Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, Fife has a site wide alarm monitoring system based on the FIREQUEST Fire Panels and SUPERNET Network. The overall system concept is that of a flexible fire detection system that has been adapted to become a site wide monitoring and control system. The system was first commissioned in 1993 and has had regular upgrades and additions ever since.

The system uses distributed FIREQUEST Fire Panels, linked using the SUPERNET Network, on a two-wire data link. Also attached to the Network are a number of Multiplexed 'outstations', which have volt-free contacts for door releases, outputs for local sounder circuits and beacons, and for plant and smoke vent control.

There are presently 24 FIREQUEST panels each with up to two loops of detection utilising Apollo XP95 devices. In addition there are a further 13 outstations typically with 40-60 o/p's on each, and many also have inputs for plant monitoring and control. The system is fully site programmable with a complex evacuation phasing capability.

There are LCD Repeaters in the Telephone Exchange, Engineers Office and Security Room, with site wide information. There are also repeaters at each main entrance and a mimic panel at the fire brigade entrance.

The Engineers Office has a PC system with SUPERNET Colour Graphics, showing each building with each zone (and for the Tower block there are 12 floors), with a zoom facility to identify areas in detail. The PC also runs PSS Trending Software that logs analogue values from every detector on the system at least 6 times a day and predicts maintenance and contamination problems before they occur.

The latest additions to the system have been the inclusion of the new Hospice and the refurbished Kitchen & Catering Block. This also involved installing detection in the extremes of temperature from -18°C cold rooms to the Boiler House.

The next phase is to include the addition of Plant Generator monitoring using the existing network cabling and a Staff 'Panic' Alarm system in the A&E dept, again using the existing cabling to bring the signals back to the Security Office and Telephone Exchange. The Staff 'Panic' system is based on pull cords connected through Apollo XP95 interface units and configured as non fire alarms. A similar concept is also about to be installed in the new Hospice as a Patient Emergency Call system, this time however, the system is radio based using individual pendants.

Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy is an excellent example of how the flexibility of the FIREQUEST/SUPERNET System configuration can tackle a diverse range of applications.