Ing Group Banks on an Apollo and Kentec-Based Fire System

Open Protocol Enables Westronics to Undertake On-line Upgrade

60 London Wall, the UK headquarters of Dutch financial institution ING Bank, is the latest building to benefit from the forwards and backwards compatibility of Apollo intelligent fire detectors. The premises have been equipped with a fully upgraded intelligent fire detection system incorporating approximately 850 Apollo Discovery detectors. Fire and security company Westronics Ltd of Reading, Berkshire, carried out the installation while the fire system remained fully operational.

A major requirement at ING Bank was that full fire protection should continue while the new system was being installed. The system upgrade was therefore carried out in phases. Ultimately it involved the removal and replacement of the existing twenty-loop fire control panel, all automatic field devices and VA/PA rack. All the original cabling was retained and reused. To replace the outdated fire detection system Westronics installed five four-loop Kentec Syncro networked control panels, a new Baldwin Baxall 19" VA/PA rack and approximately 850 Apollo Discovery multisensors, smoke and heat detectors and manual call points.

The new fire system provides a phased evacuation sequence for occupants. In the event of an alarm, the evacuate tone is broadcast on the floor of call, the floor immediately above and the lower ground floor. An alert tone is broadcast on all other floors..