NOTIFIER Protects Historic Warship
Fire Aboard USS Yorktown Immediately Detected, Contained and Extinguished
NORTHFORD, Conn, August 11, 2011 - NOTIFIER by Honeywell (NYSE: HON) just learned of a fire incident on Tuesday aboard the USS Yorktown warship in Mount Pleasant, S.C., which was immediately detected by the ship's NOTIFIER fire alarm system and quickly extinguished by fire companies responding from three surrounding cities, keeping damage to a bare minimum. The warship museum opened for visitors the following day.
"The system worked exactly as it was designed to," exclaimed Tim Cooney, president of Falcon Fire Systems , the local NOTIFIER engineered systems distributor responsible for the commission, testing and maintenance of the USS Yorktown's fire alarm system.
According to The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.), Mac Burdette, Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum executive director, said, "The ship's alarm system worked perfectly, notifying the fire department and giving a public safety officer on duty a general idea where to lead the firefighters. It was the first time the system was required in a real emergency."
A network if three NFS-640 fire alarm control panels, smoke and heat detectors, and pull stations from NOTIFIER were commissioned in 2009 to protect the 19,800-ton USS Yorktown aircraft carrier.
"It was a smoke detector that activated the alarm. The system indicated exactly what was activated so they knew right where to go," said Cooney. "The fire protection on these museum ships are vital given the large numbers of visitors and even the scout troops that stay onboard overnight."
Falcon Fire Systems mentioned possible plans for upgrading the fire alarm systems aboard other Patriot Point ships and submarines using NOTIFIER systems, which could then be tied together on one network for easy monitoring and control.
An aircraft carrier originally built for the U.S. Navy during World War II, the USS Yorktown served on many tours of duty, including the Pacific Offensive, the Vietnam War and the recovery of the Apollo 8 astronauts and capsule prior to its decommissioning in 1970 and reassignment to Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in 1975.
Today, the USS Yorktown serves to educate thousands of visitors as a naval museum, therefore advanced fire protection is a key to its survival. Priceless war planes used during wars and conflicts spanning from WWII to Desert Storm are featured aboard the Yorktown's 40,000-square-foot hangar bay and atop the 888-foot flight deck.
NOTIFIER fire alarm systems have been chosen to protect a number of national treasures, including the USS Constitution (originally installed by Northeast Integrated Systems, later upgraded by Fire Command Systems) and USS Wisconsin (installed by VSC Fire and Security) naval museums. South Carolina's U.S. Custom House built in the mid-1800s is also protected by a NOTIFIER system installed by Falcon Fire Systems.
More information on NOTIFIER fire alarm and emergency communications systems are available at www.notifier.com.
Notifier, part of the Honeywell (NYSE: HON) Fire Systems group, is one of the largest manufacturer of engineered fire alarm systems with more than 400 authorized distributors worldwide and regional support operations on every continent. Notifier's extensive fire alarm, life safety and mass notification offerings include standalone, networked and integrated solutions, plus graphic interface monitoring systems for facility managers and first responders. Visit www.notifier.com for more detailed information.
Honeywell International (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials. Based in Morris Township, N.J., Honeywell's shares are traded on the New York, London, and Chicago Stock Exchanges. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com.
Media Contact: Beth Welch, 203-484-6202 or beth.welch@honeywell.com
