Free training now available for engineers working on large scale fire detection projects

Hochiki Europe has added a new course to the Hochiki Training Academy, covering its FIREbeam beam smoke detection range. For electrical engineers and contractors working on warehouses, distribution centres, retail units and other large open span buildings, it's a practical addition worth knowing about.

Beam detectors solve a specific problem. In buildings with large, open interiors, point detection quickly becomes impractical: too many devices, too much cabling, and a higher installation cost for the coverage achieved. Beam detectors work differently. A single detector and reflector can protect a linear distance across a space, cutting down both the equipment and the cabling runs needed compared with a point detection layout in the same building.

The FIREbeam range gives engineers two options depending on the system in place. FIREbeam Xtra is Hochiki's addressable version, designed to integrate with its ESP analogue addressable loop. FIREbeam Conex is the conventional equivalent, aimed at projects where a conventional fire alarm infrastructure is already specified, including retrofit work and smaller scale systems. Both retain the same self-aligning commissioning technology, so once a unit is set up, it continually monitors its own alignment and will automatically correct its alignment if the building shifts slightly over time.

For engineers working at height, this matters in practical terms. Some models in the range are available with a low-level controller, meaning commissioning, monitoring and maintenance can be carried out from ground level rather than from a platform or ladder at ceiling height. On a large warehouse or hall installation, that has a direct impact on time on site and the safety of the commissioning process itself.

The new course sits on the Hochiki Training Academy, a free online learning platform open to installers, distributors, specifiers and facilities teams. Courses are entirely online and self-paced, so engineers can work through the material around their own schedule rather than fitting around a fixed session. Each course finishes with an assessment, with certification awarded on completion. In a few short years, the Academy has grown to almost 2,000 users and has been named a finalist for Training Provider of the Year at the FSM Awards and for the Manufacturer/Distributor Training Award at the PSI Premier Awards.

Martin Green, Commercial Training and Support Manager at Hochiki Europe, said: "Beam detection is a specialist area, and engineers coming to it for the first time need a clear, practical grounding before they're on site. The FIREbeam course covers both the

addressable and conventional options, so whichever system an engineer is working on, they can build the knowledge they need in their own time. If you've got a large open space project coming up, whether that's a warehouse, a distribution centre or a retail unit, this course is a good place to start."

The FIREbeam course is available now, free of charge, at the Hochiki Training Academy