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Diamond Systems were recently promoted to Gold Partner status with Axis Communications, a global leader in network video surveillance.

Gold Partner status was awarded by Axis in recognition of Diamond Systems’ continued commitment to the Axis Communications brand; the successful delivery of recent network video solutions by the Diamond team; and the investment in the development of the Diamond engineering workforce, with two Axis Certified Professionals amongst the sixteen strong workforce.

Diamond Systems have a fully functioning Axis demonstration facility at their office in Heron Road, Belfast. Customers and consultants can avail of a demonstration of the full capabilities of the innovative technology from this market leader in network video solutions.

Diamond Systems are also pleased to partner with Axis Communications in the delivery of CPD accredited training on network video solutions.

Pictured are Stephen Snoddon, Managing Director, and Angela Bennett, Financial Director of Diamond Systems, with the Axis Communications Gold Partner plaque.

Axis Product Range

Why not visit our online shop to browse the extensive range of Axis products:

https://www.diamondsystems.co.uk/shop/index.php?route=product/manufacturer/info&manufacturer_id=17

False alarms from fire systems are a huge problem. The impact of false alarms varies between sectors, but common themes are:

• Downtime (e.g. manufacturing)
• Disturbance and disruption (e.g. healthcare)
• Damage to reputation (e.g. hospitality sector)

But arguably the greatest threat posed by repeated false alarms is that over time they undermine the integrity of the fire detection and alarm system, and can potentially endanger the lives of the building occupants the system is designed to protect.

What is the typical response to a fire alarm activation?

We have all experienced a scenario of being in a building when the fire alarm sounds and, many will agree, the typical reaction nowadays is to ignore it. The common reaction to fire alarms is indeed reminiscent of Aesop’s fable “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”. I recently attended an Awards dinner in a local hotel during which the fire alarm activated on three occasions within ten minutes, due to a dry ice machine being used. Needless to say, there was no sign of anyone even contemplating evacuation on any of the three occasions. But what if that had been a genuine alarm?

One of the primary reasons occupants fail to respond to fire alarms is a loss of confidence in the system due to false alarms, particularly when there have been more than 3 false alarms in a twelve month period. Continued complacency will only lead to grave consequences, as was the case for Peter and the Villagers in Aesop’s renowned fable.

What are the causes of False Alarms?

Statistics show that the majority of false alarms are “due to apparatus” i.e. the fire detection and alarm system. This could be due to badly designed, or poorly installed, fire detection and alarm system, or a lack of system maintenance. In any event, fire detection and alarm system will typically require replacement after ten years.

But is it simply a case of replacing dated fire alarm equipment that has reached its end of life with like for like technology? Often this will not solve the problem, particularly if it is a case of false alarms being generated due to cooking, manufacturing activities, or in the case of the hospitality sector – steam from hotel room showers, aerosol emissions, or even dry ice in entertainment venues.

What is the typical “solution” to False Alarms?

Traditionally the issue of false alarms has been addressed by one of the following means:

• Isolating zones
• Replacing smoke detectors with heat detectors
• Implementing time delay
• “Double-knock” detection.

Let’s consider each in the context of our Boy Who Cried Wolf story.

1. Isolating zones: A particular zone within a building is temporarily isolated to avoid false alarms being generated by deceptive phenomena such as dry ice. Not only does this reduce the detection capabilities of the system, but it introduces a risk that the operator may forget to restore the system to full functionality. Isolation of zones is often initiated at times when there is the highest risk of fire, during times of high population – but ironically the fire detection is reduced as a means of preventing false alarms. In the context of our story, the Villagers ignore the boy who cries wolf but all the while the wolf is approaching, undetected.
2. Heat Detectors: Consider next the irony of replacing a smoke detector with a heat detector, perhaps to solve a problem of false alarms within a cooking area. The kitchen area is the highest risk– yet in the event of a fire, by the time a heat detector activates the fire alarm, the occupants of the building will likely have perished from smoke inhalation. My advice would be don’t wait until you have found a dead sheep before confirming the presence of the wolf!
3. Time Delays: With time delays, the fire detection and alarm system does not go into full activation for a pre-programmed number of minutes, to allow a fire warden to investigate whether the alarm is genuine. Precious minutes may be lost during this investigative time, and could impact on the safe evacuation of all building occupants. In the context of our fable, the time taken in sending a villager to confirm the presence of the wolf may prove detrimental to the survival of the sheep…
4. Double-knock detection – this method requires two sensors to activate before the system will go into full alarm. Will the shepherd be able to protect his flock if he waits until not one but two have fallen victim to the wolf before reacting?

For many years, zone isolations, heat detectors, time delays, and double knock have been the only “solution” to the problem of false fire alarms…until now.

What is the real solution to false alarms?

Now you can go one step further with the level of protection afforded by fire detection and alarm system. Not only can you reduce the number of false alarms but you can eliminate them altogether, thanks to developments in fire detection and alarm technology.

The Siemens Cerberus Pro fire detection and alarm system uses Advanced Signal Analysis (ASA) technology designed specifically with the purpose of eliminating false alarms by offering fast, reliable detection alarm signalling and control. Even in the most complex environments, the intelligent optical detectors work effectively to eliminate false alarms due to steam, aerosols, exhaust fumes, cooking fumes, cigarette smoke, welding smoke, dust, insects, dry ice, and even burnt toast.

Diamond Systems are Northern Ireland’s sole Cerberus Pro partner and offer a genuine No False Alarm Guarantee with their fire detection and alarm system. The No False Alarm Guarantee states that in the event that one the system’s automatic detectors does respond to anything other than real fire phenomena or a fire condition, resulting in the attendance of the Fire and Rescue Services, Diamond Systems will pay up to £500 to cover the cost of disruption including downtime and emergency services penalties (charges have already started in parts of the UK for repeated false alarms).

So with this technology now available in Northern Ireland, you can be sure when you select a Siemens Cerberus Pro fire detection and alarm system from Diamond Systems, your system will not Cry Wolf!

To learn more about our No False Alarm Guarantee and the Siemens Cerberus Pro system click here and you too can eliminate false fire alarms for good.

We were recently awarded the contract to install, commission, and maintain all of the electronic life safety and security systems within the new Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Logistics Support Centre, currently under construction in Belfast.  The requirements include IP video surveillance, biometric access control, gas extinguishing, intruder and fire detection and alarm.

As a specialist provider of intelligent solutions, our team will be utilising the very latest technology to not only protect, but also add value.  Steve Snoddon, Managing Director, explains, “Today’s engineering solutions must deliver value added benefits, as well as robust functionality, and this is something we do very well. We are delighted to be working with Caldwell Consulting on the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Logistics Support Centre, with whom we have delivered projects in the past including the prestigious Ulster Bank Headquarters in Belfast; Victoria Apartments, Belfast; Ormeau Bakery Apartments, Belfast; and Whale Technology and Polymer Centre, Bangor.”

The life safety solution being delivered to Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service incorporates the Siemens Cerberus Pro ASA Technology, which provides the industry’s first product lifetime guarantee against false alarms. As the preferred Siemens Cerberus Pro Solution Partner in Northern Ireland, Diamond Systems is unique in its offering of this revolutionary technology, complete with financially backed guarantee against false alarms.

The security solution also incorporates the very latest technology, using HDTV cameras and a Video Management System from leading global brands, Axis and Milestone.  Steve Snoddon comments, “Diamond Systems partner with the world’s leading manufacturers of fire and security systems, to deliver a first class solution to our customers in Northern Ireland. Having recently attained Gold Partner status with Axis, the company which invented IP based video surveillance cameras some twenty years ago, we are delighted to be showcasing their innovative product range on this project”.

To arrange a demonstration of our false alarm free technology, please contact us.

If you have phoned Diamond Systems any time since 2009, you will no doubt have had the pleasure of speaking with Mr Roger Corbett.

Roger has been a core member of the Diamond Team over the past seven years, and has been the first point of contact for customers telephoning the Belfast office. His calm, reassuring, and ever charming, personality has led to a great amount of respect and fondness from all of our customers, who will no doubt greatly miss speaking with him.

He will also be missed by his colleagues and friends at Team Diamond, who truly value his commitment and hard work over the last 7 years, and also the humour he brought to the team with his wit and charisma.

Speaking of his retirement, Roger commented, “I have enjoyed my 7 years with the business and have had great satisfaction in taking on the challenges given to me. I have learnt things, made many friends, and have many memories that will stay with me forever, but am now ready to move on to the next phase in my life”.

Roger, we wish you a long and very happy retirement and whole-heartedly thank you for everything you have given to Diamond Systems over the past 7 years.

If you have a home alarm system, or if you are a business premises key holder, you will no doubt have experienced the inconvenience caused by a false alarm. For business owners this can delay the start of the working day as you are involved in contacting your alarm company and perhaps even dealing with the arrival of the Police. As a homeowner, a holiday or trip away from the house may be disrupted by a call to say your alarm has activated, causing worry and upset to your plans.

So are false alarms an unavoidable occurrence, or are there precautions you can take to help prevent false intruder alarms at your home or business premises? At Diamond Systems we believe a properly installed intruder alarm system which is subject to regular maintenance from a competent engineer should not generate false alarms, provided the users of the system have been adequately trained in the system’s operation.

Here are our top ten tips for preventing false intruder alarms at your home or business premises:

1. Before you assume responsibility as a key holder for your business premises or, if you have upgraded your home security with a new system, ensure that you have received adequate training on the operation of the intruder alarm, either from a colleague, or the alarm company who installed or maintain it.
2. Upon arrival at your home or business premises, enter through the designated entry door only. Make sure you know which doors are set up for entry; you can add additional doors to your system but this will need programmed by your alarm company. Your alarm will allow sufficient time for you to enter through the designated door/s and disarm the system – entering via any other route will trigger a false alarm.
3. Disarm your system before doing anything else! Do not let anyone else enter the premises until you have disarmed the system. The alarm detectors are programmed to permit motion within the entry route only, for a short period of time until the system is disarmed. If someone enters an area outside of these parameters before the alarm is unset, the system will activate, causing a false alarm.
4. The easiest and quickest way to safely disarm the system is with a key fob. Alarm codes can also be used but are prone to input error, leading to false alarms and the need for technical assistance to reset the system. Key fobs will be programmed with your individual user details, so make sure you don’t swap these around with other key holders. Additional key fobs can be programmed and added to your system by your alarm company.
5. Modern detectors (PIRs) use infra-red beams to detect motion, so make sure these are not obstructed by furniture or stock. Heaters can disturb hanging decorations and may activate PIRs, so either turn off heaters when the building is unoccupied or keep such items away from the heaters. Dual-tech detectors are an effective way to reduce false alarms because they require two different sensors within the detector to trip together. Your alarm company can upgrade your detectors without the need to replace the control panel, so it is a cost effective way to reduce false alarms. Pet friendly detectors are now also available, or alternatively you can omit the detectors in rooms occupied by pets to enable a part set of your system.
6. If you change the use of, or make a physical alteration to your property, you should ask your alarm company to re-assess the current system design as it may no longer be suitable, and it could invalidate your insurance cover. If you do have workmen modifying or decorating your home or business premises, do not let them make any changes to your alarm system as it may render your warranty invalid, and could cause system performance issues.
7. Inform your alarm company of any false alarms, and seek their advice when the cause of the alarm is not obvious to you. They may send an engineer out to inspect the system and provide recommendations. Your alarm company can also provide training to new members of staff on the operation of the system. Similarly, contact your alarm company without delay in the event of an actual break-in, to enable them to check over the system and reset it for you. As an NSI Gold Company, Diamond Systems offers a 24 hour response to all emergency calls.
8. Make sure your alarm system is regularly maintained by an NSI Gold approved company. You should expect to receive routine maintenance checks at regular intervals throughout the year, accompanied by an engineer report on the status of your system, and any recommendations for remedial works. Batteries which provide back-up power are located within your control panel and will need periodically changed. You can also expect to replace your detectors every 8 years or so with the control panel itself typically lasting around 10 -12 years.
9. Always do a quick walk around your premises before you lock up and set the alarm. Doors which are slightly ajar, heaters which are left on, or windows left partially open, can all cause motion, which triggers some older style detectors, resulting in a false alarm.
10. Leave through a designated exit door, ensuring your system is fully set. If your alarm is monitored, make sure your alarm company has your correct details in case of any issues with the alarm whilst the building is unoccupied, and always advise them of a change of phone number so that they can contact you. If you forget to set your system, you can now do this remotely from your Smart device with the Diamond Home Control Plus package.

For more information on the Diamond Systems Security range click here: https://www.diamondsystems.co.uk/products/security/

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The team at Diamond Systems were thrilled to be finalists in the recent Belfast Business Awards, held at the City Hall in May. Diamond were shortlisted in the category “Best Family Business”, which recognised dynamic family owned businesses based in Belfast, which had demonstrated growth in recent years and a vision for the future.

The qualifying criteria included at least two generations of family members currently working within the business. Diamond Systems is owned and operated by the Snoddon family, with Tom Snoddon being the company founder, and his son and daughter, Steve Snoddon and Angela Bennett (nee Snoddon) currently running the Belfast based business.

“Northern Ireland is awash with family owned and operated businesses, so to make the shortlist was a great achievement for us”, comments Angela. “Even going through the process of preparing for the interview, Steve and I found out so much about the early days of the company that we didn’t know about, from talking to our dad about how he grew the business back in the 1980s. The whole Diamond team, family and non-family members, are all really proud of the business that he created from scratch and worked very hard to be able to pass on to the next generation.”

The awards process involved an online application, with each entry being scored and ranked to provide a final five in each category. The five shortlisted companies then undertook an interview with an expert panel of judges, and Angela, Steve and Tom represented Team Diamond at the interview stage.

The winner was announced at a gala dinner at Belfast City Hall on Friday 27th May 2016, and although we lost out on the Best Family Business award, the Diamond Team had a great evening and were honoured to be shortlisted in this category.

Hugh Black, President of Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce, gave this message at the Awards dinner: “This evening’s awards were truly outstanding and really showcased what a fantastic city Belfast is to do business, live, work and shop in. We received a record number of entries this year, so the competition was very tough – even to be shortlisted is a fantastic testimony of success.

Diamond Systems recently attained Gold Partner status with global industry leader in video management software, Milestone. Managing Director of Diamond Systems, Steve Snoddon commented, “We are delighted to be Northern Ireland’s sole Milestone Gold Partner. The Milestone solution is a powerful, user friendly Video Management Software, or VMS. It caters for the full range of system types, from very basic CCTV systems with a handful of cameras, through to advanced surveillance systems with hundreds, if not thousands, of CCTV cameras.”

In the several weeks since the Gold Partnership was awarded, Diamond Systems have already installed numerous Milestone systems to sites across Northern Ireland, ranging from small commercial premises with a small number of CCTV cameras to large networked infrastructures with upwards of 200 CCTV cameras

Milestone explained the significance of the Gold Partnership status: “A Milestone Gold partner is fully certified to sell all of Milestone’s XProtect video management software. Their product training combined with a consistent record of customer satisfaction, are testimony that they are fully equipped to handle all projects. They are able to utilize all of the benefits of the Milestone Channel Partner Program.”

Steve Snoddon commented, “The attraction for Diamond Systems was that the Milestone VMS is an open platform and this is crucial for us, as our customers have a broad range of CCTV brands installed. The Milestone solution enables us to integrate a robust VMS system, without the need to replace existing CCTV camera hardware”.

The Milestone VMS is suitable for use with analog or IP CCTV cameras, or uniquely, even with a combination of both. These features facilitate a rapid, cost-effective, roll out for customers with multiple sites, as even the most complex and varied CCTV network can be centralised onto a single platform.

Diamond Systems are currently installing the Milestone VMS as part of an upgrade to Belfast’s Odyssey Complex CCTV infrastructure. The Northern Ireland landmark is an extensive site incorporating the SSE Arena, W5 Science Centre and the Odyssey Pavilion, with a Cinema and Bowling Alley. Covering some 24 acres, the Complex houses three separate but connected Security Control Rooms. Brian Hughes, Head of Facilities at the Odyssey Complex commented, “The solution currently being installed by Diamond Systems provides a unified, user-friendly platform for our Control Room staff to monitor the safety and security of our staff and visitors here at Odyssey.”

Diamond Systems have also recently installed the Milestone VMS system within several Council sites across Northern Ireland, as a cost-effective solution. A wide number of CCTV camera brands are installed across the various Council sites, all of which can be incorporated into the centralised Milestone VMS being installed by Diamond Systems, including a combination of both analog and IP CCTV cameras.

Diamond Systems are Northern Ireland’s sole Milestone Gold Partner. To arrange a free demonstration of the Milestone VMS, contact info@www.diamondsystems.co.uk or call our Sales Team on 02890 207 207.

Cerberus Pro by Siemens was recommended by Diamond Systems as the most appropriate system to solve the problem of false fire alarms at a local leisure centre where steam and aerosol emissions in changing rooms were causing unnecessary evacuations of the busy centre.  Traditional smoke detectors often trigger false fire alarms in the presence of deceptive phenomena such as steam, and this can lead to repeated fire alarm activations.

The Siemens ASA neural fire detectors are specifically designed to eliminate false fire alarms in environments with highly deceptive phenomena, such as CO, steam, aerosols, or dust. The technology distinguishes genuine smoke from this other phenomena and is therefore the most innovative and robust form of fire alarm detection currently available in the market.

The upgrade of the legacy fire alarm system at the Leisure Centre to the Siemens Cerberus Pro fire alarm system will utilise the existing cabling in the building, reducing the overall project cost and minimising disruption within the busy Centre.

The upgrade will involve a phased approach by Diamond Systems in order to maintain full functionality of the fire alarm system for the duration of the project, as the Centre will be occupied throughout.

Diamond Systems are the sole Siemens Cerberus Pro Solution Partner in Northern Ireland. Contact us at info@www.diamondsystems.co.uk to arrange your free demonstration of this innovative technology and let’s eliminate false fire alarms for good with ASA technology!

Does your fire alarm cry wolf »

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