Chubb, a leading provider of fire safety and security solutions, is celebrating two decades of supporting Cork City’s largest shopping complex, Mahon Point Shopping Centre, by providing vital life safety solutions.
Located in the Mahon area of Cork, Mahon Point Shopping Centre spans 350,000 sq. ft. over two floors and comprises 60+ stores, a 13-screen cinema and parking for 2,500 vehicles.
Life safety systems play a crucial role in shopping centres protecting visitors, staff and property in the event of an emergency. In 2004, Chubb was commissioned to provide multiple integrated life safety solutions to ensure both quick detection and response during fire incidents.
The project involved the installation of a fire detection system, voice alarm system, gas detection system, fire telephone system, and sprinkler interface system all interconnected through a Notifier ID3K system to monitor all field devices and immediately alert the centre’s control room team of any activations.
“We have worked with Chubb for over two decades, consistently finding them to be professional, responsive and reputable,” said Justin Young, Centre Director at Mahon Point Shopping Centre. “Chubb’s proactive approach, innovative products, and thorough understanding of our needs ensure the safety and security of our facilities and personnel. We highly recommend them to any organisation seeking top-tier fire safety and security solutions.”
The fire detection system installed on the ground and first floors comprises approximately 2,500 alarm devices, spread across all parts of the shopping centre, where an extensive voice alarm system is used to communicate clear instructions and evacuation procedures to prevent panic and guide occupants safely out of the building.
A state-of-the-art gas detection system installed in the plant rooms and food court area monitors the environment for the presence of harmful or explosive gases and delivers early warnings to prevent fire risks.
Building regulations require that shopping centres provide a fire telephone system to assist the fire services in the event of an emergency situation in the building. The fire telephone system enables two-way communication between fire officers or those responsible for the evacuation of the building during an emergency. They provide speech communication between the telephones and the operators in the control room.
A fire sprinkler interface is used to monitor the water flow valves and tamper valves of the centre’s sprinkler system at multiple locations throughout the centre. This involves using input devices out in the field to monitor all the sprinkler tamper and flow switches, as well as the main sprinkler pump hose.
Chubb mapped out all of the fire alarm and field device locations on an ONYXWorks graphics system – a 40-inch graphical workstation, located in the control room. In the event of an alarm activation, the graphics system immediately pinpoints the exact location of the hazard so security teams can respond instantly.
“A project of this scale required meticulous planning. We completed all the installation work over a very tight window in December 2004 with our engineers working continuously, except Christmas Day, to ensure the systems were fully tested and handed over in January 2005,” explained Ger Long, Service Manager for Chubb Ireland.
Since opening to the public in February 2005, Chubb has been providing ongoing maintenance and servicing to Mahon Point Shopping Centre. Maintenance visits are conducted quarterly and require Chubb’s designated engineer to spend approximately one week on site conducting preventative maintenance on the fire detection system, voice alarm system and parts of the sprinkler system. Every six months Chubb also tests the gas detection system.
The regular maintenance and servicing schedule ensures that the life safety systems remain in peak condition and fully operational, with few site visits required, other than when vendors leave, and recommissioning is required for new shop units.
To find out more about Chubb’s life safety solutions, visit: www.chubb.ie
