Mactan-Cebu airport required a modular and expandable fire detection system
But, how to update a networked fire alarm system during normal, everyday operation?
Mactan-Cebu International Airport is one of the most important airports in the Philippines, with 12 million passengers walking through its doors annually. This means all security technology has to work effectively at all times. To ensure safety for all, a new fire monitoring system, using the latest Bosch technology was installed there. Since the installation was scheduled and planned section by section, airport operations were not disrupted – and visitors were not able to notice anything.
Tourists, business people, locals – around 12 million passengers take off and land every year through Mactan-Cebu International Airport in the Philippines. There are two terminals at this central hub. After around 30 years of operation and service, Terminal 1 was in need of renovation, including necessary updates to its aging fire alarm system. The experts have already installed and networked around 400 new heat detectors in offices, shops and restaurants in Terminal 1 – and the system is to be expanded further.
Facilitating everyday tasks
The airport now meets high security standards.The smart core of the fire monitoring system features a graphical user interface to display, analyze and monitor the smoke detectors, and enables the entire hardware system to be networked. Digital building plans allow security staff to precisely locate any fire risk or where a fire alarm has been triggered. Other user functions deliver, among other things, the event log, in which all processes and actions can be recorded and evaluated. All in all, this centralized, intuitive and serviceable system allows for efficient monitoring and control. In addition, airport staff can be trained to logically and systematically troubleshoot or search for any cause of technical issues with this new technology.
Major overhaul during business as usual
One particular challenge had to be mastered for the new system installation. “Procedures at the busy airport were not to be disrupted,” says Joselito Catian, the Filipino project leader of the challenge. This could only work because the installation was done section by section: one area was closed overnight, then the system was reactivated the following day. “For us, that meant dismantling old, semi-addressable fire alarm systems, while they were still in 24-hour operation, and replacing them with our products.”
“In the end everything went smoothly,” says Catian. Thanks to the new technology, airport staff can react quickly and precisely in any emergency situation. The best-case scenario is that any fire is extinguished and, as with the installation of our new system, will be oblivious to anything going on.
