API SYSTEMS GROUP RETROFITS USPS DISTRIBUTION CENTER WITH GAMEWELL-FCI E3 SERIES® FIRE SYSTEM

APi Systems Group was chosen to retrofit the entire USPS (United States Postal Service) Processing and Distribution Center in Dallas Texas with a Gamewell-FCI E3 Series® Fire System. This facility is part of a national network of mechanized bulk mail centers that process first class letters and parcels. This 439,959 square foot facility sorts and routes an average of 4.3 million pieces of mail each day from Dallas out to the entire world.

Approximately 2,000 individuals are employed at this facility, which operates three shifts per day around the clock, seven days a week. Given the importance of its federally protected contents and large number of occupants, the USPS decided it was necessary to upgrade this center's fire alarm system. Built on 37 acres and considered one of the USPS' largest processing and distribution centers in terms of volume, this facility accommodates more than just letters and packages. The Center also houses an automotive repair shop for postal vehicle maintenance, in addition to a fuel and oil dispensing area. The presence of such highly combustible materials greatly reduced the choices of competent fire alarm systems.

In total, APi Systems Group's installed one E3 Series FACP (fire alarm control panel) with four loops containing 40 duct detectors, 54 pull stations and 450 hornlstrobes provided the Center with the enhanced level of protection it required. Style 6 (class A) wiring was used.

With so many employees located throughout the building at one time, facility management needed a way to perform ongoing fire alarm tests with little to no disruption to production."We employed pushbutton controls that would enable and disable all AN (audio visual) circuits. This convenience allowed the customer to minimize any disruptions during testing," said Roddy Bieber, Branch Manager for APi. "We also provided them a graphic map indicating the different groups of ANs so they could concentrate testing to one particular area at a time." The USPS reportedly tests this system on a monthly basis. Per the USPS, pushbutton controls were also utilized for manual shutdown of all air handling units. Automatic fan shutdown is provided via the system's duct detectors.

Mounted to the front of the Gamewell-FCI E3 Series FACP is an LCD keypad controller used as a system interface for operations personnel. Equipped with a 2-line, 80 character LCD display, a full keypad and LED indicators, the controller's best quality is the immediate alarm information it displays for first responders and building managers. The same style LCD keypad controller is also installed in a remote cabinet offering an even tighter level of monitoring and control. USPS facility management and first responders can now review system status, address fire alarm issues, enter specific text messages and more, via either LCD keypad controller location. A networked printer has also been included to provide hardcopy details of various incidents, of which the system's history log can store up to 4,100 events.

"It was easy to accomplish all that was required of this fire alarm's upgrade with the E3 Series," commented Bieber. "In fact, since the project was completed, APi has been awarded a fire system upgrade for another postal center nearby. I think the ease of the Dallas USPS installation and the E3's flexibility proves just how capable this whole system is."