The product we entered was our Cirrus HYBRID. Now some of you might be saying this “isn’t a new product”. You would be correct the Cirrus HYBRID isn’t our latest product, however, what it has done is change and evolve as time has progressed. We are dedicated to continuously improving our products when and wherever possible. We do this by looking at our products over time in real-world situations and asking ourselves the questions: How can we make it better for the consumer? And what can we do to make this happen? Once we have these answers, we look to further enhancing our solutions where we can, ensuring our products are the best they can be.

To be shortlisted for the awards, we had to put the Cirrus HYBRID under the spotlight and answer several questions posed by Electrical Review & Data Centre Review as to why we feel the Cirrus HYBRID should be their Fire Safety Product of the Year. Here are the questions they asked and how we answered them.

Q. Please highlight the key features, benefits, or achievements the Judges should consider for why your product should be nominated for fire safety product of the year?

Genuinely Unique Technology – The only combined Aspirating Fire and Smoke Detector

Protec Cirrus HYBRID is the latest generation of “Aspirating Detectors” from Protec Fire Detection Plc. By utilising the two best forms of aspirating system technologies, Cloud Chamber Detection (CCD) and Early Warning Smoke Detection (EWSD), in one detector, the Cirrus HYBRID detector provides a single device able to detect fire and smoke over the most extensive range of fire types.

The Cirrus HYBRID is unique because the two detection technologies typically work independently from each other. Using complex algorithms, they also work together to provide intelligent alarm decision making. This synergy of technologies provides is a device that can verify true alarm conditions and, as importantly, is resistant to unwanted or false alarms that plague so many optical only aspirating detectors.

Our Cloud Chamber Detectors are the earliest fire detection technology, identifying optically invisible particles created as a material overheats. Dependent on the material, some fires burn with only a tiny amount of visible smoke and some with more significant volumes. By combining our Cloud Chamber Detectors with the high performance “Scatter Chamber Detectors” (SCD), the Cirrus HYBRID can detect a broader range of fires over many different applications. Examples of these are data centres and clean rooms, general and high bay warehousing, cold storage, atriums and ceiling voids, high ceiling spaces such as airport lounges, indoor arenas and theatres and various power and utility plants.

Q. What specific examples of excellence would you like the Judges to pay attention to in your nomination for fire safety product of the year?

Cirrus HYBRID aspirating detectors have been designed to provide innovative functions and features for designer/specifiers, installers, engineers and service providers and end clients.

Designer/ Specifier Friendly

Cirrus HYBRID aspirating detectors have been designed to provide innovative features for designer/specifiers, installers, end-users and service providers. One benefit to designers is that by extending the range of fire types detected, a single product can be specified and be suitable for so many diverse applications.

Installer Friendly

Some key design features to assist the installers:

• Drill templates to help with detector fixings
• Sampling ports designed to be at clip distance spacings for pipe entries
• Colour and texture matching accessories

All of which allow the installation to look well planned and professionally finished.

Engineer and Service Provider Friendly

Many unique product features are included to assist both commissioning and service engineers. These include detector, pipe and alarm text to help with specific fault finding, warning indicators on menu functions to promote good engineering practice and automated timing and recording of some testing processes.

End Client Friendly

Many of the product features available to servicing engineers are accessible to the end-user, thereby allowing comprehensive product information for operational and auditing purposes. A colour touch screen display provides installation plan imagery and detailed helpful application-specific text to end-users. Further, one utterly unique feature within the industry is the ability to provide the user with a live camera stream on the detector display directly from the protected area; this allows the user to see the alarm condition before entering the protected and potentially hazardous area.

Q. Please explain why you believe the Judges should reward your entry?

It may at first appear surprising for Protec to nominate a product officially launched in 2015 for an award in 2022. However, there are important reasons. As our product sales increase in new territories worldwide, new partners, specifiers, installers, and end-users are experiencing the benefits of our unique technologies and product features. Moreover, the feedback from these new experiences is not only encouraged but welcomed; this has instigated some recent and significant product enhancements. Amongst these, and based on one specific client request for a particular functionality that we had not even considered at the product design stage, a unique feature has elevated this product to provide the most robust engineering solution for the connection of early warning detection systems to fire suppression and extinguishing systems. Our dual technology and dual sensors offer the full spectrum solution from early warning detection without unwanted alarms. Alarm level reporting as the event further develops (particularly for unmanned sites), to selectable options for instigating fire suppression or extinguishing systems via their dedicated control panels.

The Protec Cirrus HYBRID aspirating fire & smoke detectors continue to protect buildings and their contents in hundreds of applications worldwide from fire.

Continued product development and engaging with client requests and experiences keep this proven product at the forefront of technology within the fire detection industry. Compliance with the UK, European and Global approvals promotes quality, accessibility, confidence and benefits to all parties associated with the product. Product Approvals include the following: –

• EN 54 Part 20 for Europe,
• CCC Approved for China
• FM Approval recognised worldwide
• UL approval is also recognised worldwide – Pending
• UK/CA – Pending

For more information on the Cirrus HYBRID and our other specialist detection systems contact our sales team today.