Wallop Defence Systems, manufacturer of defence pyrotechnics for air, sea and land applications and part of Esterline Technologies, has been fitted with a fire solution by Apollo.

The company manufactures defence pyrotechnics

The contract to design, supply, install and commission the intrinsically safe (IS) system into the company's new warehouse in Hampshire was won by Canon Fire Protection.

John Barfoot, Canon's fire systems manager, said: “Wallop Defence Systems was a key contract for our company, and is the largest project we have secured to date. Apollo was very supportive of our bid."

Among the products manufactured at the site are infrared flares to counter air-to-air and ground-to-air missiles, decoy systems for naval protection and missile tracking flares. The assembly of these defensive products involves the use of potentially flammable and explosive materials, so fire protection is a key priority to ensure personnel safety and protect valuable assets, a spokesman from Apollo said.

Canon Fire Protection supplied and installed a fire system based around 100 Apollo XP95 IS fire detectors and a four-loop Kentec Syncro control panel. The system includes a modem link so that fire system performance can be monitored remotely 24/7. The entire solution is wired using mineral-insulated cabling.

Where flame detection was required, devices were used in conjunction with IS-rated enclosures to meet the requirements for intrinsic safety. Due to high ambient noise levels, visual indicators have been fitted in the administrative areas of the building, while Vimpex IS sounders are installed in the transfer corridors between manufacturing processes.