After 15 years of work, the National Museum of Serbia completed a 12 million euro refurbishment, re-opening to the public last year. The building contains 400,000 precious objects, including many foreign masterpieces. The Belgrade landmark is now protected by analogue multi sensors by life safety manufacturer, Hochiki Europe.
The museum sought a fire detection system that would guard a large, complex premises, as it’s set over six floors and housing 600 employees. Hochiki Europe’s ACC-EN(SCI) device with its dual modes of operation, being able to detect heat and smoke simultaneously, offered the protection required.
The ACC-EN(SCI) is a multi-sensor that features three modes of operation incorporating the detection of fire through either its optical elements, its thermal element or both elements at once, helping reduce the risk of false alarms. It is also one of three new generation of sensors incorporating an integral short-circuit isolator, developed for the European market. Negating the need for special isolator mounting bases, the devices are operated through a compatible ALPHA 2100 control panel from Quadel Doo.
After the installation, Quadel Doo’s technical director, Dejan Ciric, said: “When it came to finding an ultra-reliable detection product that could cope with the scale of the museum and the need for a reduction in false alarms, we knew that a multi-sensor would provide the ideal solution. The ACC-EN(SCI) was the most reliable product on the market that we came across. Accessible through a control panel, the device’s ability to provide continual levels of protection and control no matter the user’s location proved to be of great benefit for the maintenance team at the museum. We were also able to couple this with our ALPHA2100 control panel which improved the system’s functionality, and allowed us to continually monitor and record the environment’s temperature.”
While safety was the priority, it was also important that the chosen product fitted in with the historical character of the building. As a customisable product, Hochiki says that it was able to provide a device that complemented the aesthetics, despite the contemporary character of the equipment. Given the invaluable artefacts at stake, a zero-tolerance approach to device failure was required. Functioning with multiple modes of operation, the all-encompassing protection of Hochiki Europe’s multi-sensors leaves little room for device failure.
Such claims are backed up by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and UK-based Fire Industry Association (FIA) in their study “The performance of multi-sensors in fire and false alarm tests”. In the study they were able to prove that advanced multi-sensors, such as Hochiki’s ACC-EN(SCI), can out-perform more basic models in resisting false alarms, the product firm adds.
Zoran Jovanović, main architect at the museum, said: “Understanding the reliability, durability and capability of Hochiki’s products, we’re happy knowing that our customer’s artefacts are protected for the foreseeable future. A device that can offer multiple levels of protection with resistance to device failure was everything we were looking for, and Hochiki Europe delivered against this requirement.”
Since the installation in Belgrade, Hochiki has launched its ACD-EN device. The addressable loop-powered multi-sensor incorporates smoke, heat and CO sensing elements. This device comes with 24 EN-approved modes of operation, a ten-year CO cell life, and the ability to warn of the threat of potential COHb toxicity.
