Getting Hospitals to Bite on Your Bid
A new fire protection system was one of the many things Phoenix Children’s Hospital required when it decided to expand and renovate its campus. Detection Logic Arizona was able to win the bid because of its experience and clever system design.
[IMAGE]12038[/IMAGE]“ONYXWorks was the only system available capable of integrating all of Phoenix Children’s Hospital legacy and proposed systems,” says Fred Lovato, engineering manager at Detection Logic. For PCH, these systems include fire alarm, security, card access, video surveillance, central station receivers for outlying buildings with no connectivity and any other systems with dry contacts that must be monitored.
Along with the Echelon backbone and ONYXWorks, the proposal included NOTIFIER network panels and detection and notification devices from St. Charles, Ill.-based System Sensor, a Honeywell company. They included intelligent photoelectric smoke detectors, SpectrAlert Advance chimes and strobes, and speakers and speaker strobes for voice evacuation.
The design called for more than 1,200 speaker strobes, and System Sensor offered the only speakers and speaker strobes featuring plug-in designs, according to the integrator. Additionally, the manufacturer’s products were chosen because of their ability to communicate clear, intelligible messages that meet updated National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirements.
Detection Logic says that all proposed products were selected because of their ability to be quickly and easily installed and maintained.
Solid Support During and After
In addition to the system design portion of the proposal, the integrator also explained how it would provide initial and ongoing support – from customer service, technical and training perspectives.
“No matter how good the installation of the system, the overall effectiveness is dependent upon the knowledge passed on to the end user,” explains Tim Snow, general manager, Detection Logic. Maintaining high-performing, cost-effective day-to-day operations of the system would be dependent on hospital personnel.
As a result, the company proposed a range of approaches to enable PCH to operate and maintain the system effectively. This included providing constant training throughout the installation of the system, labeling devices based on hospital personnel input and designing a user-friendly system interface.
Furthermore, if a problem should arise, Detection Logic has a fully staffed customer service department to provide support after completion of the installation, including 24/7 emergency service response, Web-based inspections and service reports, prescheduled inspections, and ongoing end-user training. These and other services are expected to help the facility keep its fire system performing optimally, manage costs, and provide the highest level of protection available for patients and staff.
With all the time and effort Detection Logic put in, PCH and others associated with the project could not be happier. “The fire alarm system has been reviewed and accepted without complaints,” says Terry Manning of Rolf Jensen & Associates Inc., the consulti
ng engineer overseeing the entire project. “It is one of the best packages I have seen in a long time.”
Roopa Shortt is Senior Product Marketing Manager of System Sensor.
Do You Know the Health-Care Facilities Codes?
For integrators, understanding detection and suppression requirements is essential to show potential customers your services are capable of helping them protect patients, staff and facilities. Being knowledgeable with recent fire/life-safety codes will help you to leverage the proper solutions, which can ultimately lead to gaining a new customer.
When it comes to regulating the fire/life-safety systems of hospitals and other health-care facilities, the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) must review the facility in accordance with numerous life-safety and fire protection standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Among those codes and standards are NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code; NFPA 101: Life Safety Code; and NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services oversees the accreditation process for U.S.-based health-care facilities. The accreditation agency for the federal government is the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Both require compliance with the NFPA Life Safety Code, 2000 edition.
The Life Safety Code is a set of fire protection requirements designed to provide a reasonable degree of safety from fire. It includes construction, protection and operational features intended to provide safety from fire, smoke and panic. The code specifies when, where and what type of automatic smoke detection is required.
On the other hand, the JCAHO statement of conditions explains how a facility must meet the requirements of the Life Safety Code. This answers whether the facility has the proper alarm system in place, and if not, how it will meet that deficiency. The requirements also include specific procedures and plans, drills, proper equipment installation and inspection, and testing and maintenance of fire alarm and fire protection systems.
Although a Life Safety Code chapter was added to the JCAHO Statement of Conditions last year, health-care facilities will notice similarities to standards already in practice.
At first glance, there appears to be a huge increase in requirements, but the new chapter is simply the NFPA Life Safety Code translated into the Joint Commission (JC) standards language. The requirements were written to be consistent with those issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and those published in the NFPA Life Safety Code (101-2000).
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
Related Content
Security Is Our Business, Too
For professionals who recommend, buy and install all types of electronic security equipment, a free subscription to Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is like having a consultant on call. You’ll find an ideal balance of technology and business coverage, with installation tips and techniques for products and updates on how to add to your bottom line.
A FREE subscription to the top resource for security and integration industry will prove to be invaluable.
