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DECEMBER 2019 | 23 Fire Protection Systems Like Johnson Controls, Chubb Edwards has a long history (two centuries, in fact) of keeping buildings secure. Its solutions are modular and scalable, from fire alarm and detection systems to notification devices. With regards to notification, Chubb provides Genesis Signals (whose wall strobes, horns, and chimes are among the smallest audible-visible emergency signalling devices in the world, about the size of a deck of cards), Standard Edwards notification products, and mass notification, the latter being the EST3 system with enough bandwidth to handle mass notification and still has plenty of capacity for firefighters and other emergency personnel (also, EST3's integrated digital audio is finely tuned to the frequency range of the human voice, and long wire runs are easily accommodated without distortion or loss of signal quality). Equally important is Chubb's provision of on site service, and its Platinum One Service Plans recognize that even systems designed to meet exacting standards can experience performance deterioration over time: the Plans ensure that all servicing is carried out with stringent quality control procedures, by Chubb tech- nicians whose training is regularly refreshed to stay abreast of rapidly changing technologies and standards. It's the passion of the professionals at Affinity Firestop Consultants of Winnipeg to provide their clients with expertise in the field of passive fire protec- tion. Affinity has a diverse array of experience and specialty education, and are often engaged by owners and architects to do inspections of passive fire protec- tion materials and assemblies in order to assist the project team to ensure they get a building that meets quality assurance standards, is in conformance with project documents and code requirements, and is safe for its occupants and ten- ants to inhabit. Their inclusion on a project also provides value to clients in a variety of ways from the preliminary design stage, during the quality assurance stage, all the way through to the as-builts stage. Affinity has been busy conducting third party reviews on a range of impor- tant new facilities in its home province of late, they include the Red River College Innovation Centre, a $95-million, 100,000-square-foot building located in Winnipeg's Exchange District intended to help grow that city's technology and business sectors; the newest addition to the high-rise scene in the downtown area, 300 Main, and in the near future, the new location for the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada on the Winnipeg Airports Authority campus (the two-storey, 86,000-square-foot museum will open in 2021). Affinity's third party inspections include passive fire protection elements such as firestopping, spray- applied fireproofing, and intumescent coatings. Affinity is also increasingly getting involved in health care projects: they were recently commissioned to complete an audit of existing fire separations for the Health Sciences Centre Children's Hospital. Its audits are to record and address all non-conforming passive fire protection systems, which include detailed remedia- tion recommendations and cost opinions. Fire-rated windows and doors play a critical role in saving lives during a blaze, and when it comes to fire-rated window and door systems that are not only high- performance (meeting S101 fire-resistive "Temperature Rise" requirements) but also esthetically pleasing, the Aluflam fire-rated aluminum window and door sys- tems are unique in that only Aluflam offers all-aluminum entrances. Toronto-based Fred Fulton is the Aluflam representative for Ontario and Quebec, and he says Aluflam systems are mandatory in instances when S101 fire- resistance is required, and in other cases where it's important to closely match adjacent aluminum non-rated systems, or where superior esthetics are desired (eg: compared with hollow-metal). "Aluflam's systems may be a component in prestige buildings, and on that score we're currently supplying Aluflam product here in Toronto for a new retail complex on King Street," he says. "We also recently supplied a new school in North Bay with a single rated window because of proximity to the main entrance. In Ontario at least, Aluflam systems are mostly sought by new university buildings, followed by premium office projects, and then hospitals – and I'm certain there is potential for future market growth." Fulton is also the Ontario representative for Vetrotech, which produces premium fire-rated systems in steel with options for fire-protective and fire- resistance. He says that Vetrotech's S101 butt-glazed systems are increasingly popular due to the larger panel sizes. For the record, both Vetrotech and Aluflam supply windows, swinging doors, and curtain walls. The frames for the vision walls (for storefront applications) are factory finished and normally shipped K/D, which renders installation and glaz- ing a conventional task. The clear fire-rated glazing is manufactured by Vetrotech Saint Gobain and conforms to CAN-CGSB 12.1 Standards for impact safety, while providing superior clarity, greater durability, and sound reduction. A Aluflam.indd 1 2018-11-12 9:36 February 2020 ANNUAL INDUSTRY FEATURE: Appliances Book your ad space now: Dan Chapman 604.473.0316 Alexander Sugden 604.473.0358

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