Hochiki Europe, in collaboration with Italian installer ELE.CO SRL, has successfully implemented a combined fire detection and emergency lighting system at a KOKO Emporio location in the Turin region. As a prominent value and family retailer, KOKO Emporio operates several stores across Torino and Moncalieri, providing a variety of home, clothing, and lifestyle products to the local community.
The newly equipped store spans 800 square meters on both a ground level and basement. The busy retail environment, characterized by numerous aisles and stock displays, presents challenges for customers trying to quickly locate exits during emergencies. To enhance safety, the store required a fire detection system compliant with current standards and equipped with emergency lighting to guide occupants safely during incidents like fires or power outages.
FIREscape+ System Features
ELE.CO SRL selected Hochiki's FIREscape+ system, which integrates ESP intelligent fire detection and emergency lighting into a single four-loop control panel. The setup includes ALN-EN smoke sensors with adaptable sensitivity settings to minimize false alarms. Additionally, EN 54-23 compliant visual alarm devices ensure alarm activations are prominently visible to everyone in the store, complemented by ESP sounders for comprehensive audible alerts.
High-power luminaries linked to the FIREscape+ panel now ensure clear guidance to exits
The basement section, functioning as both retail and warehouse space, posed a unique challenge due to its long aisles, stock boxes, and stairways. Here, emergency lighting provides crucial illumination, keeping evacuation routes visible during power outages. High-power luminaries linked to the FIREscape+ panel now ensure clear guidance to exits in case of emergency.
Efficiency in Multi-site Retail Environments
Ervin Peza, owner of ELE.CO SRL, remarked: "Hochiki's FIREscape+ system reduced installation costs significantly compared to installing two separate systems, making it the right choice for this application. Combining fire and emergency lighting on a single panel and loop reduces cabling, which simplifies both installation and maintenance."
He further explained: "KOKO's new integrated fire and emergency lighting system means the store can run smoothly, day to day, with customers confident that any fire will be picked up quickly and that they can find their way to safety. Hochiki's addressable technology means the system can pinpoint the exact location of an incident and guide people along the safest route out, even if the power goes down."
This installation exemplifies how a unified, addressable fire and emergency lighting system can effectively meet the requirements of a dynamic, multi-site retail setting, providing store owners with a single system to manage instead of two separate ones.
