Garth Hall is a beautiful Grade II listed house built in 1915. Owned by the International Hermeneutic Society, it provides a spiritual haven for people interested in yoga, meditation, art, music and science.
The Society’s plans to additionally utilise the building as a hotel meant the existing manual fire alarm system had to be replaced to comply with the relevant regulations. Leading fire specialist company, Allied Fire Alarms & Escapes Ltd, specified an L1 category fire alarm system to provide the highest standard for the protection of life. Featuring an XFP CAST panel connected to an array of heat, smoke and multi-sensor devices, the powerful system is designed to deliver the earliest possible warning should a fire occur at the historic 17-bedroomed hall, a popular venue for group workshops, location shoots, exhibitions and performances.
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Getting the message across
C-TEC manufactures a comprehensive range of voice enhanced sounders that are suitable for use with its entire range of conventional and addressable fire panels.
There are occasions however when a full state-of-the-art EN54-16 compliant voice alarm system may be required, for example, in a transportation hub, hospital, university campus or on an industrial park.
No longer do you have to shy away from such enquiries – C-TEC’s specialist audio system support team can point you in the right direction!
Working alongside our sister company, SigNET Amplification & Control Limited, we can assist you in the purchase and specification of some of the most sophisticated PA/VA systems on the market. All of these systems, be they stand-alone (single node) or networked (multi-node), V1-V5 category, are fully compliant with the relevant EN54 standards and provide features such as automated voice evacuation, firefighter’s microphones, public address paging and background music.
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