The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from Johnson Controls is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.
Johnson Controls
25JOHNSON CONTROLS |
BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE 2019
Vice President and General
Manager of Fire Suppression
Products Rekha Agrawal
Revolutionary SPRAYSAFE AFS
System is engineered to identify and
contain fires on high-rise buildings
with combustible cladding
Johnson Controls creates intelligent solutions for buildings,
with the goal of allowing them to co-exist in an integrated
ecosystem that will help in the delivery of smart cities and
communities in the future. It has a significant global presence
with headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and dozens of
offices across the UK, and provides unique solutions within a
range of disciplines for clients across the world. Founded in
1885, it has a long history of innovation, which Vice President
and General Manager of Fire Suppression Products Rekha
Agrawal discusses with
TheParliamentary Review
.
More than a global diversified technology and multi-industry leader, Johnson
Controls delivers innovative, first-to-market solutions for a wide range of customers
in more than 150 countries. Our 117,000 employees in nearly 2,000 locations
worldwide create intelligent buildings, efficient energy solutions, integrated
infrastructure, and fire protection systems that work seamlessly together to deliver
on the promise of smart cities and communities.
Over 100 years of experience in fire suppression
Protecting homes and businesses across the UK and Ireland for over 100 years,
we currently provide round-the-clock fire protection for over 400,000 residential
and SME customers. Locally, we operate in every region of the UK and Ireland
across a network of over 40 branches, employing over 4,000 employees and
FACTS ABOUT
JOHNSON CONTROLS
»Vice President and General
Manager of Fire Suppression
Products: Rekha Agrawal
»Founded in 1885
»Headquarters in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin and dozens of
offices across the UK
»Services: Creation of
intelligent buildings, efficient
energy solutions, integrated
infrastructure and fire
protection systems
»No. of employees: 117,000
»www.johnsoncontrols.com
»www.spraysafe.com
Johnson Controls
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
26 | JOHNSON CONTROLS
providing our customers with regional
presence, skills and expertise through
our portfolio of brands, which include
ANSUL, ADT and Tyco. In our fire
suppression business, we advance
safety and security by finding smarter
ways to improve businesses and
protect the spaces where people
live and work to avoid catastrophic
fireevents.
Unfortunately, the need for innovation
in the fire protection space has
become increasingly urgent. The most
lethal structural fire in the UK since
the 1988 Piper Alpha oil platform
disaster, the Grenfell Tower fire killed
72 people and injured many others.
One of the main causes of the rapid
spread of the fire was attributed to the
combustibility of the cladding on the
side of the building and the chimney
effect created by the cavity between
the wall and cladding. Since this
tragedy, there has been substantial
discussion about fires in high rise
buildings where combustible cladding
material has been installed. This has
resulted in a number of initiatives
including changes in building
regulations. There is also increased
interest in fire safety standards from
legislative parties, as well as planned
recladding of many residential towers
and housing blocks.
With an ever-increasing demand
for housing, the trend for high rise
building construction looks set to
continue. For example, AMA research
suggests that in the UK alone,
there are currently more than 270
buildings standing over 150 metres
in height, with around 500 more
proposed or under construction.
This poses a significant challenge for
fire suppression systems, due to the
difficulty of access to fight fires in high
rise buildings. In response, Johnson
Controls has worked to develop new
solutions to mitigate fire risk in high
rise applications, and new codes and
standards are being implemented.
Creating innovative solutions
for the future
With a legacy of leadership in fire
suppression, Johnson Controls has
a deep expertise in codes, standards
and applications. Fire tragedies like
Grenfell make it clear that new
technologies are required to protect
people and property. Innovative
fire detection and suppression
products can help to prevent fires
from developing into catastrophic
events. Johnson Controls is the
only fire detection and suppression
manufacturer to have developed
this kind of innovative technology:
the SPRAYSAFE Autonomous Fire
Suppression System. It is specifically
designed to aid in the detection and
suppression of external fires in high
rise buildings by identifying a fire’s
exact location and applying immediate
suppression. The system is also
autonomous and operational 24 hours
a day.
At Johnson Controls, we have a
history of innovating to improve the
protection of people and property. In
that vein, the SPRAYSAFE AFS System
The Grenfell Tower fire
killed 72 people and
injured many others
With an ever-
increasing
demand for
housing, the
trend for high
rise building
construction
looks set to
continue
“
“
27JOHNSON CONTROLS |
BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE 2019
mitigates the risk associated with
combustible cladding in an efficient
and effective way, which we see as a
risk not only in the UK but globally.
The revolutionary SPRAYSAFE AFS
System (of which some components
are licensed by Unifire AB) is
engineered to rapidly identify and
autonomously fight fires on the
exterior of high rise buildings with
combustible cladding material and to
provide fire suppression at any height
beyond the reach tofirefighters.
During a fire, the sensors of the
SPRAYSAFE AFS System quickly identify
and accurately pinpoint the location
of the fire in three dimensions. It then
directs a high volume of water onto
the flame through the use of a robotic
monitor and extension boom within
seconds. The system operates without
human intervention and leverages
a building’s existing fire protection
infrastructure. Since local authorities
and landlords are expected to replace
combustible cladding on their buildings
with expensive fireproof cladding, the
SPRAYSAFE AFS System could provide
an effective, cost-efficient alternative –
aiding in the detection and suppression
of fires before fire brigades can even
arrive on the scene.
In addition to the SPRAYSAFE AFS
System, Johnson Controls has an
extensive portfolio of fire suppression
products that can be retrofitted for
virtually any scenario. We offer an
unmatched range of suppression
systems, extinguishing agents,
fire sprinklers, valves, portable
extinguishers and much more to
optimise a building’s security and fire
safety. Through our industry-leading
brands – with one of the broadest
lines of fire protection equipment
worldwide – we leverage our global
scale and deep expertise to drive
innovation, advance safety and solve
the unique challenges of customers
around the world.
We’re driven to deliver innovative
solutions like the SPRAYSAFE AFS
System in order to meet the ever-
evolving landscape of our customers’
needs and challenges. By developing
a revolutionary solution to this global
challenge, we will continue to create a
world that is both smarter and safer.
We’re driven to
deliver
innovative
solutions like
the SPRAYSAFE
AFS System in
order to meet
the ever-
evolving
landscape of
our customers’
needs and
challenges
“
“
Delivering on the
promise of smart cities
and communities