Landmark Tyneside apartments get Hyfire wireless protection

A prominent residential development close to the iconic Tyne Bridge is now protected by over 600 cutting-edge wireless devices from Hyfire following a comprehensive overhaul of the fire system.

Built in the early-2000s as part of the Gateshead Quays development, Curzon Place is a familiar site to thousands of motorists crossing the famous bridge daily, as well as to the many brave souls taking on the Great North Run each year. The new fire system, installed by RayFire Services Ltd, was the first complete overhaul in the building’s industry, bringing it fully into line with the latest UK fire regulations and best practice.

Ray Hope, Managing Director at RayFire Services, commented: ‘This was the largest, smoothest install we have carried out to date, largely thanks to the simplicity of setting up and installing the Hyfire Taurus wireless devices, which made the whole process from survey through to commissioning completely seamless. For an apartment complex with residents in situ, you really couldn’t ask for more.

‘Working with the Hyfire team, we specified a full communal Level 1 system, incorporating heat detection and sounders within each apartment lobby and additional heat detection in sensitive areas. We were able to reduce wiring by up to 90%, with a radically reduced installation schedule and minimal disruption for residents.’

Hyfire offers the widest range of commercial standard wireless fire devices on the market, ranging from optical, multi-criteria and heat detectors to notification, alarm, interface and control units, all fully certified to EN54. All products offer the highest performance and quality in the industry, and are also fully compliant with BS5839 Part 1. Fire panels are wired via a loop to translators, from which wireless devices can be used on their own to build fully wireless systems of virtually any size, or mixed with Hyfire wired products to provide seamless hybrid solutions, offering total flexibility to specifiers and installers.

Robert Bruce, Hyfire National Sales Manager – North, said: ‘This is one of our first projects with RayFire Services, and it was great to work on such a landmark building. The Taurus range, combined with an Advanced MxPro panel, offers all of the capabilities of its wired equivalents, with the added benefits of simplicity and ease of installation, which is a major advantage for both building occupiers and the end client. With more and more fire system upgrades taking place outside of the usual maintenance schedule, the ability to limit the impact on the structure is also very welcome.’

Developed in Trieste, Italy, the global centre for wireless fire design, Taurus features Pathfinder Technology, which allows the devices to communicate over up to a kilometre, point to point in open air, and further where expansion hops are used. Antenna technology has been optimised to allow communication across different frequencies and environments, which means that Taurus can do the job with less equipment and less batteries, thus saving on costs.

Colin Wrightson, Director at Securetech Systems NE Ltd, lead contractor for the end client on the project, commented: ‘We had a clear brief to deliver this project as rapidly as possible, with minimal intrusion and inconvenience, so Hyfire wireless devices were the obvious choice. The installation was completed ahead of schedule, the system is working as specified and the residents are very happy with the outcome. You can’t really ask for more.’

Hyfire was launched as Sterling Safety Systems in 2007, bringing to market some of the first commercial wireless detection and alarm devices fully certified to EN54. Since then, the Hyfire brand has become synonymous with quality, reliability and innovation in the commercial fire sector. Hyfire devices come with a five-year warranty, backed up by a dedicated partner programme to ensure the best survey, installation, commissioning, after sales service and exceptional technical support.