Make Up a System (2.0)

[NEOhistoryfan101]

Samuelsville PD Central Headquarters: The 1967 Brutalist Extension

Located directly adjacent to City Hall, the SPD Central Headquarters represents the final phase of the municipal complex’s expansion. Completed in 1967, this separate structure allowed the police department to migrate from its cramped quarters in the City Hall basement into a purpose-built facility designed for modern law enforcement and high-security detention.

While the core mechanical DNA remains consistent with the 1964 City Hall wing—maintaining the Westinghouse electrical backbone and American-Standard plumbing—the SPD headquarters introduces specialized “hardened” hardware designed for the rigors of a correctional environment.

I. Specialized Ventilation and Air Handling

While the main HVAC plant still relies on American-Standard and Powers Regulator controls, the exhaust and distribution hardware shifts to accommodate the building’s specific high-use and high-security needs.

• Roof Exhausters: The building utilizes heavy-duty units from Cleveland’s Loren Cook Co., known for their durable centrifugal designs.

• Institutional Vents: In the detention and holding areas, standard registers are replaced with Tuttle & Bailey institutional-grade vents. These are designed to be tamper-proof, anti-ligature, and resistant to the insertion of contraband.

II. High-Security Plumbing

The general office areas continue the building-wide theme of Am-Std fixtures and Halsey Taylor coolers. However, the cell blocks utilize specialized hardware:

• Super Secur Ware: The detention areas are outfitted with Aluminum Plumbing Fixtures Corporation (A.P.F.C.) units. These “Super Secur” fixtures are fabricated from unbreakable cast aluminum, designed to withstand extreme vandalism while being bolted directly through the wall to the mechanical chase.

III. Communications and Surveillance Audio

The SPD headquarters operates on a secondary Stromberg-Carlson head-end, but the speaker hardware pivots to Lowell for increased durability and specific acoustic coverage.

• Corridors: Feature Lowell LCB-8A bi-directional speakers, providing clear audio down long hallways.

• Administrative Areas: Utilize the classic AL/RS-8A hybrid ceiling speakers, blending seamlessly with the mid-century acoustic tile.

• The Holding Section:

• Vandal-Resistant Grills: The hallways use BRLK “storm drain” style grills, while the cells feature the SQLK-8 square versions. These heavy-gauge steel plates prevent inmates from damaging the internal components.

• Talkback System: Each cell is equipped with a separate single-gang plate featuring a rugged talk switch, allowing for controlled two-way communication with the central desk.

I. The Cameras: GE “TE” Series

The building utilizes GE TE-20 and TE-22 solid-state vidicon cameras. These were some of the first “compact” industrial cameras to move away from bulky vacuum tube circuitry in favor of transistors, making them reliable enough for 24/7 police operation.

• The Optics: Each camera is fitted with a fixed General Scientific or Canon C-mount lens. In the main lobbies, they use wide-angle 10mm lenses, while the long cell-block corridors use 25mm lenses for a “telescopic” view of the individual cell doors.

• Detention Housings: In the holding areas, the cameras aren’t just mounted on brackets; they are encased in heavy-duty Pelco (then known as Pelco Sales Inc.) cast-aluminum “environmental” housings with specialized tamper-proof Lexan faceplates and security-bolt closures to prevent inmates from repositioning or damaging the units.

II. Remote Control: Pelco Pan-Tilts

Key cameras overlooking the sally port and the main booking desk are mounted on Pelco PT-1250 heavy-duty pan-tilt heads.

• Operation: These are controlled by a joystick and rocker-switch panel at the main desk, allowing the sergeant to scan the perimeter.

• The “Hum”: You can hear the distinct 24V AC synchronous motors whirring whenever a camera is being panned—a signature sound of 1960s surveillance.

III. The Monitor Bank and Switching

The central desk features a built-in “console” of GE TR-Series 9-inch and 12-inch black-and-white monitors.

• Sequential Switching: Because there are more cameras than monitors, the system uses a Switcher/Fader unit. It’s set to “Auto-Sequence,” meaning the monitor for the detention wing cycles through Cameras 1 through 6 every ten seconds with a distinct mechanical click from the relay box.

• Image Quality: The resolution is approximately 600 lines—sharp for the era, but prone to “burn-in” if a camera stays pointed at a high-contrast scene (like a brightly lit door) for too long. You’ll notice slight ghostly silhouettes on the monitors from years of static views.

IV. Integration with Communications

The surveillance system is functionally tethered to the Lowell/Stromberg-Carlson intercom system described earlier.

• Audio-Visual Sync: When a “Talk” switch is toggled on a cell’s SQLK-8 grill, the sergeant manually switches the primary monitor to that cell’s camera view, allowing them to see and hear the occupant simultaneously.

V. Hidden Infrastructure

• The Wiring: Every camera is fed by thick RG-59/U coaxial cable and a separate multi-conductor “control cable” for the pan-tilt units, all pulled through dedicated 3/4-inch rigid conduit to prevent prisoner interference.

• The Vault Link: One dedicated camera is trained 24/7 on the entrance to the Diebold evidence vault, with its monitor placed directly in the Captain’s office.

this system has since been replaced with a modern one by Axis Comminications.

IV. Life Safety: Hardened Fire Protection

The fire alarm system remains an extension of the Autocall and Pyrotonics network found in City Hall, but with aesthetic and functional modifications for the 1967 build:

• Signals: The 10-inch single-stroke “baseball visor” bells are used exclusively in their semi-flush configuration to match the modern interior. The 4-inch trouble bells also utilize the semi-flush mounting.

• Detention Protection: To prevent tampering or accidental activation in the holding areas, all Pyrotonics F3 smoke detectors are encased in heavy-duty steel wire guards.

V. Security and Vaults

Following the tradition of the basement safe in City Hall, the SPD headquarters features reinforced evidence lockers and a high-security armory, continuing the use of Diebold and Russwin high-security cylinders. Door control in the transition zones between the public lobby and the secure precinct utilizes LCN heavy-duty concealed closers, ensuring doors remain latched and secure at all times.

SPD history:

The evolution of the Samuelsville Police Department (SPD) is a narrative of industrial boom, civic tension, and eventual infrastructure decay, mirrored by the literal concrete and copper of its facilities.

The history of the Samuelsville Police Department (SPD) is a narrative of industrial friction, rapid expansion, and a modern struggle with systemic decline. Its infrastructure serves as a physical timeline of the city’s shifting fortunes.

I. The Frontier Era & Industrial Conflict (1870–1920)

Founded in 1870 with just a handful of “Night Watchmen,” the SPD was quickly forged in the fire of the 1890s and 1910s labor strikes.

• The “Call” Era: Early communication relied on the Gamewell Telegraph System. Officers used key-operated street boxes to “pull” a signal to the central station.

• Infrastructure: During the 1910s strikes, the SPD utilized the basement of the original 1870s City Hall as a makeshift barracks. The department purchased its first motorized vehicle—a 1912 White Motor Company paddy wagon—to transport strikers to the county jail. Some early Harley-Davidson motorcycles were purchased for neighborhood patrols; more were purchased in 1930 (VL), with further ones two decades later (FL)

II. Expansion and the Golden Age (1920s–1955)

As Samuelsville’s steel and manufacturing sectors boomed, the department decentralized.

• Neighborhood Precincts: Between 1926 and 1934, four satellite precincts were built. These were “Miniature City Halls”—stately brick structures with Russwin hardware and Standard Electric Time clocks.

• Post-War Modernization: Starting in 1949, the SPD pushed into the outskirts. These new precincts dropped the Neoclassical look for “California-style” ranch architecture.

• Radio Revolution: The 1950s saw the rollout of Motorola “Dispatcher” two-way radios in a fleet dominated by Ford Mainlines and Chevrolet Delrays.

III. The Boiling Point (1964–1978)

The peak of SPD infrastructure was the 1964 Outskirt Precinct and the subsequent 1967 Central Headquarters move.

• The Riots (1967–1968): During the “Long Hot Summers,” the SPD’s communications were pushed to the brink. The General Electric TE-20 cameras at Headquarters (just installed) were used to monitor perimeter security while officers in Plymouth Furys patrolled the smoldering industrial corridors.

• The 1978 Steel Crisis: In March 1978, the abrupt closure of the Samuelsville Steel Works led to the city’s most violent labor uprising. The SPD, now equipped with 1970s Dodge Monacos, struggled to contain thousands of displaced workers. This event marked the beginning of the “Rust Belt Decline.”

IV. The Era of Decay (1980s–2019)

As industries vanished, the tax base evaporated.

• Crime Surge: The 1980s crack epidemic met a department with aging existing infrastructure. The Autocall fire systems and General Bronze windows at Headquarters began to show their age, and the neighborhood precincts started to close one by one due to maintenance costs.

• Consolidation: By the 1990s, the ‘20s/’30s and some outskirt precincts were largely abandoned or sold, with all operations folding back into the 1967 Headquarters.

V. COVID-19 and the Modern Collapse (2020–Present)

The pandemic was the final blow to an already fragile budget.

• The “Hands-Off” Policy: Severely underfunded and understaffed, the SPD effectively ceased traffic enforcement and minor nuisance calls. The fleet, now a mix of high-mileage Ford Police Interceptors, is rarely seen on routine patrol.

• The 2021 Crisis: As accountability waned and morale bottomed out, 2021 saw a documented spike in corruption and use-of-force incidents. The 1967 “Super Secur Ware” cells in the detention wing are now frequently overcrowded, and the GE surveillance system (while upgraded to digital) often suffers from “dead zones” due to deferred maintenance.

[ThreePhaseEel]

Samuelsville Public Library modernization project:

Speckling on some (thankfully replaceable) microfilm materials in the collection led to an investigation over the course of the mid-2010s, led by an archival science graduate student visiting from Purdue University. What they discovered was disturbing: the vaunted Pyr-A-Larm F3 and F5 detectors that had stood watch over the library for decades were beginning to break down internally, generating americium/gold microparticles that posed a low-level radioactive contamination hazard.

Given that this posed a hazard both to collections and humans, plans were drawn up for a replacement; however, with the inability of the FIU to accept newer detectors and the lack of any independent automatic detection or suppression, as well as the CO2 suppression system’s absolute dependence on them, a phased plan was required. Furthermore, the existing notification appliances all ran on AC voltage, which posed another barrier to a straightforward upgrade.

First Phase: Independent Suppression

Fortunately, given the library’s relatively central location, an ample water supply was available to run even the aggressive flows needed for sprinklering densely packed book stacks without the need to burden the existing diesel gensets with a fire pump. As a result, the first phase of the upgrade consisted of totally sprinklering the building. However, doing this without destroying the historic architecture required resorting to a call to the local JCI branch for Tyco RAVEN sprinklers with factory finished caps and pre-primed escutcheons, similar to the (seemingly delisted?) RAVEN Studio product Tyco briefly offered. These extended coverage heads and custom paintwork on the escutcheons permit a highly discreet installation in the public spaces of the building.

Go back into the stacks though, and the far higher fire loads in book stack and record cold storage areas demand much more water than the RAVEN can deliver. For this, K-33.6 ESFR sprinklers at the ceiling level were chosen to protect the 40’+ tall stack areas, providing floor-to-ceiling protection for the hazard without the need for damage-prone in-rack heads. Finally, the special collections area would be sprinklered at this point as well, enabled by the knowledge in recovering water-damaged materials gleaned by the archival community over the years (and written down in Annex C of NFPA 232) and providing a backup to the CO2 system should it fail.

A Gentex GB6-120 local bell at the FDC to serve as a waterflow alarm and a DMP PowerComF communicator for remote station supervision would be added at this point as well.

Put to the Test

This work proved vital, as in 2021, Winter Storm Uri would hit. While MISO and SPP proved far more resilient than ERCOT in keeping the lights on, and no water mains broke in Samuelsville’s downtown, the bitter cold and heavy snow did lead to issues, starting with a boiler malfunction that put several staff on sick leave due to CO exposure from backdrafting flue gases due to a combination of wind damage to a flue cap and extreme drifting snow on the roof.

This was aggravated when the malfunctioning boiler, unable to be shut down due to the heat demands on the building, overheated badly, igniting wooden bracing in the floor framing above the boiler room. A single head was able to extinguish the overt fire; however, the damage had already been done. The over-running boiler had raised steam pressures enough to cause a radiator air vent in the special collections section to malfunction, stick open, and release saturated steam onto a box of fiche film stored on an overhead shelf due to lack of space.

The nitrate base film that had been incorrectly filed in with the safety film in the box decomposed within hours despite the boiler being shut-down while the smoldering framing was overhauled and the single sprinkler head quickly replaced by maintenance to permit full protection to be restored. The CO-TWO system activated early in the incident, but only slowed the fierce smoulder of the box and surrounding combustibles, promoted by NO2 released by the decomposing film.

Fortunately, the new sprinkler system did its job, and managed to completely suppress the surrounding Class A fire and knock down the remaining NO2 emissions to the point where responding firefighters finished the fire off with a water extinguisher, as the film had completely decomposed by then. While the box of old fiche had to be recovered from other sources, and two nearby boxes of paper records were total losses to fire damage, a single sprinkler head had saved the entire remaining special collection from being consumed by a fire that would have otherwise escaped the CO2 system’s control, and the paper records that were water damaged were able to be totally restored using a flash freezing/vacuum sublimation process.

Phase 2: That C-O-TWO system

While refilling a CO2 system is no big deal, it was determined during investigation of the fire that the special collections room was occupied and used often enough to be considered a “normally occupied enclosure” by the State Fire Marshal when applying NFPA 12. This forced a decision: modernize the CO2 system with a new releasing panel and detection equipment supervising mechanical lockout valves, a pneumatic predischarge alarm replacing the Faraday 123-U buzzer, and a pneumatic discharge delay device per NFPA 12 4.1.2, in addition to switching from pyrotechnical to pilot-pneumatic actuation and possibly migrating away from the aging high pressure cylinders, or switch from CO2 to a more modern technology as part of the overhaul?

During these discussions, it was discovered that a sampling of high-pressure CO2 cylinders that had been removed for inspection were rejected and rendered unserviceable by the cylinder reinspector due to hydrostatic test failures. This further complicated the decision, as the original migration path from CO2 to high pressure inert gas would now require replacing all cylinders in the system, as would retaining the use of CO2. Fortunately, inert agents do not require time-consuming cylinder weighing, and the remaining nitrate film in the collection was copied to modern polyester safety film by a local laboratory as a priority project in the wake of the fire, as much of it required significant salvage despite not being exposed to smoke, heat, or water during the fire incident.

In the end, the cylinders were replaced with new DOT-specification cylinders, and the system was migrated to inert gas (inergen) operation. A Honeywell RP-2002 with a single zone of 2WT-B i3 detectors would be used as a temporary replacement for the existing Pyrotronics hardware, and the Faraday buzzer would be replaced with a System Sensor CHSWL with an AGENT bezel, set to supply a temporal chime. A second CHSWL with an AGENT bezel and a red lens fitted would be mounted outside the room and set to its whoop tone to serve as the discharge alarm.

Other Life Safety and MEP Modernizations

While the CO2 system was being replaced, several other more minor modernization projects went along with it. The existing, ornate exit signage in the older wings would be updated with LED bulbs and the lighting would be updated with high-CRI (95+) LEDs in the existing Guth fixtures in all public and collection spaces atop the installation of motion controls and LED fixtures in utility rooms and corridors, and the use of ALCRs to force fixtures into emergency operation. Select N/E fixtures and the exit signs are also fitted with Bodine microinverter backups in this scheme to provide the most critical emergency lights with some power should the gensets fail to start.

Furthermore, the GE switchgear would be updated with modernized breakers and ABB microprocessor trip units, permitting zone selective interlocking, current limiting protection, and intelligent selective coordination. This upgrade paid off in 2023, when carbon dust buildup shorted out several contactors in the electromechanical controls, leading to one of the elevator motor-generator sets in the original building shorting out as well. Had it not been for the upgrade, the incident most likely have required multiple elevator rescues due to the wing of the building blacking out.

Elevator Modernization

The control and drive failure forced the original building’s elevators to be modernized, with Mitsubishi control and drive gear being fitted to rewound motors. The existing car and hall panels were retained with modifications to accommodate FEO-K1 keyed switches for fire recall, as well as a LV-1K for comms failure. (Many of the building’s original POTS lines to its key system’s FXO ports had been freed up by the regular phone system being migrated to use VoIP for the office telephones.)

This modernization also took the opportunity to replace the original-to-the-building traveling cables with a pair of James Monroe traveling cables, consisting of a TCJC17 for power and general signalling and a TCSCME14 to provide 2 Cat6 members + additional signaling pairs for future use. Draka rope grippers were also added at this point to provide ascending car overspeed protection, and this bank of elevators would be put on generator power at this point.

Recall would be accomplished using 4WTR-Bs tied into two of the remaining zones on the temporary RP-2002 and driving NC recall inputs on the Mitsubishi controllers with those zones set up for supervisory duty. The RP-2002 was also tied into the two remaining zone inputs on the PowerComF at this point at the request of the local fire marshal.

Voice Evacuation

With most of the more urgent issues taken care of, and the film restored as best as possible and stored in either the newest (and least radioactive) wing of the library or offsite, it was time to start reworking the fire alarm system itself.

The first step in this journey was to add voice evacuation support to the system. The speaker drivers would be replaced with Atlas FAP63TUCs to provide modern listings (including a plenum rating, important for diffuser mounted speakers), supervision support, and a high level of sound fidelity, while the old Stromberg-Carlson PA panel would get swapped for a Notifier NFC-50/100 with a NFC-BDA-70V backup amp & NFC-XRM-70V transformer and the old zone amplifiers would get replaced with SigCom DAPB-100s with SIG-70V-XFMRs. A relay would be used to interface the existing NAC to the NFC-50/100, allowing the old chimes to be decommissioned at this point in the project.

The releasing system in the special collections room would also get its own voice system, consisting of an EVAX-25 panel whose aux audio input is driven from an RDL TX-70A off a speaker NAC from the NFC-50/100 and a RIC-4 off the future master strobe NAC. The aux message input on the EVAX would be used with a second RIC-4 connected to the prealarm NAC, while the main message input would be connected to the alarm NAC, and the existing releasing NAs would be replaced with Eluxa speaker strobes, with clear strobes on the inside of the space and a red strobe outside the entrance. This provides dedicated local voice alarm for predischarge and discharge conditions that overrides the building voice evacuation system, while allowing PA and voice alarm messages through if the release panel is inactive.

Any non-acoustically-intelligible mechanical spaces also received Edwards 323D-10AW-R single stroke bells on 403-3A-R strobe plates driven from the future master strobe NAC using a G1M-RM (for now) at this point and letting the sync pulses restroke the bells.

Detection

Finally, the Pyr-A-Larms could be jettisoned in favor of FSV-951Rs, one of the few spot detectors currently out there capable of matching the high sensitivity of the F3s and F5s. The old chimes would at last be replaced by Edwards Genesis G1-CVM chime strobes and a set of AL1002ULADA NAC boosters to power the coded chimes and strobes separately. With this, the RP2002 & i3s in the special collections area would be replaced by a relay from a VESDA VEU-A00-NTF-VN on a main system SLC but powered from the new special collections releasing panel, a PFC-4410G3.

An INSPIRE N16e with a RLD annunciator, a UVC license, and Class X loops consisting of FSV-951Rs in B224BI-WH bases would be fitted in place of the ancient Pyrotronics FIU, save for the machine rooms, which got FSP-951T-SELFTs in B224RB-WHs instead, and the stack areas, which also received VEU-A00-NTF-VNs powered from NAC extender auxiliary power, with sampling tubes extending down the rack flue spaces as far as piping design constraints permit. The existing pulls, though, would be refurbished and put on mini-monitor modules to interface them to the new panel. The existing HVAC units would also get refurbished and upgraded at this point, giving them variable-speed fan control and return-side (IMC) duct detection using Notifier DNR duct detectors fitted with System Sensor FRM-1s. The voice evacuation system would also be given expanded notification capability, replacing the old relay tie-in with an XP6-R and a FDRM-1 to allow all 8 inputs on the voice panel to be triggered + provide trouble reporting from the voice panel back to the FACP.

The i3s originally installed for floor recall in the original wing were also replaced with FSV-951Rs in B224BI-WH bases, and the NC contacts for recall would now be supplied by FDRM-1 modules, although the inputs on these modules were left unused as the building elevators were not required to have shunt trips. Furthermore, the server room would be upgraded with an Inergen system of its own, using a second PFC-4410G3/VEU-A00-NTF-VN combo for releasing, although the setup dispensed with the subsidiary voice panel, instead reusing the CHSWLs from the old special collections releasing system.

In this system, the chimes are used as a coded prealarm for staff responses to emergencies, while the strobes and voice evac are saved for a full alarm condition. The bells are on their own NAC, coding zone code for prealarm and T3 for full alarm. Alarm reporting is done through a NUP connection to a HON-CGW-MBB CLSS Gateway connected via a dedicated Ethernet link to a 2N LiftIP+, replacing the PowerComF, and the elevator phones in the original wing would be cut over to the LiftIP+ with the aid of a Viking LC-3, allowing more phone lines to be decommissioned.

Further Work

A final set of contracts would be tendered to finish out lower-priority modernization and cleanup work. This included:

• the addition of Phase II support to the elevators in the 1974 wing
• fitment of Draka rope grippers to the 1974 wing elevator bank
• modernization of the elevator phone system in the 1974 wing
• the addition of a (simple) area of refuge system covering both of the main elevator banks from the 2nd floor on up (the basement isn’t a required accessible floor)
• fuel gas and CO detection with boiler shutdown in all the boiler rooms
• CO detection for the generator room
• fuel gas detection in the meter/riser room
• ammonia and refrigerant detection in the chiller machinery rooms.
• and the installation of interior and exterior CCTV and alarms for security.

As a result of this, the analog elevator phones in the original elevators were removed and replaced with Viking E-1600-02-IP units powered from an Altronix NetWay4EX battery backed PoE switch with a P1GCE transceiver for the uplink. These phones also replaced the phones in the 1974 wing’s elevators, but are instead fed via Altronix Pace1KRT 10BaseT1L kits as the 1974 traveling cables still have lots of life left in them. The 1974 wing also received its own LV-1K at this time, and POTS to the building was completely discontinued at this point.

The area of refuge system in this installation, though, is entirely analog, with a Viking LC-8 on a Signify ELI-S-100 mini-inverter supplying Viking E-1600-32A phones. A VTech A1311 phone in a Viking VE-ARSW box provides lobby control, and the system dials out via the analog FXS port on the LiftIP+.

The gas detection would be added using a Quatrosense/ACI M-Controller with Q6-CO/CH4 sensors in the boiler rooms, a Q5C-CO-250L in the generator room, a Q5-NH3-1000L in the original chiller machinery room, and QIRF2s in any newer chiller rooms present. The relays on the individual sensors in the boiler and chiller rooms would be set up to energize local alarm notification and provide a failsafe shutdown for controlled machinery, while the ammonia chiller room also had one of the sensor’s relays connected failsafe across the existing vent fan breakglass to drive that fan to 100% speed in case of an ammonia leak. The panel’s relays, though, along with those on a M-RELAY-5A-2 card, would be connected to panel zones for CO alarm, ammonia, fuel gas, & CO prealarm/supervisory, as well as a failsafe trouble zone, and the generator room sensor would be connected to its notification and its own zone and trouble to provide CO supervisory signaling independent of the M-Controller.

That notification would consist of a DMP 866 card at each sensor for supervision, with their trouble contacts brought back to the M-Controller to trigger a fault condition via a fault on one of the analog inputs, and a CHSWL with a plain bezel and red lens outside the room in question, set for 15cd and whoop tone. Power to all but the standby generator CO detector is provided using Functional Devices PSMN24DA cards to convert HVAC control 24VAC to DC, while the standby generator CO detector is powered from an available source of FACP auxiliary power. Additionally, a GD-2B monitored & powered by the FACP would be placed near the meter/riser room ceiling to monitor the gas meter & service entrance for gas leaks, as recommended by NFPA 715, and CM-E1 CO detectors on monitor modules and powered from FACP auxiliary power would be installed outside each of the boiler rooms.

Security

While locks, keys, and Mark 1 eyeball surveillance served the library well for many years, security improvements had been planned for some time already even without the modernization effort as impetus. While cost-effectiveness debates over electronic PACS and discussions about how CCTV and security sensors would “ruin the architecture” simmered during board meetings, staff did plan a more limited modernization based on discreet modular cameras, a NVR, and limited door supervision, replacing the existing, more-obtrusive Pelco analog camera system.

This would consist of recessed Magnasphere contacts installed into the perimeter doors, as well as the doors to the special collections room and server room, along with Axis F9114-R main units supporting Axis F7225-RE pinhole and F4108 microdome camera heads. The backend of this system, in turn, would use a Hanwha Vision WRN1632S NVR and an Axis D3110 MK II I/O hub that monitored the door zones (perimeter, special collections, server) and an arm/disarm contact from the Mosler system, in addition to reporting intrusions to the main FACP using its relay and a monitor module. The I/O hub power comes from an AL300ULXX with 2 12Ah batteries and a mini-mod in it (the latter for power supervision), while the NVR is on UPS/generator power.

A Camden Controls keyswitch to serve as a point shunt for the server room would be incorporated into the plans. Finally, the locks were upgraded with SFIC cylinders to put them on the same key system as the branch libraries.

[NEOhistoryfan101]

The portion about security cameras sounds very accurate; I will add that the library did receive a Mosler security system in the 80s as a result of the city’s rising crime rate. PELCO cameras were also added around that time. These cameras were replaced in 2022 with PoE models

The existing FA signals ran on 12VAC; separate Space Age V33 lamps were added during the 1974 expansion.

A real life library that still uses the F3/F5 detectors is Hofstra U’s Axinn Library (likely the later americium versions since it was built in the 70s; the early versions used radium, which is the case with this system— some units were replaced in the late 70s with the radium versions).

regarding voice evacuation, that would probably be tied into the existing Stromberg-Carlson intercom system.

The existing C-O-TWO system was recently modified to use inert clean agent gas. manual activation and abort stations were already in place when it was originally installed. The Faraday 123-U buzzer had a yellow indicator light already below it

The elevators would have newer Innovation buttons installed alongside the existing classic Otis “black buttons” wired in parallel, complete with a built-in emergency phone. (this was the case with the Union Station Office Tower hotel conversion)

[NEOhistoryfan101]

Samuelsville, Ind.’s state office building.

Occupying the former green space on the “Government Block,” the 8-story Indiana State Office Building (1975) serves as a monolithic transition from the mid-century municipal core to the late-twentieth-century industrial-modernist era. By shifting state operations out of the top three floors of City Hall, the building centralized regional governance in a structure defined by the stark geometries of Brutalism tempered by the glassy transparency of the International Style.

I. The Building Envelope: Copper and Glass

The 1975 build showcases the influence of major American industrial conglomerates of the era.

• Fenestration: All entrance doors and window extrusions were fabricated by AMARLITE (American Art Metals Company), which at the time was a division of Anaconda Copper. The frames are finished in a dark “bronze” anodized aluminum to complement the Brutalist concrete.

• The Glass: The building features LOF (Libbey-Owens-Ford) black-tinted solar glass, designed to reduce the cooling load during Samuelsville’s humid summers.

• Renewable Integration: Ahead of its time, the roof is outfitted with Revere Copper & Brass solar collectors. These are tied directly into the boiler loop to pre-heat water, reflecting the burgeoning energy consciousness of the mid-70s.

II. Fire Life Safety: The Simplex-STR Synergy

The life safety network is a complex, high-reliability system that integrates Simplex logic with Faraday audibles, branded under the STR (Standard Time Recorder) label.

• The Panel: A Simplex 4208AX zone-coded system acts as the brain. In the event of an alarm, the panel transmits a distinct pulse code to identify the floor of origin.

• Detection: * General Areas: Simplex 4262 ionization smoke detectors provide coverage, including specialized duct-mounted versions for the HVAC system.

• Kitchen/Break Rooms: High-temperature 4255 heat sensors are utilized to prevent nuisance alarms from cooking.

• Critical Infrastructure: The computer rooms and archives are protected by an FM-200 gaseous suppression system, designed to extinguish fires without damaging sensitive electronics.

• Signals & Pulls: 4251-20 T-bar pull stations are paired with Simplex 4050-80 light plates (featuring the classic black “FIRE” screw-on lenses). These are coupled with Faraday 3400 (STR 4080) 10-inch single-stroke bells, providing a rhythmic, mechanical alarm tone.

• Suppression: A Grinnell wet-pipe sprinkler system is installed throughout, featuring aesthetically discrete “CLEANLINE” flush-mount heads and monitored by Potter flow switches.

III. Mechanical and Climate Control

The building’s “lungs” are a testament to the heavy machinery of the Great Lakes region.

• The Thermal Plant: Heating is generated by Cleaver-Brooks packaged boilers, while the air handling is managed by massive Buffalo Forge Co. blowers.

• Distribution: Like the 1964 City Hall wing, this building utilizes a Buensod-Stacey dual-duct system, allowing for simultaneous heating and cooling mixing at the terminal units.

• Controls: The entire pneumatic logic—thermostats, dampers, and valves—is a Johnson Service Co. (Johnson Controls) installation from their Milwaukee headquarters.

• Plumbing: A departure from the city’s Am-Std tradition, the State Building uses Kohler fixtures. ELKAY drinking fountains were installed with early provisions for wheelchair accessibility, and have recently been retrofitted with modern bottle-filling stations.

• Pumps: All circulation is handled by the Buffalo Forge Pump Division, with a network of pure copper piping (with black iron sprinkler pipes) throughout.

IV. Electrical, Vertical Transport, and Security

• Power: A total Westinghouse package, including the main switchgear and the elevator traction motors.

• Lighting: The interior is illuminated by Presco-Lite fluorescent fixtures and exit signs, utilizing Hubbell and Leviton wiring devices for the wall plates and outlets.

• Security & Access:

• Surveillance: A comprehensive PELCO camera network (coaxial-based) monitors the hallways and entrances.

• Access Control: High-security departments utilize an early Hager electronic access control system, a precursor to modern badge-swipe technology.

• Exits: All emergency egress points are protected by DETEX exit alarms to prevent unauthorized building entry.

• Hardware: Continuing the municipal standard, Russwin locks are used, while LCN concealed closers maintain the “clean” aesthetic of the doors.

V. Communications and Legacy Systems

• Audio: The building uses a DuKane intercom head-end, paired with Lowell STS8-P plastic ceiling grills and MLCB (Multi-Layout Ceiling Baffle) units for clear public address.

• Clocks: Time synchronization is managed by an STR master clock, keeping the State building in perfect sync with the nearby City Hall’s Standard Electric Time system.

• Postal: The structure features one of the last Cutler mail chutes ever installed in the region, a brass-and-glass vertical gravity system that allowed staff to drop mail from the 8th floor directly to the lobby collection box.

[ThreePhaseEel]

@NEOhistoryfan101

The portion about security cameras sounds very accurate; I will add that the library did receive a Mosler security system in the 80s as a result of the city’s rising crime rate. PELCO cameras were also added around that time. all the modern security cameras would likely still be PELCO’s

The existing FA signals ran on 12VAC; separate Space Age V33 lamps were added during the 1974 expansion

Noted on the FA signals and updated (although AC NAs are still thoroughly obsolete). I also made it so a relay off the Mosler system does arm/disarm on the supplemental security sensing added during the retrofit – some of the proposals being considered involve replacing the added IO controller, its backup supply, and the Mosler system with a proper PACS, but the more extensive scope of work that would entail, involving:

• new electrified mortise hardware from either Corbin-Russwin or Accurate Lock & Hardware,
• retrofit electrified panic trims for the existing Corbin crashbars,
• concealed or wireless power transfer systems depending on the ability to retrofit raceways into existing doors,
• replacing obsolete detectors with modern, more capable, and less obtrusive units,
• and equipping the library with readers and the associated power supply and backend hardware,

has caused some budgetary (and non-budgetary) hesitation for some time.

The Axis camera hardware was chosen over Pelco Sarix (and a couple of other vendors, such as Hanwha and Vivotek) for the interim modernization because it offers a microdome in addition to right-angle, fisheye, and bullet options, and the Hanwha NVR was chosen to permit a future Wisenet WAVE deployment, either by itself, integrated with a proprietary PACS/alarm system such as an Inner Range, or deployed alongside a Mercury-based backend, such as CredoID, that supports Wisenet WAVE integration. Also, Hanwha doesn’t offer on-prem PACS support (a shame too since their stuff can use Azure Access boards), and WAVE is one of the few major VMSs that can run on Linux along with CredoID being the only Mercury backend supported in a Linux environment to my knowledge.

@NEOhistoryfan101

Regarding voice evacuation, that would probably be tied into the existing Stromberg-Carlson intercom system.

Due to the extent of the modernization works, a fully UL 864 compliant EVACS was required by the State Fire Marshal during plan review, vs. retaining the existing PA system with a voice alarm card or prerecorded voice module driving it.

@NEOhistoryfan101

The elevators would have newer Innovation buttons installed alongside the existing classic Otis “black buttons” wired in parallel, complete with a built-in emergency phone. (this was the case with the Union Station Office Tower hotel conversion)

Noted and updated re: the phones in the original wing elevators. I take it the new fixtures would occupy a secondary Car Operating Panel?

[NEOhistoryfan101]

for the last thing that is a yes, they would probably be installed on one of the side walls.

The library chose Pelco cameras since they’re American made (heck they’re still in the CCTV business to this day)

[NEOhistoryfan101]

Samuelsville I. N. G. Armory (built 1917): a formidable example of “Military Gothic” architecture. While its primary purpose was to house the National Guard, its cavernous 4,000-seat drill hall transformed it into the city’s de facto civic center for over a century. Its mechanical history is a tale of rugged, oversized 1910s engineering clashing with the more refined, “comfort-oriented” upgrades of the post-WWII era.

I. 1917: The Original Mechanical Fortress

The Armory was built to be self-sufficient and nearly indestructible.

• The Steam Plant: The heart of the building was a massive Pacific Steel Boiler, a low-pressure steam behemoth designed to heat the vast, uninsulated volume of the drill hall. Heat was distributed via Shaw-Perkins high-output radiators, known for their unique “shielded” designs that optimized convection.

• Ventilation: Originally, the building relied on passive physics. Burt Manufacturing Co. gravity ventilators—huge, mushroom-capped vents on the roof—used the stack effect to pull hot air out. To assist this, massive Buffalo Forge supply fans, driven by early exposed-winding electric motors, pushed air through subterranean concrete plenums.

• Electrical: The original 1917 switchgear was a “dead-front” nightmare by modern standards: Westinghouse open knife switches mounted on slate panels. These required operators to manually throw exposed copper blades to energize the house lights.

• Latrines: The basement still retains its “Tactical” plumbing—original high-tank pull-chain toilets with porcelain wall-mounted reservoirs. These survivors offer a glimpse into the utilitarian, high-durability fixtures of the WWI era.

II. 1947: The Post-War Modernization

Following the return of veterans from WWII, the Armory was renovated to serve a city entering its “Golden Age.”

• HVAC: The most significant addition was a Carrier Air Conditioning system. This was a massive undertaking, requiring large-diameter chilled water pipes to be threaded through the 1917 masonry. The Burt MFG roof vents were upgraded from gravity-fed to powered centrifugal units to handle the increased air exchange.

• Life Safety: A Gamewell Dualarm fire system was installed. This was a sophisticated “Master Box” setup; when triggered, it didn’t just ring internally—it mechanically tripped a connection to the city’s municipal fire telegraph. It was programmed with a 4-4 Master Code, which would pulse the 10-inch S-S bells, alerting NG officers.

• Electrical & Lighting: The dangerous open-knife switches were replaced with Westinghouse enclosed circuit breakers. For the auditorium’s performance needs, Superior Electric stage lighting dimmers (specifically their “Luxtrol” line of autotransformers) were installed to provide smooth fades for public speeches and concerts.

• Seating: The original wooden “slat” fold-up seats were replaced with “AM-SE-CO” (American Seating Company) cushioned theater seats, significantly increasing the comfort for the 4,000 patrons.

• Plumbing: While the basement remained “antique,” the main floor latrines were modernized with Westinghouse refrigerated drinking fountains and mid-century fixtures.

III. The Basement:

I. The Underground Firing Range (1917 & 1947)

The range was originally designed for .30-06 Springfield rifles and .45 ACP sidearms. It is a long, narrow gallery located directly beneath the north side of the drill hall.

• Acoustics and Ventilation: The 1917 range was notoriously deafening. During the 1947 renovation, the walls were lined with Celotex acoustic tiles, and the original Buffalo Forge fans were slaved to a high-capacity exhaust system. This system creates a “laminar flow” of air, pulling lead dust and cordite fumes away from the shooters and pushing them through a dedicated shaft to a Burt MFG centrifugal fan on the roof.

• Target Systems: The range features a Caswell Training Systems cable-and-pulley target carrier. In 1947, the manual hand-cranks were replaced with small electric motors, though the original 1910s steel armored plates (the “backstop”) remained. These plates are angled 45 degrees to deflect rounds into a sand-filled pit, known as the “bullet trap.”

• Lighting: To cut through the smoke, the range uses Presco-Lite industrial high-bay fixtures with wire guards, providing the sharp, high-contrast illumination necessary for marksmanship.

II. The Ammunition Bunkers (The “Magazine”)

The ammo storage is the most secure part of the entire block, designed to withstand a catastrophic internal explosion without compromising the structural integrity of the Armory above.

• Construction: The bunkers are “floated” within the foundation—separated from the main footings by thick expansion joints to dampen vibration. The walls are 24-inch reinforced concrete.

• The Doors: Access is through massive Diebold vault doors, similar to the one in the City Hall basement but stripped of decorative trim. These doors feature “pressure-release” latches; in the event of a fire-induced pressure spike, the doors are designed to stay seated rather than being blown off their hinges.

• Climate Control: Because smokeless powder is sensitive to heat and moisture, the bunkers are kept at a constant 65°F (18°C) by a dedicated Carrier fan coil unit. Johnson Service Co. humidistats ensure the air remains dry to prevent brass corrosion and primer degradation.

• Safety Systems:

• Fire Suppression: The bunkers utilize a “Pre-Action” Grinnell sprinkler system. Unlike the rest of the building, the pipes in the magazine are dry; water only enters the pipes if both a Gamewell heat detector trips and a heat-sensitive head melts. This prevents accidental water damage to the ordinance.

• Spark Mitigation: All electrical conduit is rigid steel, and the Hubbell light switches are “explosion-proof” (Class I, Division 1) to prevent any stray electrical arc from igniting airborne dust.

III. The 2025/2026 Tactical Inventory

With the federalization of the National Guard to assist the SPD, these bunkers are more active than they have been in decades.

• Modern Stockpile: The 1917 racks that once held Springfield rifles now house M4 carbines and SIG Sauer M17 sidearms.

• Access Logs: The old paper logbooks have been replaced by the Hager early access control system—the same one used in the State Office Building—requiring a digital credential to open the Diebold doors.

The range itself has seen a resurgence in use. New recruits and federalized guardsmen can be heard practicing shooting drills, the rhythmic crack of modern 5.56mm rounds echoing through the Buffalo Forge vents and vibrating up into the floorboards of the historic 1917 drill hall.

IV. A Century of Crisis: Notable Events

The Armory has been the “last stand” for Samuelsville during every major disaster in the city’s history.

• 1918 Flu Epidemic: Just one year after opening, the drill hall was cleared of its 100th Infantry drilling equipment. Rows of cots were lined up across the floor as it served as an overflow hospital. The Buffalo Forge fans ran 24/7 in a desperate attempt to circulate air and prevent the spread of the Spanish Flu. it was used in the same manner 102 years later during COVID’s peak (this time with actual climate control).

• Labor Strikes (1930s & 1970s): During the “Little Steel” strikes of the 30s, the National Guard was quartered here, using the basement as a tactical staging area. History repeated itself in March 1978; when the steel plants shut down and violence erupted, the Armory became the central command post for the state’s response.

• The 1967/68 Riots: The Armory was the “Green Zone.” Military trucks were staged in the sally ports, and the 1947 Gamewell system was frequently tested as smoke from the surrounding neighborhood fires drifted through the Burt roof vents.

• 2025/2026 Federalization: In a controversial move mirroring the failed 1986 intervention (due to rising violent crime), the National Guard unit was federalized in 2025 to address the collapse of the SPD’s enforcement capabilities. Today, the Armory acts less like a public auditorium and more like a forward operating base. The Carrier AC units hum alongside modern tactical servers, while the AM-SE-CO seats are once again pushed aside for military cots, just as they were in 1918.

[ThreePhaseEel]

This system is for a ~120k ft2 by 60ft tall general (secondhand) merchandise warehouse (presumed Type IIB unprotected-noncombustible unlimited area) with a 6k ft2 CMV service garage, a 10k ft2 secondhand store, and ~20k ft2 of office space attached + a small detached noncombustible (CMU walls, low-slope CFS joist roof) accessory building housing an associated fire pump.

While a FA system with building notification is not required, the building does require sprinkler and fire pump monitoring and an intrusion system, and it’s presumed that the office duct detectors are handled in a standalone fashion, in addition to a pair of standalone duct detectors in the AHU feeding the back of house spaces in the retail bay. Those sprinklers are divided into 7 zones:

• a light hazard zone using quick response sprinklers for the office,
• an Ordinary Hazard Group 1 zone for the fire pump house,
• Ordinary Hazard Group 2 zones for the retail area and service garage,
• and 3 zones for the warehouse due to the 40k ft2 limit on sprinkler system area in storage situations, with each warehouse waterflow zone covering both the ceiling-level and in-rack sprinklers for that area as well as the occupant-use hoselines in the cross aisles connected to the ceiling sprinklers.

The ceiling level sprinklers in the warehouse are K-33.6 ESFR sprinklers in all three zones with 2 tiers of K25.2EC intermediate temperature CMDA heads in-rack in the intermediate flues, mounted immediately below solid shelves at the 20’ and 40’ marks and providing full protection to the rack storage for all ordinary combustible hazards, including Group A uncartoned expanded plastics. (It does push the K-33.6 ESFRs a bit beyond their listings when it comes to providing ceiling-only protection for the low-piled storage in the trash compactor and donation dropoff areas along with the forklift parking zone, but this could be rectified with some pressed tin and flexible drops, and these low-pile hazards are much less of an issue than the high-rack storage is.)

The Panel

The panel used for this application is a B8512G, with 2 12Ah batteries in it and three auxiliary supplies:

• a B520 with a 7Ah battery in it for the retail area’s sensors
• a B520 with 2 12Ah batteries in it for the perimeter sensors in the warehouse
• and an Altronix eFlow4NB mounted on BR3M2PK brackets that are screwed into the back of a Trove3BWC using Garvin GSSTs, with this supply paired with a monster 65Ah battery to power the long-range photobeams in the warehouse.

The intrusion SDI2 bus on the panel also runs to B915 keypads located at the shop front door, between the donation-dropoff and trash-compactor areas in the warehouse, at another suitable location in the warehouse (if desired), and by the main entrance to the service garage, as well as to the 5(!) B208 zone expanders used for intrusion zones in this system.

Communications consists of a combination of a B430 hooked to a Napco SLE-FNI-CFBPS with a 7Ah battery in it and a B444-V2. This communicator also drives a Wheelock MB-G6-12-R bell at the building’s main FDC from a relay output set to follow its waterflow zone to provide the waterflow alarm for the building.

Life Safety Detection

Aside from the 6 waterflow zones in the main building, with the 7th in the pumphouse, and a combination supervisory zone for all sprinkler tampers in the main building, the only fire detection is a 4WT-B providing panel and communicator self-protection, along with unmonitored standalone duct detectors for office HVAC shutdown. (It is presumed the retail floor is all essentially one space, with the breakroom/office spaces for it having their own small HVAC to avoid duct detector issues there, and the warehouse is also a single large space.)

It’s also presumed that the material-handling devices are modern electric types that do not require gas detectors at their charging location or pose a CO hazard to building occupants. That said, a single Napco FWC-CNV-PULLK is tied into the self-protection zone as well and located near the hosereel between the trash-compactor and donation-dropoff areas.

There are also redundant sprinkler waterflow and supervisory loops to the alarm communicator’s monitored zones, along with trouble reporting via a trouble (NC) contact on the self-protection zones. The supervisory loop also is fed with a redundant supervisory signal from the pumphouse supervisory switches using a Potter SignaLink bridge, powered from an AL300ULX with 2 7Ah batteries in it as I cannot find a 12V→24V converter UL listed for fire alarm service. The SignaLink TX and RX are mounted on the exteriors of their respective buildings as to avoid signal losses from building construction.

The duct detection for the one retail bay AHU (RTU, presumably) that has it is a pair of RT-3000-P conventional NEMA 4X detectors, one on the supply and the other on the return), with a MSR-50RK remote station shared between the detectors. The office AHUs use SL-2000-Ps with the same MSR-50RK remote stations, with one remote station, one supply-side detector, and one return-side detector per AHU.

Fire Pump Supervision

The fire pump is a large unit (75-100HP, as it needs to supply anywhere from 2000 to 3000gpm to feed the warehouse sprinklers adequately) controlled by a Master MCRT, paired with a small jockey pump run off a Master JPCE, with both units running on 480V. Auxiliary power in the pumphouse consists of 277V for lights and the baseboard heater, along with a stepdown to 120V for the battery charger, alarm parts, and pumphouse waterflow bell, all backed by the genset, which is a Cummins C550N6 running off a 1000gal buried propane tank. The pumphouse has a pair of PLT-80049 lights in it sharing an Assurance Si-10-PST inverter and controlled by a Legrand Wattstopper DT-355.

The controller is supervised using a pair of B208 input cards running off a B532 power supply with 2 7Ah batteries in it and a Moxa TCF-142-M-ST providing a fiber bridge for the SDI2 link to a matching unit at the panel. The B208 zones are connected as follows:

1. Pump Run
2. Emergency Source
3. Emergency CB Open
4. AC Fail/Phase Loss
5. Phase Reversal
6. Pump Trouble
7. Pumphouse Waterflow (the pumphouse sprinklers are branched from the supply side of the fire pump)
8. Pumphouse Valve Supervisory (a common zone for all pumphouse valves)
9. Freeze Alarm (a Potter RTS-O)
10. Genset Common Warning
11. Genset Common Shutdown
12. Low Fuel Level
13. Fuel Valve Supervisory
14. Starting Battery Charger AC Power
15. Generator Main Disconnect, and
16. Pumphouse Door (a fire supervisory zone, not an intrusion zone, but using a MSS-301S security contact all the same)

The waterflow bell for the pumphouse sprinklers is a FPPI 02-452-00 120V unit, while a Federal Signal SLM100A beacon in a SLMBW-012-024GY base mounted on the outside of the building and run from a relay on the B532 provides a local visual alarm for generator or pump trouble.

Emergency & Security Lighting

The office, retail area, and service garage use generic LED “bugeye” fixtures, and generic red LED exit signs are used throughout. However, the warehouse space uses battery-backed high-bays for emergency lighting instead, and the exterior emergency lighting is a combination of:

• Keystone KT-RDLED17PS-6A-9CSEs under the dropoff canopy,
• RAB PUCKFA-4R-7.5-9CC-120-WSes with DRI-25-EMGR-DC drivers under the retail and office entry awnings,
• and Lithonia WDGE2 P3SW 80CRI VW MVOLT wallpacks with generic button photocells and Fulham FHUPS1-UNV-25L-SD inverters at the remaining exits

The on-building main/security lighting consists of more Lithonia WDGE2 P3SW VW wallpacks with photocells but no inverters, in addition to Cree CPY250-C-2L-30K8-F-UL-DMs under the dropoff canopy.

Electronic Security

The security system for the building consists of three partitions, atop any access control desired for the office (which is left undefined for the purposes of this post):

• A UL Extent 2 motion system with Safe Complete protection for the cash safe to cover the retail space,
• A FM Level 3 (Level 2 perimeter and Level 1 interior, as per FM loss prevention datasheet 9-16) system for the warehouse space, using photobeams for the interior coverage
• And an unrated, perimeter-only system for the service garage space

This system uses the following sensors:

• Magnasphere MSS-19C concealed contacts in the retail and office
• Magnasphere MSS-301S surface mount contacts for warehouse and garage pedestrian doors
• Magnasphere MSS-106S-C18-L2 rail mount contacts for dock/rollup doors
• Honeywell FG1025Z directional glassbreaks protecting the retail space’s glazing
• Bosch DS9370 ceiling dual tech motions in the retail space itself
• Magnasphere HSS contacts and a Bosch ISN-SM-50 seismic for the safe
• a Fiber SenSys (Optek) FD322 processor for perimeter intrusion detection in the warehouse space, with the fiber run over doors and otherwise around the warehouse about 5’ off the ground
• Optex SL-650QDM quad photobeams, 2 per aisle at the 1/3rds and 2/3rds marks and mounted in a crossed configuration, for the main aisles
• Optex SL-350QDM quad photobeams, 1 per end-of-racking, for the cross aisles in the warehouse
• Optex AX-200TF dual photobeams in cross-configured ORed pairs for the dock door banks
• Optex AX-100TF dual photobeams, also in cross-configured ORed pairs, for the trash compactor and donation dropoff door zones
• Potter HUB-T dual action holdup buttons for the cashiers
• and Bosch ISC-PDL1-WAC30G curtain motion detectors set for short range, lookdown ON, and anti-mask ON on the latchside of each pedestrian emergency exit door from the warehouse (total of 3) and the warehouse side of the retail to warehouse door

These sensors are organized into the following zones:

• a perimeter zone for the service garage rollup doors
• an entry delay zone for the service garage pedestrian door
• 2 zones from the NVR, one interior and one perimeter, for video motion alarms
• an entry delay zone for the store’s front doors
• a zone pair (perimeter for the store, entry delay or perimeter for the warehouse) for the store to warehouse door, with only one physical point input and contact
• a perimeter zone for the contacts on the FD322
• perimeter zones for each of the 3 warehouse emergency exit doors
• perimeter zones, 1 apiece, for both banks of warehouse dock doors
• perimeter zones for each of the emergency exit door motion detectors
• perimeter zones for each set of dock door photobeams
• entry delay or perimeter zones for the trash and donation dropoff doors
• entry delay or perimeter zones for the trash and donation dropoff door photobeam sets
• an interior zone for the retail area motion detectors
• a perimeter or entry delay zone for the curtain motion on the retail/warehouse door
• 2 interior zones, or one interior zone and one 24h zone, for Safe Complete protection of the retail area safe
• a 24h zone for the checkout area holdup buttons
• and an AC-fail/trouble zone for the photobeam supply

The building also has CCTV coverage for the retail space and key locations around the building. The cameras used are Vivotek FD9380-HF2 domes save for cameras that are marked as having backup power, which are Speco O5D1Gs, and the two Hanwha QNF-9010 fisheye cameras that provide general area coverage in the retail area. They are mounted in the following locations:

• 1 in the retail office, covering the safe, with battery backup
• 1 over the door from the retail space to the warehouse, also battery-backed
• 2 at the corner of the retail entry awning, aimed to cross-cover each other and provide coverage of both sides of the entry
• 1 at each end of the checkout area, facing each other
• 1 at each corner of the back of the building, facing each other with a view of the back exits
• 1 exterior and 1 interior camera at each end of each bank of warehouse dock doors, again facing each other
• 2 exterior cameras covering the trash compactor dock area
• 2 under the canopy covering the donation dropoff area
• 1 at the main office entrance
• 1 camera each covering the donation, trash compactor, office, and store doors from the inside of the warehouse
• 2 cameras covering the main store entrance from inside, mounted with a view of each other and equipped with backup power
• and a camera on a light-post at each end of the truck parking area, facing inwards towards it

The battery-backed cameras have SD cards in them for local recording, and are backed up by an AL175ULX supply with a 7Ah battery in it feeding their 12VDC inputs. The main recorder is a Vitek VT-TNR6480E1N-10T paired with a generic 32port unmanaged PoE switch.

[ThreePhaseEel]

This system is for a ~8k ft2 single-story R-4 assisted-living facility, with a NFPA 13R sprinkler system extended to its non-vented attic (as the building has no soffits/overhangs save for at its gable ends).

Fire and Life Safety

Fire Alarm Control

The FACP is a Potter AFC-50 with a pair of 18Ah batteries in it, using a UDACT-2000 card to communicate to the central station via a Honeywell HW-AV-LTE-M-2 communicator. The communicator is mounted at and normally powered from the FACP, but can draw power from the intrusion panel instead via a diode-OR arrangement. The panel is mounted in the front vestibule in lieu of an annunciator.

Initiation

Smoke detection is handled using PAD300-PHDs, using PAD300-4DBs in the front vestibule and outside the two banks (north and south) of resident rooms along with PAD300-LFSBs within resident rooms. The AHUs have paired (supply and return) PAD300-DUCTs in them for shutdown, with the shutdown being supplied by a single central Class D 24VAC circuit. A single PAD100-PSDA is located in the staffroom to permit manual fire alarming.

Sprinkler monitoring is handled using a PAD100-TRTI that also provides the shutdown bus relay and a NC FAI relay to the ACS. There is also a PAD100-DIM monitoring the UL 300A hood over the kitchen range. The shutdown bus, by the way, is powered using a 24V 50VA transformer and drives a NC solenoid gas valve on the main gas supply in addition to shutoff relays in each AHU.

A second PAD100-DIM monitors a CO1224TR in the central corridor for backup CO alarming, with this detector running off of P-Link power. The other input on this DIM is used to monitor a Midland WR120 weather radio’s strobe output for local severe weather alerting, with the weather radio located in the storm shelter/activity room. There is also a PAD100-LEDK to provide duct detection test/reset and annunciation.

Finally, the primary combustion alarm system consists of two ACI/QEL Q5C-CO-250Ps, one for each side/bank of rooms, with a PAD100-DIM monitoring each one, along with a PAD100-MIM monitoring a Macurco GD-2B on each side for fuel gas leak detection. The GD-2Bs derive their power from the P-Link power bus, while the Q5Cs are powered from the same transformer as the shutdown bus, and are set as follows to provide a significant margin to UL2034 alarm levels:

• CO levels of 20ppm TWA-TEL or 75ppm STEL will trigger a local alarm (beep + flash) on the Q5C to signal to staff that something is wrong
• CO levels of 35ppm TWA-TEL or 110ppm instantaneous will cause the AFC-50 to de-energize the shutdown bus, stopping all combustion appliances, and generate a CO Supervisory to the central station
• and CO levels of 50ppm TWA-TEL, 125ppm STEL, or 150ppm instantaneous will trigger CO alarming throughout the building.

Notification

The notification system consists of the LFSBs along with Eluxa ELST strobes in the sleeping rooms, more ELSTs in the bathrooms, and ELAMTSTs in the remaining spaces, set for Code 3 Tone/HILO/Siren. The NACs are setup as follows:

• NAC1 drives all the strobes
• NAC2 drives the sounder bases
• IO1 is used as NAC3 to drive Input 1 on the hornstrobes (the Code 3 tone is overlaid with the coding from the panel, and was chosen to match the LF notification in the bedrooms as closely as is possible with a multitone appliance)
• and IO2 is used as NAC4 to drive Input 3 on the hornstrobes to provide a siren for weather alarming in all common spaces save for the activity room/storm shelter.

Coding is T3 (single sounder base or global) for fire, T4 for CO, and marchtime for fuel gas.

Emergency Lighting

While Code does not require emergency lighting by way of the building’s size alone, there are Satco 67-138 fixtures located in the center corridor, auxiliary corridors, and side corridors, for a total of seven fixtures, including lighting covering the delayed egress doors. Satco 62-1710 fixtures in 62-1710EM bases are present in the bathing rooms, staff room, and common toilet rooms, as well, and there is an Energizer WeatheReady flashlight plugged in in the storm shelter/activity room.

Intrusion and Security

The building security concept is designed around the use of video doorphone security for the main entrance along with a “night lockdown” system that provides perimeter protection and a limited level of anti-elopement control for the building. This is supplemented with CCTV in the staff room and common areas and limited protection for the staffroom should away arming be necessitated.

Intrusion

The intrusion alarm system consists of a Vista-20P with a 7Ah battery for 24+ hours of runtime, a 6160RF keypad located just inside the inner front door, and a WAVE2PDT in the main corridor to provide a local siren. Staff have 5802WXT-2s to serve as their panic alarms, and the wired zones and triggers on the Vista are connected as follows:

• Zone 1 monitors the front doors, but is shunted out by a set of contacts from the inner door unlock relay
• Zone 2 handles both the back doors.
• Zone 3 monitors the door intercom’s alarm contact
• Zone 4 is an away-only zone for the staffroom doors
• Zone 5 monitors the glassbreaks, which consist of up to 36 FG1025Zs for the windows along with a FG1625RT set to LOW sensitivity in the vestibule
• Zone 6 monitors the glassbreak power supply
• Zone 7 monitors the access control and CCTV supplies
• Zone 8 monitors the telecoms power supply
• Trigger 1 is used to provide resettable power for the glassbreaks, either directly to the vestibule glassbreak or by setting off the FAI’s V+ input for the remaining glassbreaks
• and Trigger 2 is connected to a RBSN that provides a NC dry contact to the doorphone system for schedule control along with a dry contact to ground for the bypass inputs on the delayed egress maglocks, arming and disarming them in tandem with the security system.

The glassbreak supply consists of a FPO75 card set for 12V and fitted with a 40Ah battery in an Altronix AL1240 “sidecar” enclosure. This card is part of a FPO75/75-D8PE2, with the other card supplying telecoms power as described later. The door contacts are all Magnasphere MSS-10CLs, with the inner front door having a second set of contacts on it for the Grandstream.

Access Control

While the access controls may seem simplistic here, the required functionality is actually rather complex, combining delayed egress, low energy operation, card access, and doorphone signaling. The core of the system is a Grandstream GDS3726 with a GSC3574 interior station, hooked up as follows:

• The relay on the GDS3726 is used for alarm duty
• One of the inputs on the GDS3726 is used to provide a NC loop for supplemental door monitoring of the inside front door, another input monitors the REX switch on that door, and the third input monitors the bypass output from the Vista
• The GSC3574’s output controls the locking of the inside front door along with driving a RBSN for DE maglock override bypass (NC to bypass bus input, NO to maglock ground, C to maglock bypass input) and intrusion zone shunting
• And the Wiegand inputs on the GDS3726 are connected to a pair of 2N 01390-001 Wiegand readers (unfortunately, we have to use CSN since Grandstream provides no reader rekeying documentation despite supporting DESFire EV3, and they also don’t yet support OSDP on the GDS372x RS-485 port)

The locking itself is done using a combination of:

• a Schlage L9692EUxRXxLBM on the inside front door, with its ELR connected to the lock output of the operator, its LBM connected to the COM and SAF terminals on the operator safety connector, it’s RX tied back to a NC loop on the Grandstream to avoid an alarm on exit when the main system is disarmed, and its EU connected to lock power from the Grandstream’s relay,
• Accurate M9134ELR DMxLMRs on the front door & rear doors to the garden/courtyard space, with their LBM and DBM switches wired as on the outside front door. They also have RBSN relays whose coils are connected from the maglock supply to the bypass input that bypass the operator lock relay connection to the ELR input to permit push-pull operation when the delayed egress system is disarmed.
• and SDC 1581SNDV delayed egress maglocks, running on 24V FAI power, for all doors save for the outside front door.

Power for this system is supplied by a FPO75 card, set for 24V and connected to 2 12Ah batteries for 4+ hours of operation, in a FPO75/75-2D8PE2 shared with the telecom system. The 12V for the doorphone is supplied by a B100 retrofitted into the system, with one of the D8Ps providing 24V FAI power for the maglocks and regular 24V for electric unlocking, while the other is split between 12V doorphone power and 12V telecoms power.

The doors also have Securitron CEPT-10 power transfers on them along with Door Controls DC7000 low energy operators. Each operator has a MeanWell HDR-30-24 fitted inside it to supply 24V DC latch retraction power, as the ELR functions all require DC to operate, and Door Controls doesn’t document how much auxiliary power is available at the 24V terminal on the DC7000’s control board. Operator actuation is performed using BEA 10PBO241 pushplates on single gang boxes.

CCTV

The CCTV system is mercifully simple, consisting of Reolink RC-840A cameras covering:

• The main living space (from its rear outer corner)
• The main dining space (also from its rear outer corner)
• The main (center) corridor (from rear to front)
• And the staff room (by itself)

Camera power is supplied at 12V by the other FPO-75 card in the access control supply with an 18Ah battery in it for 4+ hours of operation. Storage is provided by the local SD cards in each camera, and the GSC3574 has the Reolink mobile app sideloaded onto it to talk to the cameras for video playback.

Miscellaneous Hardware

Telecoms for the building are supplied by a ONT or modem paired with a GCC6010W router/AP/IP-PBX combo, with both devices powered from the remaining FPO-75 card and its pair of paralleled 12Ah batteries for 6+ hours of talk time. There is a Grandstream WP810 WiFi IP phone in the staff room that serves as the designated emergency phone as it, too, can supply 6+ hours of talk time on a full charge.

Emergency Generation

The building also has an optional standby generator system that consists of a Kohler 20RCA, fueled by natural gas, and a RXT-JFNA-0100B transfer switch. This system powers:

• Emergency light and phone charging
• Nightlighting in the resident rooms and corridors
• Staff room, bathroom, and common restroom normal/emergency fixtures
• A set of RAB SLIMXXSY’s set to 7W to provide outdoor security lighting that won’t bug the neighbors
• The fire and intrusion panels
• The intrusion, CCTV, telecom, and access control supplies
• The refrigerator and freezer in the kitchen
• And the furnaces and their associated shutdown bus transformer

[dog (Squealer_horn_dude)]

Chatham, NY School District (this is kind of close to me and I go here sometimes all the buildings are right next to each other and they’ll have the same system this is a real building but I’m gonna just say what I wish the system was because it has a really boring system)

The pull stations are Simplex 4099-9005s

Hallways: Simplex 4903-9236s

Classrooms & Offices: Simplex 4904-9165

Cafeteria: Simplex 4903-9238s

[ThreePhaseEel]

This system covers a pair of 5-story podium construction apartment buildings (R-2) with each building having a parking garage + a small community (A-3) and office space on the ground floor and apartments on the remaining floors. Both buildings are sprinklered with independent fire mains that are presumed to be of sufficient capacity that a fire pump is not required, and either an unvented/conditioned sprinklered attic or a non-sprinklered attic made from FRTW due to their steeply pitched roofs.

Life Safety

Each apartment has USI USI/SM/HWREP smoke alarms and MCN108 CO/NG alarms fitted, although it’s presumed that NG detection outside the apartments is not needed. Emergency lighting consists of Atlas EECPRWR combination signs inside and Atlas WSPS20LED3Ks with button photocells on indoor-mounted Assurance Si-10-PST inverters covering the landings.

Fire Alarms

Each building has a Kidde FX-5R panel in it, interfaced via a pair of discrete zones to a DMP DualComNF-FN communicator. This communicator not only provides a cellular path, but also has an Ethernet connection to a Teltonika RUTXR1 router with a SFP ONT in it that provides connections to the other carriers as well as a landline. This router is provided with DC power diode-ORed from a NetWay3012 POE extractor and the bottom-most apartment floor NAC extender’s auxiliary supply.

A single FSRSI/FSRZI-SA pair is provided at the entrance nearest the office area, with the panel mounted in the main vestibule over a Space Age MBC battery cabinet with 2 12Ah batteries in it.

Initiation

Life safety detection consists of:

• 4WTR-Bs in the apartment floor elevator lobbies to provide a door release circuit from the 24V resettable detector power, feeding a pair of Kidde door magnets on each floor, as well as a PAM-1 to provide a fail-safe recall contact.
• A 4WTR-B in the ground floor elevator lobby
• A Napco FWC-CNV-PULLK in the main riser room for each building to provide the obligatory pull station
• KC2-OHDs where necessary, on the same zone as the pull, to provide self-protection functions
• A pair of CM-E1s, one in the first floor elevator lobby and one in the assembly/office area, to provide backup CO alarming. These are powered from fire panel power, but monitored by a CO supervisory/auxiliary zone on the communicator itself
• And a Kidde ModuLaser detector module covering each elevator shaft (as these are MRL elevators), with a SenseNET+ connection back to a ModuLaser minimal display module in the maintenance office, either directly for the building with the maintenance office in it, or via a Moxa TCF-142-M pair and a fiber link for the building with the leasing office in it. Power for these comes from the auxiliary output of the NAC extender on the topmost floor, and they are monitored via discrete relays on the detector modules as well as a PAM-1 off resettable power to drive a reset input.

The CO zone also monitors a supervisory and trouble relay on a Belimo C-22G-50 relay module CAN-bussed to a trio of 22G0214-5C CO/NO2 sensors. Another relay on the module is used to provide speed control for a pair of Canarm AX30-EC exhaust fans, allowing them to run at low speed if the sensors detect all is well while ramping up to maximum speed if excessive gas concentrations or a sensor trouble is detected. A 40VA/24VAC transformer on the same circuit as the exhaust fans powers the sensors and relay module.

Notification

The notification appliances in the buildings are all Genesis LED units, with G4LFVWFs in the apartments, G4ARF horns and GCVHRF strobes in the parking garage area, G4VWF remote strobes in the assembly area restrooms, and G4AVWF hornstrobes in the corridors and remaining spaces. The first floor and corridor NAs are on Class A NACs from a Honeywell HPF-PS6 with a ZNAC-PS and 7Ah batteries in it set in follower mode, while the the apartment floors have AL1042ULADA NAC extenders in follower mode that provide 4 Class A NACs for each floor’s apartment NAs. Due to auxiliary power demands, though, the units on the uppermost and lowermost apartment floors have Space Age BCA cabinets with pairs of 28Ah batteries in them, while the two middle floors use 7Ah batteries in the extender cabinet instead.

The exterior sprinkler waterflow NAs are Eaton MT4-115-WH-VFRs set for a bell tone and wired into the waterflow switches.

Emergency Communications

Each building has 2N Sentrios on Draka Cat5e traveling cables for elevator video communication and Viking E-1600-32-IP phones in the elevator lobbies for area of refuge communication. The doorphones serve as the on-site communications masters for these, though.

Power and networking for this is supplied by an Altronix NetWaySP8X fitted with a P1GCE and a P1MM, paired with a Trove3SWC battery enclosure containing 4 28Ah batteries to provide adequate runtime for the life safety network and its connected devices. The PoE ports are used for the IP communicators and AoR phones along with one that connects to the extractor for the router, while the copper gigabit SFP provides a trunk port to the CCTV/access control switch in that building, and the fiber port is connected to the inter-building fiber link.

Security

The security functions in the building are supplied using 2N IP Verso 2.0s at the leasing-side door in the building with the leasing office as well as in both buildings’ main vestibules, 2N Access Unit QRs with keypad and RFID support at access-controlled resident/visitor doors, 2N Access Unit Ms at access-controlled resident only doors, and a 2N Access Commander Box in the leasing office. All of these units use 2N Security Relays in the access control power panel for door control, which also supplies separate 12V power to the units.

Network backhaul for this system is supplied using a FS S1900-8T switch in the maintenance-office building and a FS S2805L-24F switch in the leasing-office building with uplink ports connected to the building services router for each building, although neither switch is on standby power as the 2N Access Units only need to talk to the Access Commander to download configuration updates and upload event log information.

The door hardware itself consists of:

• Marks M9900ER panics with MESC600F storeroom trims and Command Access MDHREXKITs on the main vestibule, community room doors, and first floor elevator lobby doors in both buildings as well as:
  • the stair discharge doors to the parking garage in the maintenance-office building
  • the in-stair door between the second and third floors in the back stairwell of the leasing-office building
  • and the leasing exterior entrance door in the leasing-office building
• matching Marks M9900 panics in exit-only configurations for other stair discharge doors
• matching Marks BE101EU electrified mortise locks on the leasing and maintenance office doors + the back stair corridor door on the 2nd floor in the leasing-office building (this door is a low risk door from a failure standpoint as the stair in question discharges at that level).
• matching Marks 5-series mortise locks on the remaining doors outside of units:
  • passage functions for the apartment floor elevator lobbies, all non-electrified stair doors, the trash rooms, and the garage to common area doors
  • keyed privacy functions with indicators for the common area restrooms
  • storeroom functions on all mechanical rooms
  • and F13 dormitory functions on the individual apartment entrance doors
• and Securitron CEPT power transfers on all electrified doors

The door contacts on the access-controlled doors are Magnasphere MSS-10CLs. The relays on the access controllers are connected to a supervised panic/tamper alarm loop monitored by the DualCom in each building, and a FG1625RFM is connected to an extra input on the main vestibule intercom in each building to provide glassbreak sensing for the intercom system.

There is also an Axis M3085-V camera with an Axis T6101 Mk II portcast interface, a local SD card for recording, and a Teltonika TSW101 PoE switch in the leasing office; this switch connects to the camera/interface combo and the access unit for the office, as well as providing the uplink for the access unit. The portcast unit is used for its IO functionality, providing its own alarm output to the alarm/panic loop for the building as well as a supervised trigger input that monitors a FG1625RT glassbreak sensor, an ISC-PDL2-WA18G motion detector in one corner, and a HS-L1.5-101 contact on the safe or depository if one is present in the leasing office. Network programming between the camera/portcast interface and the ACS is used to permit the system to be armed and disarmed by a double tap on the reader, and its output is triggered if tampering is detected, or if the trigger input is set off while the system is armed along with the camera detecting motion and human presence.

Access control and security power is provided by an Altronix eFlow104NX with 2 VR6/PDS16CB pairs in it and a Trove3SWC with 4 28Ah batteries alongside. There’s also a VR1T board on the auxiliary output providing power to the intrusion switch and camera for the leasing office and a PAM-SD relay in that building’s supply, with its coil connected to the main control NAC, that takes care of unlocking the 2nd floor back stair door for stairwell reentry purposes. Manual unlocking of that door is done using a command from the Verso in the leasing office building’s vestibule, which has an additional diode-ORed 12V power source consisting of a LSP FPO75-B100E2 with 2 18Ah batteries in it to power it as the mandatory AoR master for both buildings.

Garage Access

The parking garage doors are operated by ZAP 8825-3 heavy-duty operators. These operators are unusual among commercial garage door operators in that they have residential-esque force-sensing capabilities instead of relying on an external monitored sensing edge; while they still use and require monitored sensing, they can run safely with only a photobeam sensor, like a residential operator. They also are rated for continuous motor duty, unlike many lesser operators that can’t handle high cycles per hour, and support an autolocking module.

Both operators in each building share a 120V circuit, and are fitted with interior-mounted MillerEdge MLC-K36 light curtain sensors to serve as their anti-entrapment photobeams, powered from operator 24V auxiliary power, and ZAP 8070 autolocks to restrict attempts at forcing the door.. The exit operator has an EMX ULTRA II loop detector on it to provide free exit from the garage, also powered from 24V auxiliary power, while outputting to the receiver input and set for pulse mode fail-safe operation.

The entrance operator, on the other hand, also has an EMX ULTRA II, but this detector is set for presence mode fail-secure operation with its contacts on the interlock input of the opener as it’s used to provide vehicle presence validation for the access control system and operator. The operator receiver input is driven by the contacts on the 2N Security Relay driven from the 2N Access Unit M gooseneck-mounted outside the parking garage, with that access unit powered from a MeanWell HDR-15-12 running off the operator circuit.

Standby Power

A Cummins C40N6 running on NG supplies standby power to:

• The elevators, with one car in each building supported at any time
• The garage door operators
• The access control and security battery-backed supplies
• The garage ventilation fans
• Exit signage
• A small number of normal lighting fixtures in corridors and other shared spaces
• And the fire alarm system

[ThreePhaseEel]

This system is for a single story, ~40k ft2 medical building that contains:

• A general practice/primary care clinic with a couple of procedure rooms and imaging/laboratory support
• A dental clinic
• An outpatient psychiatric clinic
• A pharmacy with a drive-through window
• A physical therapy clinic
• And supporting office & classroom space

It is required to be sprinklered due to egress limitations, and is divided into 5 smoke compartments, one for the support spaces and main waiting room, and one each for the pharmacy, behavioral/psychiatric health clinic, primary care clinic, and dental clinic. (This permits the behavioral health, primary care, and dental clinics to be categorized as ambulatory health care occupancies if desired.) There is also a classroom with a demonstration kitchen in it that is part of the waiting/administration smoke compartment; this is set up with a Type 2 ventilating hood fitted with a UL300A suppression system.

This relatively sprawling building has 2 primary entrances:

• one for the main clinic
• and a second that provides direct access to the pharmacy bay

and 4 secondary entrances:

• one on the north side that provides receiving access to the pharmacy,
• one on the south side that serves as a staff entrance,
• a second door on the south side that directly accesses the staffroom
• and a second door on the north side that provides a direct entrance to the behavioral health clinic

There are also 3 full power sliding doors, with 2 at the main entrance and a third separating the primary care corridor from the main waiting space, and 12 smoke barrier doors, 5-6 of them having magnetic holdopens, 5 of them having access control, and the remaining door having both access control and delayed egress (as one of two delayed egress systems in the psychiatric space).

Fire Alarm & Life Safety

Control

A Siemens FC901 panel was chosen for this building due to the excellent Class X support provided by the Siemens SLC protocol. Both main entrances have FSD901-R3 annunciators present at them using Class A wiring, and the SLC is wired Class X throughout. Alarms are transmitted via the primary DACT, interfaced to a dial capture port on the building’s communicator, a DualComNF. Secondary power is supplied by a pair of 14Ah batteries.

Initiation

Smoke detection is supplied by OOH941s in DB2-HRs wall-mounted above the magnet-equipped smoke barrier doors, as well as an OOH941 in a DB-11E at the panel/NAC extender/communicator location. OOH941s in FDBZ492-HR bases provide duct detection on the supplies and returns for all five smoke compartments, with each smoke compartment served by its own RTU, and a FDCIO422 at the NAC extenders provides sprinkler/kitchen hood monitoring zones and NAC extender triggering. XMS-D pulls at exits and smoke doors supply manual initiation, and there is also a TSM-1X for each smoke compartment to provide duct detector testing and annunciation. Finally, a Siemens XTRI-R is present to release the delayed egress doors in the behavioral health compartment.

Notification

The fire alarm notification appliances are ACEND SC-HS-WW-Fs with SC-ST-WW-Fs at strobe-only locations. Booster power for these is supplied by a pair of Wheelock PS-6-LPs fitted with 7Ah batteries & PS-EXP cards to provide Class A support for a total of 6 NACs (1 NAC per extender for the office smoke compartment, and 1 for each remaining compartment), with a Siemens DSC sync module running on panel auxiliary power providing REMOTE sync that is passed through by the NAC extenders.

A Potter SASH-120 on a spare waterflow contact supplies sprinkler waterflow notification at the FDC, while the NAs in the two shared corridor spaces are on a Class A NAC run directly from the FACP as they only need to go off during a general alarm condition.

Paging

A general audio paging system is supplied in the building using generic ceiling speakers in the rooms (70V/1.25W for all spaces except the staff lounge, which uses 8ohm speakers instead), and DNH/Zenitel CP-66T corridor speakers in the corridors, set for 1.5W to provide about 60’ of corridor coverage each.

The backend for this is a hybrid backend with 7 zones on independent IP paging controllers, permitting IP-PBX paging from anywhere in the building:

• A single zone covers the office spaces using a Viking PA-IP driving a RDL SF-PA50A
• A Viking PA-IP covers the main staff lounge area and its associated training room using its internal amplifier
• Another Viking PA-IP provides a paging audio input to the Pyle PCM60A mixer/amplifier for the conference room AV system. A Shure BLX4 microphone receiver provides wireless microphone support in that room, and that and a phantom-powered wired mic input are combined with USB program media using an ART USBMIX console on the PCM60A’s MIC2 input.
• A final Viking PA-IP driving a RDL FP-PA20A supports the physical therapy space
• The dental area has a somewhat different system, using an Axis C8110 for the backend to provide a supervised contact closure input from the panic/staff-call system and a RDL HD-PA35A for the amplifier
• The behavioral/psychatric health area also uses an Axis C8110/RDL HD-PA35A pair
• And the primary care area + the lab & imaging spaces are covered by an Axis C8110 paired with an RDL HD-PA50A

Emergency Lighting and Exit Signage

The exit signs are Exitronix 400U-WB-WWs with 400U-VL-TRH-KIT hardware to provide a modicum of vandal resistance, while the emergency lighting takes a stealthier approach, with Halo LCR412RD9FSE040 battery-backed downlights mixed in among the LCR412RD9FSE020 downlights used for general area lighting.

Security

Security Initiation

Both the access control and the pharmacy intrusion systems use Honeywell FG1025Z directional glassbreaks for glazing protection and Magnasphere MSS-10CTs for door monitoring

Intrusion Alarming

The pharmacy has a relatively comprehensive intrusion detection system to protect both the cash and controlled substances present in the space, approximating UL Extent 2 requirements albeit not completely meeting them. It consists of a Vista-20P with 2 parallel 7Ah batteries, a WAVE2PDT in the ceiling to provide local alarm sounding, a 6165EX keypad, and a 4229EX zone expander (obtained used, as for some odd reason, Honeywell discontinued this highly useful part), monitoring the following zones:

• A 24h zone connected to a pair of HUB-T holdup switches, one for the front desk and the other at the drive through window.
• A perimeter zone connected to a glassbreak sensor for the pharmacy main entrance doors
• A perimeter zone connected to an ISC-PDL1-WAC30G curtain motion sensor, set to shortrange and providing a protection boundary at the pharmacy counter.
• A perimeter zone connected to contacts on the consulting-room-to-pharmacy-work-area door
• A perimeter zone connected to two glassbreak sensors covering the work room glass
• An interior zone connected to two Bosch ISC-PDL1-WA18G motion sensors covering the pharmacy work room
• A perimeter zone covering the door to the pharmacy space from the corridor to the receiving entrance
• An interior zone covering the door to the drug storage room
• An interior zone connected to an ISC-PDL1-WA18G covering the drug storage room
• Zone 7 programmed for keyswitch use with an arm/disarm relay from the PACS on it
• An interior zone connected to the alarm outputs from the workroom and storage area cameras
• An interior follower zone connected to one last ISC-PDL1-WA18G covering the receiving work area, where the keypad is located
• Another interior follower zone connected to the alarm output of the camera covering that receiving work area
• A trouble-by-day/alarm-by-night zone for a set of Magnasphere HS-L1.5-101 contacts on any safe that’s present in the space
• And a 24h zone monitoring a Honeywell SC100, Acre GM730 or GM760, or Bosch ISN-SM-50 or ISN-SM-80 seismic sensor on the safe, if one is present

Trigger 2 is connected to drive an Altronix RBSN relay closed to keep a zone on the PACS normal when the alarm system is normal, with the relay opening to indicate an alarm or trouble condition on the intrusion system. The Vista-20P is connected to the DualComNF via the DualCom’s support for the Vista ECP keybus protocol.

Access Control

For this system, we presume that the operators of the health clinic have an existing headend system capable of using Mercury Security access controllers and we simply need to expand on it, instead of designing a system from scratch. If a from-scratch system was needed for this, then an i-PRO Video Insight rack server or a Qumulex QxPower gateway could be used to supply the necessary headend facilities.

That aside, the access control system consists of 2 Trove3M3DB cabinets, one for each half of the building, and a smaller cabinet for the pharmacy and related doors. The Trove3s are fitted with:

• a MP4502 controller,
• a MR16IN card stacked atop the MP4502 to handle glassbreak inputs,
• up to 14 MR52e cards without doublestacking or 22 with doublestacking to give a total of 32 or 48 doors, respectively, although the north enclosure has 8 boards in it and the south enclosure has 7 in the initial configuration of the system
• 2 PD16WCB cards, double-stackable to 4, to provide up to 48 lock power outputs as well as 16 of the 24 outputs needed for Mercury boards
• Space for a PD8ULCB on a BR1 bracket to supply the remaining Mercury boards
• A PD8ULCB on another BR1 bracket to isolate glassbreak power zones from each other
• an EST 24DC12 module stepping 24V down to 12V for the glassbreaks
• and lengths of 7.5mm DIN rail screwed into the backplane, mounting:
  • a Phoenix Contact QUINT4-UPS/24DC/24DC/40 DC UPS
  • a Phoenix Contact UNO2-PS/1AC/24DC/960W power supply
  • a Wago 2006-8031 distribution block for the negative supply rail
  • and a Wago 787-3668 multichannel electronic circuit breaker to distribute the positive supply to the power distribution cards

These are paired with Altronix Trove3SWC battery cabinets housing pairs of 40Ah batteries in them for a 6+ hour standby runtime under current system loads. Further expansion would add another pair of 40Ah batteries to the cabinet to maintain the 6 hour standby runtime figure.

The smaller cabinet, on the other hand, contains a simpler setup, handling the pharmacy doors and the behavioral health delayed egress doors for a total of 8 doors, albeit with some doors having multiple readers. This consists of a LSP E2M cabinet containing:

• a FPO250 power supply card
• 2 D8P distribution cards
• a MP4502 main controller handling interior doors
• and 2 MR52 subcontrollers for the exterior and delayed egress doors

This is paired with a LSP EX-T8 trough to house the 4 40Ah batteries that provide roughly 24h of runtime to this part of the system.

The doors themselves use HID Signo 20 mullion mount readers connected via OSDP, as well as Securitron CEPT power transfers. Non-panic doors use Schlage LV9092EU-RXs, while panic doors without delayed egress use Von Duprin FER98EOs with RX & SD-QEL features and Ives VR910 NL trim, along with Von Duprin 4263 latchbolt monitoring strikes. The behavioral health delayed egress doors, though, use Von Duprin CX98EOs with the same VR910 trim, but without any dogging. The double doors at the entrance to the pharmacy are fitted with a fixed mullion to permit the use of rim devices and provide a clear demarcation for traffic flow purposes.

Tthe automatic sliding doors, located at the main entrance and in the main distribution corridor that accesses the imaging, lab, primary care, and behavioral health spaces, are Stanley Dura-Glide 2000 units with Stanley iQ controllers, BEA ULTIMO sensors on both sides, and the solenoid lock option to permit after-hours locking of the doors.

Glassbreak sensing inputs are provided to this system from the FlexGuards on all perimeter glazing outside the pharmacy, multiplexed into one zone for each perimeter area for a total of 8 glassbreak zones on the south cabinet:

• Physical Therapy
• Dental
• Staff
• Training/Conference
• PH Office
• Front Vestibule
• Benefits
• & Classroom

and 5 or 6 glassbreak zones on the north cabinet:

• Referrals
• Admin
• Behavioral Health/Psychiatrics
• Primary Care
• Primary Care Medicine Storage (if those windows aren’t just removed from the design that is)
• and Interior Sliding Door (this zone has 2 FG1025Zs on opposite sides of the door wired so that their relays must activate at the same time to alarm, or otherwise are cross-zoned together, perhaps with 2 inputs)

CCTV

The CCTV system provides comprehensive observation coverage of corridors, waiting areas, and exterior entrances, as well as the pharmacy area, storage rooms in the primary care, behavioral health, and dental areas, and the server/IT room, requiring a total of 50 cameras.

The cameras chosen for this are Vivotek FD9380-HV-V2 fixed focus 5MP domes; these are inexpensive, relatively trustworthy (Vivotek is under the Delta Group umbrella in Taiwan), and power-economical, while supplying a full set of features. They are split into four groups:

• A south group with 19 cameras and 2 illuminators, expandable to 24 cameras
• A center group with 19 cameras and 3 illuminators, expandable to 24 cameras
• A north group with 11 cameras and 3 illuminators, expandable to 15 cameras
• And a pharmacy group with 10 cameras and 4 illuminators, expandable to 15 cameras

The south and center groups are backed by Trendnet TI-RP262 switches with TEG-MGBRJ copper SFPs in them, powered using Nextys DCW20 DC-UPS modules and MeanWell SDR-240-48 power supplies cranked up to 55V. Each DC-UPS is wired to a series string of 4 18Ah sealed-lead batteries on a Hammond BRS2P1919BK shelf to provide 6+ hours of system runtime.

The north and pharmacy groups, though, use a smaller setup consisting of Netgear GS316P switches, their matching power supplies, and Nextys DCW20 DC-UPS modules (48V DC UPSes are hard to come by). These DC-UPSes are connected to series strings of 4 12Ah batteries in Altronix BC400SGs to provide 6+ hours of runtime, while the cameras inside the pharmacy area receive 12VDC backup power from an eFlow4N8D wired to a 65Ah battery in a Pulsar AWO403 battery enclosure, and also have SD cards for local recording.

Finally, the aggregation switch for the CCTV system is a Netgear GS108X, connected to all four group switches and the recorders in addition to having a fiber link back to the main building. This and the local recorders, a pair of Synology DS725+ NAS devices, are powered from a LSP FPO150-D8PE4 with a 40Ah battery in it. All of the CCTV supplies are monitored by a circuit from one of the access control panels, as one downside of using NAS devices for NVR work is that they lack alarm I/O connections.

Drive Through Security

The pharmacy drive-through is equipped with a Covenant Security (housebranded QuikServ?) CSE-QS-TS-619S-MIN-L3-C transaction window. This window has a built-in intercom speaker and is fitted with Level 3 ballistic glazing to protect the pharmacy staff against handgun threats.

Panic Alarm & Staff Call

Finally, the building is equipped with a combination staff call and silent panic/duress alarm system based on Inovonics technology. An AlphaECall 200 serves as the base of the system, using two AEC200PCs as the system masters and a Teltonika TSW101 to provide networking and power to both of them. One of the masters is connected to a WNC510 (EN6040) receiver using a CA-USBSERV10 and a DB-9 pigtail cable, while the other is connected via another CA-USBSERV10 to a RY008AE board that provides location outputs to the paging system, enough to determine whether a transmitter is in behavioral-health, primary-care, dental, or somewhere else.

The repeaters are standard EN5040-20Ts, using repeater fingerprinting for transmitter identification, while the transmitters are EN1238Ds, with the AlphaECall not caring about loops, while the other half of the panic system uses Loop 2 only. That other half consists of a Vista-128BPT with an 18Ah battery for 24h of standby and an EN7290 receiver module attached, as well as a keyswitch control arrangement on Zone 7 consisting of a SDC 802ALL2ATS keyswitch, with its tamper switch also wired into zone 7, and a Seco-Larm SA-025MQ timer with its buzzer disabled that is powered from the Vista and programmed so that a momentary or maintained trigger from the keyswitch causes 2 pulses to be sent to the Vista’s keyswitch zone to fully reset and rearm the system.

The bell output on the Vista, in turn, is used to drive one of the LEDs in the keyswitch plate as well as a pair of Altronix RBSNPs that inhibit the dry contact outputs to the paging system and provide a contact output to the access control system as well. The Vista also provides the third power output and other dialer input to the communicator to allow troubles to be reported to the central station, and a RBSN on one of the triggers provides a failsafe trouble indication to the access control system.

The AlphaECall and Vista are programmed so that pressing either button on a transmitter (up to 127 of them) will cause the rough location (zone) of the transmitter to be delivered to the security office via a network connection as well as setting off an appropriately zoned overhead page if it’s in the dental, primary-care, or behavioral-health zones. Pressing both buttons on the transmitter causes both systems to respond, though, with the Vista inhibiting the overhead page signals from the AlphaECall and taking over itself to deliver the silent call to the central station, albeit without location information, which is still available locally at least.

[aerhardt]

I really love this setup. Is the FC901 really enough to handle this building, or do you think an FC922 would be more realistic? I would personally go for an FC922 if this was my building, in order to allow for expansions in the future.

This is definitely something that you could see in my area, as the chain that has a near monopoly on healthcare in my area uses FC901 systems in all of their clinics, and Cerberus PRO Modular systems in their larger buildings. There is one building that I’ve heard might have an Autocall 4100ES that replaced an MXL, though. The other, smaller healthcare chain in town uses exclusively Simplex systems with mostly Wheelock MT signals. My dentist’s office chain uses exclusively EST systems (probably QuickStart systems, but I don’t know). They haven’t built a new building in over 10 years, though. Until recently, they had some of the only new EST systems in my area.

[ThreePhaseEel]

@aerhardt

Is the FC901 really enough to handle this building, or do you think an FC922 would be more realistic? I would personally go for an FC922 if this was my building, in order to allow for expansions in the future.

The occupants are downsizing from their existing space, so I suspect the FC901 will be enough for a good long while (at 39/50 points).

[ThreePhaseEel]

This system is for a multibuilding apartment complex containing (so far) a 14-unit, an 11-unit, and a 6-unit building. All three buildings are configured as three story walkup point-access blocks (single or conjoint) with separate exits for the ground floor units as well as multistory units in the larger buildings.

Life Safety

Control & Initiation

The main building, as the current plans stand, is required to have a fire alarm system by the LSC (albeit not the IBC). As a result, it gets a Silent Knight 6700 panel due to the fact the SK S-Bus can be extended over fiber to other buildings using SK-F485C serial-to-fiber boards for about as cheaply as any system will permit. (Potter provides the FIB-1000 for their P-Link bus, but most suppliers charge much more for it than the SK-F485C nowadays.) The SK-F485Cs are connected to the S-Bus at the panel, as the 6700 does not support Class A S-Bus wiring.

The main building relies on a single Class A SLC feeding a SK-MONITOR-2 module for waterflow/supervisory monitoring, as well as SK-CONTROL modules for each apartment and stairwell that provide isolated Class A NAC loops from a bulk power bus run alongside the SLC, using MC/FPLP dual rated cable, a SK-MONITOR-2 at the bulk supply that monitors the power loop EOL relay and the power supply contacts, and the bulk supply itself, an AL1024ULXR with a pair of 7Ah batteries in it. The communicator for the system is a HW-AV-LTE-M-2 mounted at the main panel, with 2 17-18Ah batteries in a SK RBB at the panel for backup power.

The two auxiliary buildings, while they do not need fire alarm systems, still need sprinkler monitoring, though, so they get a SK-F485C paired with a 5880 I/O module, with both modules powered from an Altronix AL300ULX supply with a pair of 7Ah batteries in it. The waterflow and supervisory zones are connected to IDCs on the 5880, along with the power supply trouble contacts and a System Sensor 4WT-B detector for self-protection of the system, powered from a LED output set as resettable power.

Notification

The NAs in the FA-equipped building consist of P2WLED-LF low frequency sounder strobes in bedrooms and living rooms, set for 110cd and temporal tone, along with a P2WLED hornstrobe in the 2nd floor corridor of each two-story unit, set for 15cd and temporal tone. A P2GRKLED on the outside of each building, set for non-temporal tone and 15cd and powered from a MP120KL, provides waterflow notification.

Emergency Lighting

The building stairwells are equipped with Lithonia EU2C M6 LED emergency lights; while not Code-required, they’re quite cheap insurance all the same. Exit signs, though, are neither necessary nor provided.

In-Unit Life Safety

Life safety in the units is accomplished using standard 120V hardwired smoke alarms with replaceable battery backups. (It’s presumed that these are all-electric buildings, so CO and fuel gas alarms are not going to be required.)

Building Security

Stairwell access control for the upper floor units is provided using CDVI IP-MDS video intercoms and IP-RLC relay controllers, with one relay controller for every two intercoms; these aren’t the cheapest around, and have the downside of being touchscreen based, but can work with a remote relay module, are a fair bit more economical than other alternatives that were made with some degree of adult supervision, have smartphone app support, and are reasonably specified, albeit possibly a bit on the power hungry side.

The underlying network consists of:

• A Teltonika TSW210 switch with 2 SFP fiber modules in it in the main building
• A Teltonika TSW101 fed from one of the copper ports on the TSW210 to provide PoE to the doorphones
• An Altronix AL600ULXPD8CB with 2 channels wired in parallel to power the TSW101, one channel powering the TSW210, one channel powering the relay controllers themselves, and one channel powering each lock. This power supply has 2 12Ah batteries in parallel in it to provide 4h of backup time, and is monitored by a spare intercom input if possible
• A FS UMC-1F1T converter with a SFP module in it in the medium-sized building
• A Teltonika TSW101 with its uplink (non-PoE) port connected to the media converter in the medium sized building
• An Altronix AL400ULPD8CB with 2 channels in parallel to power the TSW101, one channel powering the media converter, one channel powering the relay controller, and one channel powering each lock. This power supply has 2 8Ah batteries in parallel in it to provide 4h of backup time, and is also monitored by a spare intercom input if possible
• An Advantek IMC-390-SFP converter with a SFP module in it in the small building
• And an Altronix AL300UL set for 24V with a VB9P step-up converter and 2 7Ah batteries in it powering the converter in the small building for at least 4h. Once again, a spare intercom input is used to monitor the power supply.

The actual door locking is done using Marks 5RR-57EU solenoid mortise locks with Securitron CEPT power transfers and factory raceway preps in the door slabs. The unit doors use matching Marks 5RR-57B entrance (ANSI F21) function mortise locks. Magnasphere MSS-10CL door contacts are connected to the door monitoring circuits on the intercom relay modules.

[NEOhistoryfan101]

KI&S [Industrial] Park, Samuelsville, Ind.

The KI&S Industrial Park serves as a specialized industrial ecosystem, fueled by its direct connection to the Kalamazoo, Indianapolis & Southern RR and its strategic position in the heart of the Fulton County manufacturing belt.

I. Founding and Early Construction (1951–1955)

The vision for the park began in May 1950, when the KI&SRR purchased several thousand acres east of the yard complex specifically for industrial development. The lead tracks were completed in July of that year, but the Korean War delayed further construction of the actual factories for two years.

• Kahn Influence: Following the 1949 completion of the hump yard, Detroit’s Albert Kahn Associates were commissioned to design the first phase of the park, which broke ground in August 1952

The first five companies occupied buildings constructed of reinforced concrete, reflecting the durability and “daylight factory” standards.

• General Turbine & Brass: Strategically placed to utilize the heavy transport capacity of the adjacent rail lines.

• Samuelsville Aerospace: A large-scale facility designed for high-precision manufacturing.

• American Electric & Coil: Focused on electrical components, benefiting from the robust electrical infrastructure of the district.

• Standard Indiana Tool: A medium-sized facility with dedicated rail spurs for material intake.

• Wabash Heavy Forging: The most structurally intensive of the group, built to withstand the vibrations of massive industrial hammers.

• Infrastructure: The core structures (Companies 1–5) were built from reinforced concrete to withstand the heavy vibration of forging and machining.

• Logistics: A dedicated industrial lead was constructed to link the park directly to the KI&S arrival and departure yards, ensuring seamless flow between the sorting core and the factory floors.

II. Expansion and the Golden Age (1956–1969)

As the park grew, the focus shifted toward diversified manufacturing and local consumer goods. During the peak of Samuelsville’s population (850,000 in 1960), the park operated as a high-output machine.

• Samuelsville Precision Gear & Tool: Provided critical components for the burgeoning automotive and aerospace sectors.

• Atnaf Bottling Co: Utilized the high-capacity water and plumbing infrastructure of the municipal grid.

• Apollo Chemical Corporation: Specialized in industrial chemical production with specialized safety and ventilation systems.

• Mid-West Tractor Corp: A major assembly hub that utilized the KI&S flat yards for shipping finished agricultural machinery.

• Samuelsville Glass & Lens Co: A high-precision facility that later contributed to the city’s tech-sector transition.

• Motive Power: The industrial leads were dominated by EMD switchers and the Alco S-series.

• The Last Steam: In a rare survival of the steam era, eight-wheel steam switchers were occasionally seen working the park’s industrial leads until at least 1960.

III. The 1970 Additions and Technical Pivot

By 1970, the park transitioned toward precision electronics with four new additions, including S’Ville Micro-Electronics, which featured clean-room environments and early computer mainframe integration.

• Architectural Shift: These newer buildings utilized AMARLITE entrance doors and LOF tinted glass, matching the modern aesthetic of the new State Office Building downtown.

• Logistics: The subtenant K&I Distribution was established to handle the high-value, fragile electronic components produced by the newly formed Samuelsville Data Analysis Systems (SDAS) via the KI&SRR.

other tenants included:

Cardinal Business Forms: a specialized printing facility that managed the massive administrative needs of the regional state offices.

Indiana Precision Die-Cast: an advanced metallurgical facility focusing on lightweight alloys for modern engine components

IV. Decline and Globalization (1980–1999)

The industrial collapse that began in 1980 hit the park’s heavy manufacturers hard.

• Market Shifts: While heavy forging and tool companies struggled, several large firms in the park were bought out by foreign firms in the 1990s as part of a global industrial restructuring.

• Survival: Despite the downturn, the KI&S railroad’s 1993 bankruptcy was eventually resolved by a strategic shift toward the tech industry centered at the SDAS facility.

V. Modern Stasis and Federalization (2020–2025)

The park entered the 2020s as a mix of high-tech “renaissance” and industrial relics.

• The 2021 Impact: During the budget crisis, several vacant warehouses in the park served as temporary staging areas for city records and artifacts before their donation to the History Center.

• Current Operations (2025): Today, the park is a “Railfan Paradise” where 50-year-old locomotives—now running on biodiesel—continue to service the spurs.

• Security: With the 2025 federalization of the National Guard at the nearby Armory, the park’s proximity to the KI&S hump yard makes it a critical logistical zone for regional stability

The electrical and mechanical infrastructure is a dense, heterogeneous mix of mid-century industrial technology, designed for durability and high-capacity output. The systems reflect the park’s phased construction, with earlier reinforced concrete buildings featuring robust, localized systems, and later additions incorporating integrated environmental controls.

I. HVAC and Thermal Systems

The park’s climate control and manufacturing process heating are driven by a diverse roster of manufacturers, allowing for specific customization based on the industrial tenant’s needs.

• Boilers: Heating and process steam are supplied by AMESTEAM, Babcock & Wilcox (B&W), Burnham, and H. B. Smith units.

• Ventilation: Roof-mounted exhaust ventilation is handled by a mix of Allen, DeBothezat, Swartwout, Penn, and Burt ventilator units.

• Process Exhaust: Van-Packer smokestacks are utilized in several facilities to handle heavy exhaust needs.

• Climate Control Units: Fan-coil units, chillers, and heaters are supplied by Acme Industries, Carrier, C. A. Dunham/Bush MFG. Co., Fedders, McQuay, Trane, and L. J. Wing.

• Cooling Towers: Marley or Pritchard towers manage process cooling water.

II. Fire Life Safety and Suppression

Life safety systems are highly redundant, utilizing various coded and non-coded technologies depending on the era of construction.

• Alarm Panels: The systems include ACME, Autocall (using NY series boxes with 121/3 buzzers), Edwards (incorporating 1250 series pull boxes and 310/314/372 Adaptahorns), Faraday, Gamewell, Honeywell (featuring S460-series boxes on W-247A systems with Benjamin Electric or Faraday signals in 1963-65 buildings), Pyrotronics, and Simplex (4247 systems in 1970 buildings).

• Suppression: All properties are protected by Grinnell sprinkler systems with flow switches tied directly into the local fire alarm panels.

• Special Hazards: Sprinkler heads have higher temperature ratings in forging and foundry areas to prevent accidental activation from process heat.

• Data Protection: The SDAS facility utilizes a specialized Kidde Halon suppression system to protect sensitive electronic infrastructure.

III. Electrical Distribution and Lighting

The electrical backbone of the park is standardized across manufacturers but diversified by fixture type to suit specialized manufacturing environments.

• Switchgear: Distribution hardware is sourced from Frank Adam, GE, and Westinghouse.

• Lighting: Industrial manufacturing areas are illuminated by Wheeler fluorescent fixtures and Holophane mercury vapor fixtures.

• Office Lighting: Office sections utilize Wakefield Brass Co. fixtures.

• Wiring Devices: Hubbell industrial-grade devices are used throughout, including specialized explosion-proof devices in hazardous areas.

• Exit Signs: A mix of various manufacturers.

IV. Communications, Timekeeping, and Plumbing

• Communications: Public address and intercom systems are manufactured by DuKane, RCA, or Stromberg-Carlson.

• Clocks: Timekeeping synchronization is managed by Edwards, Faraday, IBM, or SET systems, with Simplex units installed in the 1970 additions.

• Plumbing: Fixtures are predominantly American Standard, Crane, or Eljer.

• Safety: Speakman safety showers are installed in facilities handling hazardous materials.

Pumping: Fluid transfer and pressure systems rely on various makes of pumps.

[ThreePhaseEel]

This system is a combination intrusion detection and life safety (albeit not fire alarm) system for a small (three bay) quick-lube facility (S-1 service garage). It also performs some environmental monitoring functions (to alert staff if there’s an oil leak or spill).

Life Safety

While the building is far too small to necessitate a fire alarm or fire sprinkler system (although one might be installed anyway depending on corporate standards), and the only flammables it handles in bulk are Class IIIB motor oils and crankcase drainings, there is still a prime life safety concern in the form of CO buildup due to vehicle exhaust. Most of this is controlled using a Canarm AX12-2 ventilation fan in the waste-oil room combined with an intake duct and a transfer grille, but in order to ensure that high levels of exhaust don’t build up, an ACI/QEL Q6-CO/NO2-10P gas detector is provided, with one relay connected in parallel with the 3 way switches that feed 24VAC pilot power to the fan relay coil, the second relay providing an alarm indication to the alarm system, and the third relay providing a failsafe trouble indication to the alarm system.

The fan relay is a PAM-1 located in the junction box for the fan wiring, while power to the detectors is supplied by an AL300ULXJ with 2 18Ah batteries in it that is monitored for trouble conditions by the same zone that monitors the gas detector for troubles. Pilot relay coil power is supplied by a 24VAC/20VA HVAC transformer wired to the fan circuit.

A pair of Emergi-Lite N3C-2R combo emergency light/exit sign fixtures are used to direct people out of the main shop space to the exits, with one at the cased opening to the storeroom and the other at the door to the waste oil room. A Nicor EML1 provides emergency lighting in the storeroom, and it also powers an ERH1 remote head in the waste oil room.

The communicator’s hardwired zones are available for sprinkler monitoring if called for by the presence of a sprinkler system.

Security/Intrusion & Leak Detection

The intrusion panel is a Vista-20P with a pair of 6165EX keypads (one by the cased opening to the storeroom and the other by the manager’s office), a 4219 zone expander, and a DMP DualComNF to provide a cellular path via the Vista’s keybus. The Vista’s dialer is connected to the building’s MFVN port in the traditional fashion, though, and a WAVE2PDT in the manager’s office provides a local siren. Standby power for the system is provided by a pair of 7AH batteries in the Vista cabinet.

The door contacts are Magnasphere MS-10CTs on the pedestrian exit doors, manager’s office door, and the shop floor to waste oil room door, while the manager’s office is protected by a Honeywell FG1625T glassbreak detector and a Bosch CDL2-15G dual tech motion sensor. The cased opening from the storeroom to the shop floor is protected by a Seco-Larm E-9630-6S328A curtain photobeam, while the shop floor itself is subdivided by a pair of Bosch ISC-PDL1-WAC30G curtain motion detectors directed between the bays.

The shop floor bay doors use MSS-106S-C18-L2 contacts, while the auxiliary alarm zones for the waste oil tanks are connected to an NTI/Enviromux N-SOD-3M discriminating optical/conductive oil sensor and a GRI 2808-12V AC conductive water sensor, respectively.

The zones are allocated as follows:

• Zone 1 is the CO alarm zone
• Zone 2 is a double-balanced perimeter zone for the glassbreak detector
• Zone 3 is a double-balanced instant interior zone for the manager’s office motion sensor
• Zone 4 is a double-balanced instant interior zone for the shop floor curtain motions
• Zone 5 is a double-balanced delayed interior zone for the cased opening photobeams
• Zones 6 and 7 are reserved for safe protection (if needed)
• Zone 8 is reserved for video alarm interfacing
• Zone 9 is a monitor zone used for the CO trouble zone
• Zone 10 is a monitor zone used as the mask trouble zone for the shop floor motion sensors
• Zone 11 is an auxiliary alarm zone for the waste oil sump oil leak detector
• Zone 12 is also an auxiliary alarm zone, but for a water sensor in the waste oil sump
• Zone 13 is a perimeter zone for the storeroom entrance door
• Zone 14 is a delayed interior zone for the shop floor to waste oil room door
• Zone 15 is a perimeter zone for the waste oil room exit door
• Zone 16 is an interior zone for the manager’s office door

[ThreePhaseEel]

This system is for an old “tax-payer” style commercial building that is single-story with a walkout basement – the upper story is being remodeled into a branch office for a law firm, while the lower story is apparently being converted to generic leaseable commercial spaces. While no fire alarms or sprinklers are present here, there is some need for access control and security for the law office in addition to it being a privacy sensitive space.

Security

Video

In order to protect privacy within the spaces, the video capabilities are decidedly limited, with cameras kept out of sensitive spaces such as offices and conference rooms. The cameras themselves are fitted with SD cards for onboard recording, with one located in the main lobby aimed at the vestibule and the other behind and above the back door aimed to have a clear view down the stairs to the back entrance.

The indoor camera is a Hanwha QND-6012, as 2MP is adequate for such a compact space while audio recording is quite inappropriate in this environment, while the outdoor camera is a Digital Watchdog DWC-VSDG04Bi, chosen for its higher resolution and superior illumination capabilities. Both cameras are powered from the Inception system’s 12V output, and one of the Inception outputs is used to trigger the indoor camera to record even if it hasn’t detected motion itself.

That said, this system is no means ideal: while it covers the outside stairs adequately, it only covers a sliver of the building’s parking lot. However, remodeling the parking lot to add light poles at the far corners is out of scope for the project as a whole, and the amount of camera coverage that could be achieved cost-effectively using building-mounted cameras is very limited, given the size of the parking lot.

Staff Access

The staff access system is built around an Inner Range Inception 996300NA controller. It is paired with 994723 SIFER mobile-enabled readers at both entrances, MSS-09CT contacts on all doors with each vestibule door and the side door on their own perimeter zones and all interior doors sharing an interior zone, and a trio of FG1625RT glassbreaks sharing a perimeter zone to protect the front room and vestibule glazing. The alarm outputs from the outdoor camera and intercom are also monitored by the Inception.

Power to the access system is supplied using a Delta DRL-24V120W1EN and an Altronix PD4ULCB – two of the Altronix’s channels are connected to the Inception’s 24V input with the other two used for locks. A 7Ah battery is attached to the Inception’s battery terminals to provide a basic level of backup power for intrusion detection, and all the guts of the system are wrapped up in a Hammond RM2U1922VBK enclosure mounted on RSLIDE22 rails and fitted into a Middle Atlantic DR-8 in one of the breakroom cabinets.

The electrified locks themselves are Command Access ML180EU storeroom function solenoid mortise locks; these are inexpensive while being Grade 1 rated for reliability, and the higher power consumption of solenoid locks isn’t a major matter since it’s presumed we aren’t trying to electrically dog a door nor are we trying to run locks from battery power. Power transfer to both doors is done using Command Access CDL-BK-EXT concealed door loops.

The outer vestibule door, while not being access controlled, is lockable from both sides using a Schlage B662 IS-LOC for after-hours security. (This is in accordance with IBC 1010.1.9.4 exception 2.)

Visitor Access

Visitor access is mediated by the receptionist using a 2N IP One intercom system, with a 2N Security Relay protecting it from hotwiring attacks, and an extra MSS-09CT door contact on the inner front door to provide door status information to the intercom. The 2N system was chosen over cheaper options as it has native integrations for both Teams and Zoom, as well as support for being used with SIP phones.

Power to the intercom is supplied from the access control cabinet, using an Altronix VR1T to step down the 24V to 12V.

General Networking

The main network switch for the office is a FS 2805S-24TF sharing a rack with the access control cabinet; this 1U switch supplies enough ports for:

• PCs in each of the 6 offices and at each of the 4 open workstations
• A PC and an IP phone at the reception desk (although most IP phones support passing through their Ethernet connection)
• Conference devices in each of the 3 conference rooms
• a multi-function device (print/copy/fax/scan)
• the two cameras
• the Inception access controller
• the door intercom
• a wireless access point of some sort if the ISP’s router does not supply that function
• a local collaboration device (such as a NAS)
• and the incoming feed from the ISP’s router