Beth Welch

ASSA ABLOY Architectural Door Accessories, ASSA ABLOY Glass Solutions, Arrow Lock and Door Hardware, and Architectural Hardware Group brands Corbin Russwin, Norton, RIXSON, SARGENT and Yale, have proudly announced the launch of a comprehensive digital library, designed to offer fast, easy access to valuable product information. ASSA ABLOY Digital Library More than 300 catalogs, brochures, price books and other literature are featured in the new digital library, which comprises a highly visual and intuitive user experience. Thumbnail images help to clearly and quickly identify literature pieces and users are able to further refine results through dynamic search options such as keyword search and product type filters. The digital library allows entire documents, specific pages or even snippets of information to be emailed to colleagues and customers. Users can also bookmark excerpts in any document with their own detailed notes, making this a highly personal and customizable digital tool.  “Today’s always connected and online environment is changing our traditional ways of working. Customers are expecting to have the most up-to-date and relevant product information to distribute, wherever they are,” said Beth Welch, Director Marketing Communications, Architectural Hardware Group, ASSA ABLOY. “The new digital library ensures that our partners, installers, distributors, wholesalers and locksmiths have instant access to essential product information anytime, anywhere.” Mobile Access To Digital Library The new digital library is accessible on any device with a web browser. Mobile users can also easily access all libraries through the ASSA ABLOY Customer Support App, available on Apple App and Google Play stores. The Customer Support App also provides direct phone, email, chat and even video access to all of ASSA ABLOY brands’ customer service and technical product support groups.

New notification appliances from Silent Knight provide code-required low-frequency output Just before the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) World Safety Conference and Expo, June 22-25 in Chicago, Honeywell unveiled new solutions and features designed to boost life safety and provide more intuitive installations. S3 Series Control/Communicator A “virtual press conference” unveiling the announcements was kicked off by Beth Welch, manager of public relations and social media engagement. She highlighted technology, code requirements and new market demand. Presenters included: Brian Carlson, manager of strategic marketing, Gamewell-FCI; Susan Adam, marketing director, NOTIFIER; Richard Conner, director of marketing, Fire-Lite Alarms, Silent Knight; Christa Poss, senior manager of product marketing, System Sensor; Charles Simek, industrial, product and technology specialist, Honeywell Industrial Safety; and Gene Pecora, business leader, industrial fire, Honeywell Fire Safety. Brian Carlson, Gamewell-FCI, manager of strategic marketing, outlined intuitive capabilities of the new S3 Series control/communicator designed for small- to mid-sized buildings. The S3 Series includes touchscreen technology that allows for greater confidence and ease of use during fire alarm programming and event control. “Some of the most commonly heard feedback is that there is some fear of fire alarms and what buttons to push during an event. We’ve taken the fear out of using fire alarm systems with the S3 Series. The focus is on mistake-free operation, and everything on the keypad is highlighted. This guides the user on exactly what to do during an emergency so they can have the confidence to press the right button and move on. Five custom shortcut buttons provide simple system control,” Carlson says. The S-3 Series comes with a built-in Ethernet port for programming, monitoring and diagnostics. “IP connectivity is critical,” adds Carlson. “Fire protection integrators can connect to the system via a smartphone, so they can see what’s happening on site.” New Opportunities In Wireless Fire Detection Honeywell also outlined new opportunities in wireless fire detection and protection, focusing on the Smart Wireless Integrated Fire Technology (SWIFT), introduced at the 2014 NFPA Conference & Expo. According to Susan Adam, marketing director for NOTIFIER, SWIFT offers systems integrators the ability to offer fast and flexible installation, a less evasive specification and heightened solution reliability. “SWIFT greatly expands the array of applications for wireless systems and is perfect for temporary protection and detection, even through metal construction.” SWIFT, she says, was recently deployed at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail Valley in Avon, Colo. "Fire protection integrators can connect to the system via a smartphone, so they can see what’s happening on site", says Brian Carlson of Gamewell-FCI Located on the edge of the ski course was a temporary facility called the VIP Building, with walls of glass that allowed spectators to watch the races outside the windows while staying indoors. Though not required by local code enforcement to install a fire alarm system within the temporary buildings, organisers did so as a precaution. “They concluded it would be a good idea to have some form of fire protection in the buildings,” says Tim Ward, NICET IV, general manager at Commercial Specialists of Western Colorado. The structures would be disassembled after the race, so organisers did not want to waste time pulling wires across the buildings to support the fire alarm system’s assorted field devices. Coupled with a tight deadline for installation and tear-down, it made sense to turn to wireless smoke detectors. “Because of the ease of installation, it was just the perfect solution to go wireless,” says Joe Quinn, service manager at Commercial Specialists of Western Colorado. “By running a wireless system, we knew it would be beneficial because all we would have to do is place our bases and do the programming.” Low Frequency For Waking Low frequency was also on the press conference agenda. Richard Conner, director of Marketing for Silent Knight, says new research indicates that a signal or tone at 520 Hz is more effective at waking building occupants, including those with mild to severe hearing loss. The expanded line of the Silent Knight IntelliKnight 5820XL-EVS emergency voice system now includes SpectrAlert® low frequency sounders and sounder bases. "SWIFT greatly expands the array of applications for wireless systems and is perfect for temporary protection and detection, even through metal construction", says Susan Adam, marketing director for NOTIFIER Conner says the International Building Code 2012 and others increasingly recognize the use of low frequency notification in certain applications, especially sleeping areas such as dormitories, hotels and motels. Current versions of Silent Knight detectors and traditional sounder bases can be upgraded simply by replacing the base with the new low frequency version. Other highlights of the press conference included the announcement that the FAAST XS Aspirating Smoke Detectors will soon be available for smaller applications up to 5,000 square feet, said Christa Poss, senior manager of product marketing, System Sensor. “The variable speed fan allows users to select the best coverage for their space,” she adds. Finally, Honeywell announced a new line of Industrial Fire and Gas Protection products featuring the HS81-HS Controller, designed for hazard monitoring and control at industrial sites such as oil and gas facilities and petrochemical processing plants. Gene Pecora, business leader, industrial fire, Honeywell Fire Safety, said the oil and gas industry and fracking are driving the construction of new facilities in the Americas and the world and demand for fire protection equipment, such as this fire and gas controller, that efficiently ties everything together with the plant safety system. “This is an area where damage, economic and structural, can be devastating,” Pecora says. The HS81-HS Controller performs flame, smoke, and gas detection and extinguishing/agent release, and seamlessly interfaces with plant safety and control systems through multiple protocols.

SWIFT is a wireless fire detector line offered by Honeywell Fire Systems Honeywell Fire Systems, Northford, Conn., continues to enhance its line of wireless fire detectors, announcing new updates to its Fire-Lite® Alarms Smart Wireless Integrated Fire Technology (SWIFT™) at ISC West 2015 in Las Vegas. The SWIFT line of wireless fire alarm detectors and modules – which includes smoke, heat and pull stations – integrate with new and existing Fire-Lite Alarms systems to provide smarter, cost-conscious solutions for myriad applications. Now, after stringent evaluation and testing, SWIFT has earned approvals from the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and California State Fire Marshal (CSFM). In addition, SWIFT detectors are also now Underwriters Laboratories listed for an extended two-year battery life. “Dealers are increasingly interested in wireless fire alarm detection and have been attending training classes specifically to learn more about how they and their customers can benefit, because it extends the number of applications in which they can more cost effectively and efficiently deploy the technology,” said Beth Welch, manager of Public Relations for Honeywell Fire Systems. “SWIFT allows integrators to use the devices in temporary facilities and buildings where they can deploy it quickly while still meeting building and fire codes,” she adds. For new applications and existing system expansions, SWIFT handles challenging wire installations, and high-value or historically-significant facilities. But in addition, Welch cited these new and emerging installation opportunities for SWIFT, including: SWIFT wireless fire alarm detectors and modules provide smarter, cost-conscious solutions for myriad applications Temporary facilities found on many military bases and construction sites, in addition to make-shift classrooms, offices and event venues;  Building areas under construction or containing a system in disrepair, and needing temporary protection to avoid costly fire watch expenses;  Barns where the installation and site of wire can negatively affect animals, or inversely where environmental issues can potentially erode wire;  Building tenant areas where wall and ceiling locations are frequently changed, causing fire alarm field devices to be repeatedly moved and re-wired;  Requests by building owners for a wireless system. At the show, Honeywell announced the updates to the line, which includes longer battery life, agency listings, accredited technical training and an enhanced software suite of new utilities. The expanded array of dealer support offerings not only has enabled installers to obtain new opportunities using wireless technology, but allowed them to expand into emerging markets, such as those cited above.  In addition, because of the robustness of the technology and its use of mesh networking, wireless is increasingly accepted across the country by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), Welch added. Other major updates have been made to the SWIFT Tools software utility used by dealers to evaluate sites for installations, to configure wireless mesh networks and to extract valuable diagnostic information. The latest version 1.5 offers a more enhanced user experience when performing site surveys site and mesh network configurations, plus more detailed diagnostics on individual device signal strengths. Real-time data and more intelligent displays are designed to make it easier to set up and reconfigure SWIFT systems. All this is helping systems integrators become more confident and efficient in installing wireless fire technology.  “We’ve witnessed a number of SWIFT site surveys and installs, and there are a growing number of instances where wireless detectors are the most simple and beneficial solution,” said David Pakech, vice president of Sales, Fire-Lite Alarms. “Whether wiring a certain area is difficult, or you’ve got a tight timeline, or it’s just an easier option for traditional jobs, dealers are really gravitating toward the SWIFT line.”