 The Challenge
The facilities director, vicar, sexton and other staff members at the Old North Church in
Boston’s North End know a thing or two about the power of fire. It was here in this
church’s steeple where, on April 18, 1775, sexton, Robert Newman hung two lanterns to
announce to Paul Revere that the British had arrived by sea and the War for
Independence was on. The people who work at this Episcopalian church today
understand that, just as two lantern flames ignited a revolution, fire could also have a
disastrous effect on this treasured facility, with its history, architectural beauty, an active
congregation of 150 members, along with hundreds of tourists visiting on a daily basis
from all over the world.
Built in 1723, the Old North Church had relied for too long on antiquated fire safety equipment. In fact, up until recently, the four buildings that comprise the church "campus" utilized one outdated "master box" to connect the church to the local fire department. Said Bob Modica, a sales consultant for Congress Alarm, "I’d be surprised if the black master box they had in their lobby even sounded an alarm." With the need to protect two row houses, three floors each, housing the church office and foundationorganization, another building that is home to a gift shop, plus the church itself, this facility needed a system that could determine the exact location of a fire.
The Solution
To modernize their fire safety system, Carl Hoss, the Church’s facilities director called
on the aforementioned Congress Alarm, a leading provider of electronic security and fire
alarm systems in Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. Congress’ Bob Modica
determined that the church needed a complete overhaul. Modica specified an MS-9200
addressable fire alarm control panel from Fire-Lite Alarms for the main building and a
Fire-Lite MS-5024 fire alarm control panel for the gift shop.
The Fire-Lite MS-9200 is a compact addressable fire alarm control panel with a capacity
of 198 Fire-Lite 300 Series devices and a single Signaling Line Circuit (SLC) loop which
supports up to 99 smoke detectors and 99 control or monitor modules. The panel uses
surface-mount technology and is designed for ease of installation and programming,
featuring the latest in fire protection technology, including maintenance alert and
automatic detector test.
“An addressable panel costs a bit more than a conventional panel,” Modica explained, “but I felt it was a wise investment for the Old North Church since there are so many
different rooms and the facility was difficult to zone by area. With an addressable panel,
you can provide the fire department with more accurate information, pinpointing the
exact location of the problem.”
Because of its smaller size, the Fire-Lite MS-5024 conventional panel was recommended
for the gift shop, instead of an addressable panel. The MS-5024 panel features a built-in
communicator, remote-site upload/download capability and 3 amps of Notification
Appliance power (expandable to 5 amps), making it ideal for the dimensions of the space.
The complete life safety system installed by Congress Alarm also included Fire-Lite
manual pull stations at every exit and heat detectors in the kitchen, boiler room and
basement hall, plus a number of smoke detectors, horn strobes and sprinklers. Fire-Lite
M-300 mini modules were used to make the sprinklers addressable, allowing Congress to
monitor where sprinklers had been activated and if water had begun to flow.
“Congress Alarm selected Fire-Lite equipment because our customers and technicians
appreciate the quality and ease of use that comes with the product line, as well as the high
level of technical support provided,” said Modica. “We also like the fact that the Fire-Lite
technology allows us the flexibility to program our own panels.”
Congress’ UL listed central monitoring center is located in downtown Boston, and is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Upon receipt of signals from the Fire Lite
UDACT (Upload Digital Alarm Communicator Transmitter), Congress personn el can
quickly interpret the information received and dispatch the appropriate fire department
and individuals. Being able to receive each individual point at the central station enables
Congress personnel to pass this vital information on to the fire department.
The Results
According to current sexton, Howard Williams, the church has been thoroughly satisfied
with the Fire-Lite fire alarm technology. He recalls, “Once there were people working on
the organ and they set off the smoke detector. The fire department arrived in three
minutes.” This is particularly impressive given Boston’s infamous traffic snarls. Williams
also said that the church was struck by lightning a few years back and the power went
out, but the Fire-Lite system switched to battery operation and continued its vigil.
With the Fire-Lite equipment keeping watch, the staff of this church which once kindled
the beginning of our fight for independence is free from worry – they know that visitors
and parishioners are protected and history is safely preserved.
|
