Wireless Fire System Gives 65-Year-Old High-Rise A New Lease On Life

AAA Security Systems in Lenexa, Kan., overcomes board demands, residents’ needs and aesthetics to install a wireless fire system in the Walnuts, a 1930s- style condominium complex in Kansas City, MO.

-By Joe Moses

Living in a high-rise building can sometimes be a safety hazard, especially in the event of an earthquake or a fire. That’s why it is critical for residents to know the exact locations of fire exits, fire-escape ladders and fire equipment, such as extinguishers, alarms, and fire pull stations, and create an evacuation plan. But with all the preparation that residents can do to protect themselves, what happens if the building’s fire-alarm system has never been replaced or updated?

For members of the executive board of managers at the exclusive Walnuts condominium complex in Kansas City, MO., those were valid concerns that needed to be researched further. The three 10-story high-rise buildings comprising the Walnuts complex attract some of Kansas City’s most affluent residents. Built in the 1930s, the Walnut was designed with a look to the past–modeled after a 19th-Century British archetype. With 9 inches of concrete between each floor, the structures have shifted less than a quarter inch in 65 years–a sign that the structures will remain standing for a long time. The same could not be said, however, for the building’s aging fire system.

Residents believed the smoke detectors, pull stations and fire bells located only in common halls were inadequate to provide effective warning of a fire. The system offered no individual zone identification, and the alarm bells were inaudible from certain areas within the units. If a fire started in a residence while no one was home and a smoke detector alarmed, none of the other residents would benefit from an early warning. Also, in the first floor hallways there was no protection at all, except directly at the elevator.

A system upgrade was important to the Walnuts for another reason–market competition. When a new luxury high-rise condominium complex goes up and offers sophisticated security and fire protection, it forces buyers to carefully consider the value of their investment. The president of the executive board of managers at the Walnuts is well aware of the power of market forces.

As the former CEO of Butler Manufacturing, George Dillon believes in keeping the Walnuts competitive is a critical part of the board’s mission-no matter how classy the address is. “For a unit built in 1930 that wants to be competitive with the latest complex, a new system is fundamental,” he says. Thus, Dillon and the board embarked on a three-and-a half-year process that resulted in the installation of a wireless fire and security system.

AAA Plans to Use Wireless Are Met with Concerns
Michael Benedict, general manager of AAA Security Systems, Inc. in Lenexa, Kan., designed a comprehensive wireless fire system to replace the old one and added first-floor perimeter intrusion protection. The system includes wireless smoke detectors in common hallways and fire pull stations in the front and rear elevator areas of each floor reporting to nine SX-V Special control panels from Interactive Technologies, Inc. (ITI).

Each residence has a wireless heat detector in the kitchen area and wireless smoke detectors in hallway areas that lead to bedrooms. A Wheelock flush-mount speaker is located in each unit as part of the VoiceLink Annunciation System, which is activated by ITI CareTaker Plus control panels. Benedict also designed and installed wireless perimeter security and a Vicon closed-circuit digital video system to monitor the exterior of the building. Perimeter shock and door/window sensors report to six control panels. In addition, all doormen are equipped with wireless panic buttons.

Benedict’s experience at the Walnuts has convinced him that a security dealer shouldn’t hesitate to propose wireless in any situation. “The entire process-from the sales presentation through the final installation and testing-was a dream come true,” explains Benedict. “We knew the technology was up to the task, and now we have more than 430 pieces of wireless equipment in the Walnuts.”

The result of a three-and-a-half-year process of research, consulting, bidding and installation is an expansive system that covers more than 50 residential units throughout 30 floors.

Despite the large size of the installation, the process of recommending wireless was not all smooth sailing; however, it was a lesson in perseverance. “The first time I proposed a wireless design to the executive board of managers, the room became very quiet. The board, the building management people and one of the security directors were there, and when I began to justify the wireless design, there was a lot of pen tapping and leg crossing and shuffling of feet,” he says. It turned out the board had already sought bids from two other companies-claiming that a wireless system was impossible. “The board members were certainly polite,” Benedict describes. “They thanked me and then I left.”

He had initially been asked to serve as a consultant to the Walnuts. Yet, once Benedict saw the lay of the land, he knew he wanted a chance to bid on a wireless installation himself. He knew it was a gamble to go for the bid and pass up the sure-thing consulting job. But he had declined the consulting offer anyway so he could set to work on a wireless proposal. After his presentation it looked as if his gamble hadn’t paid off.

Board Gives Benedict the Green Light, Begins Project
But six months later the board members called him back. They had gone ahead and hired a consultant to assist in a system design, but the consultant-who recommended a hard-wired system-hit several walls with the administrators on the installation. One of the walls had to do with the issue of money.

The board received hardwire quotes from two national companies, with bids coming at $300,000 plus. The bids did not include the repair of floors, walls and rare moldings, the cost of which building superintendent Larry Davidson estimated to be in the millions of dollars. After reviewing the quotes, Dillon and the board decided to ask Benedict and AAA back.

“Benedict’s proposal was ideal for us. It was exactly what we wanted from day one,” Davidson says. “But we were always told, ‘no.'” In the end, buyers saved between 40 percent and 50 percent in labor and materials by going with Benedict’s wireless proposal.

Two factors weighed heavily into Benedict’s decision to stick with wireless in the first place. One was the building’s ornate interior and exterior architectural design coupled with the spare-no-expense construction. The other was the fact that residents entertain often. They insisted on the very minimum of any type of interruption to their lifestyle, which translated into working on site from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. only. No evening or weekend work and no overtime to meet deadlines.

Fire Marshals Inspect Wireless Equipment, Design
Benedict brought in engineers from two wireless manufacturers and submitted both companies’ products to the exact same signal strength and performance tests. Both systems were practically identical in terms of signal strength, but he needed a system that could be operated by persons of various skill levels. Superintendent Davidson believed the system should be operable in two to three steps rather than five or more in order for all personnel and residents to be able to use the system.

Kansas City fire marshals and codes demanded close scrutiny of the design and equipment specs before AAA could turn a screw, but with the same discussion and the provision of support documentation, the installers were issued the permit and proceeded with the installation. The Walnuts wanted to be able to monitor the system internally. Because the complex has a security control room that is constantly attended, AAA could install an ITI CS-4000 central station receiver in the existing security office.

Critical to the wireless installation was taking as much time as required to do comprehensive field signal strength tests, especially in a project this size, before beginning installation. Testing included the range from 300 feet to 700 feet through the walls and floors to the control panels located in the stairways. AAA installed a total of nine ITI SX-V Specials for the fire system and six CareTaker Plus panels to provide first-floor perimeter protection.

Sensor testing involved tripping a sensor at a proposed location to see if it would communicate with the receiver. In many cases, the technicians found that moving the sensor a few inches was all that was necessary to get a reliable path. “Having spent my life dealing with both manufacturers and dealers, I knew what quality standards I was looking for,” Dillon says.

He wanted to know company size, years in business, financial status and competition. He wanted to be assured that the manufacturer provided the system and technological competence for the job-and more importantly, that the dealer and manufacturer would be in business five years down the road. Dillon even asked what would happen in the event of a merger.

When planning for the fire system and the first-floor perimeter protection, the board members also asked whether the system would require the addition of staff or the hiring of personnel with additional computer experience. They did not want to have to change staff, so it was important that user interface be simple and instructions be easy to follow.

EQUIPMENT INSTALLED AT THE WALNUTS COMPLEX

9	ITI SX-V Special control panels
1	Wheelock VoiceLink DV-100 annuniciation system
106	ITI photoelectric smoke detectors
72	Wheelock E7070W flush-mount speakers
50	ITI rate-of-rise heat detectors
3	Bogen 100-watt amlifiers
66	ITI fire pull stations
7	Vicon VC2200 Â½-inch B&W CCD chip cameras
6	ITI wireless plug-in sirens
7	Vicon V4.5H weatherproof camera enclosures
6	ITI CareTaker Plus control panels
6	Vicon V3400APT pan & tilt units
181	ITI Shock/window contacts
6	Vicon VM 5092 9-inch monitors
25	ITI door/window sensors
1	Vicon VM 5122 12-inch monitor
3	ITI handheld panic sensors
1	ITI CS-4000 central station receiver

Residents’ Needs Present New Challenges for AAA
The board was finally satisfied that everything was in order, but getting the go ahead was not the end of the installation challenge for AAA. Aesthetics was an ever-present concern for residents, and therefore, for Benedict.

Residents didn’t like the looks of the red fire pull stations in the foyers of each building. So, he moved them just around the corner. Some residents didn’t like the initial location of smoke sensors. So, the installer moved them. In short, Benedict never says “no.” “Of course wireless made it easy to comply with the residents’ wishes. I could satisfy my customers and still meet codes without affecting my costs.”

One might suppose that the high standards set by Dillon, the rest of the board and the residents of the Walnuts put undue stress on AAA, but there was little evidence of stress or strain in their relationship. With Dillon’s expertise in the building profession, he was aware of the delays, missteps and revisions that may occur in any building project.

Dillon pointed out that many Walnuts residents are elderly or may have hearing or sight impairments and that they have fears about intrusion into their homes for the installation. When residents raised concerns about testing and installing, Dillon was able to explain the process and the rationale for each step. So, although his participation placed certain demands on AAA, it also freed Benedict and his installers to do their jobs with increased understanding from residents.

“I even had residents express surprise when we said we were finished with their installation so quickly,” Benedict says. “We only had to install the two sensors and annunciator in each unit, which really did not take but a few minutes each.” It helped that ITI Learn Mode sensors didn’t add programming time to the installer’s stay in each unit. For the panels to learn the individual identities of smoke and heat sensors, the installer had only to trip the tamper switch in each sensor.

It also helped that Benedict prepared an eight-page safety manual for each resident. (Each new resident will receive one as part of his or her orientation.) In it he provides a system overview and operating instructions, plus an evacuation plan.

In the event of an alarm, the internal monitoring station is notified immediately. Personnel in the security office then attempt to verify the alarm. If no verification is possible, an alarm goes to an external monitoring station and the voice annunciator in each unit announces the fire.

“We exceeded the buyers’ needs both in design and ease of installation, which has boosted our credibility in the market. We have done something at the Walnuts that no one in our area has ever done, namely design and install a wireless fire system that met the approval of the fire marshal.”

The benefits to AAA are long term. “We are already seeing the value of this account in new business generated through references and referrals,” Benedict says.

5 TIPS FOR WORKING WITH DEMANDING CUSTOMERS
In an era of niche marketing, security companies have to choose their customers and the best ways to satisfy them. Selecting high-end customers who usually have the highest expectations can lead to high blood pressure unless you’re prepared to meet their high standards with quality products and excellent service.Michael Benedict, general manager of AAA Security Systems, Inc. in Lenexa, Kan., has five tips for working with the most demanding customers:

Always try to put yourself in their shoes. Don’t think from your point of view; think from their point of view. It helps to have a client who knows the ins and outs of the installation process. But, when you don’t, the job falls to you. The key to thinking from your customer’s point of view is listening.
Identify the unanswered questions. If there’s a question they haven’t thought to ask, you ask it for them and provide a good answer.
Establish credibility. Let them know right away in the presentation that you have the highest expectations of your staff and the security equipment you install.
Never say, “no.” If a customer asks for something you can’t or don’t want to do, don’t say, “no.” Tell the client you’ll look into the matter or that you don’t know but you’ll ask someone who does.
Be clear about what you can do and how your customers’ demands affect the installation. If you ‘re not comfortable with a particular demand, explain why, There’s no need to be defensive. By being clear about what residents want, it allows the dealer to be clear with them about costs.