Apollo Fire Detectors: fire detection without wires. Theater Marianske Lazne, 150 km west of Prague in the Czech Republic, is the first European building to be equipped with Apollo’s wireless fire detectors.

Euroalarm, who supplied the new fire detection system, recommended XPander devices specifically to protect the decorative stucco walls in the 353-seat venue, which might have been damaged by hard-wired detectors.

The wireless devices form part of a larger intelligent fire detection system protecting backstage, the dressing rooms, ticket office and café. Construction of the theatre in the spa town of Marianske Lazne began in 1865 in the neorenaissance style.

However, war in 1866 stopped all building and it was not until August 1868 – with the performance of Offenbach‘s operetta „The Beautiful Helen“ – that the theatre was inaugurated. During the 20th century, the theatre went through many changes, including being rebuilt with an art nouveau appearance in 1905. More recent renovations at the theatre required a fire system upgrade sympathetic to its heritage.

Planning the First Stage

The client’s specification called for an appropriate fire protection response for the heritage areas of the theatre, plus a solution to nuisance alarms being caused by the multi-use nature of the building.

Vlastimil Krátký, senior engineer, fire detection systems, at Euroalarm, explains that he was able to select the perfect products to match these differing requirements: “All Apollo intelligent fire detectors use the same open digital protocol, making them both forwards and backwards compatible. This makes our job so much easier, as it widens our choice of fire solutions. In this case, we were able to specify suitable devices for the heritage locations at the theatre, so we didn’t compromise the appearance of the theatre, alongside more established devices like XP95 for combating false alarms being caused by smoke during performances as well as by steam in the café. We were able to offer the client the most appropriate fire detection solution for their needs.”

Right Round the Theatre

The new range of wireless fire detectors is designed for ease of installation. Devices are connected to the fire system via an interface which is wired to the loop. No special adjustment or programming is required. Once connected, the XPander devices are recognised by the control panel simply as another detector connected to the system.

The fire detection system at Theater Marianske Lazne, designed to EN54 standards, incorporates approximately 80 XPander and XP95 devices in all. These are configured around a single loop control panel and programmed to enable a one-out, all-out evacuation.

Contact:

Apollo Fire Detectors Ltd,
Havant, United Kingdom
Tel.: +44 2392 412
Fax: +44 2392 492 754
rowland.davies@apollo-fire.co.uk
www.apollo-fire.co.uk