Although I spent part of my career in the fire alarm industry, I was never really impressed with the types of technologies available in fire control panels. After the advent of point-addressing and remote detector diagnostics, it seemed that fire panel innovations had slowed sometime in the mid-1990s. As IP continues its march into the technologies of our industry, it was only a matter of time before fire alarm control panels would harness the power of networks for the good of both installation companies and their clients.
An excellent example of the creative use of IP horsepower in the fire alarm market is displayed by the Potter Electric Signal PFC-6800 control panel, which received a New Product Showcase award at the recent ISC West. While some of the panel’s features are stock fire alarm stuff, the capability to both report status and trouble info via the Internet along with the ability for authorized users to interrogate the panel remotely add up to a truly 21st Century fire alarm control.