Edes House: Apollo's XPander devices have been installed

Apollo fire detectors have been chosen to protect the headquarters of West Sussex County Council.

The contract for the design, supply, installation and commissioning of the fire detection system was awarded to Southern Fire Alarms, acting as a specialist sub-contractor to the main contractor, Willard Electrical Services (1981).

West Sussex County Council headquarters, in Chichester, consists of a five-storey building and seven satellite buildings. One of these is Edes House, a Grade I listed building that was built in 1696.

Each location has different requirements and Southern recommended an Apollo-based detection system that was designed to meet L2 standards. More than 700 Apollo devices were installed. Advanced Electronics MX4000 panels are used to control the new fire alarm system.

The installation of hard-wired devices would have caused damage to the decorative design on the walls and ceiling on some of the buildings, so Apollo’s XPander range of wireless detectors were chosen.

Apollo’s XP95 Intrinsically Safe (IS) detectors were also used in the county hall’s generator oil store room.

As part of the fire system specification, Southern also provided a bespoke panel and Apollo sounders in case of a bomb alert.