The IPEC is a striking three-story facility which houses a mix of large open spaces, like its 10,000 square foot ballroom, and smaller contained areas for offices and hotel style bedrooms. Spread out across 93,000 total square feet, the installers had to meet Nevada state fire codes efficiently and cost effectively in the different spaces. The codes required that a notification appliance be present in every room, private office, bedroom, bathroom, and even closet- to attain a consistent 80 dBA sound level without relying on wall penetration.

As an additional challenge, the building’s unique layout called for a large number of smoke dampers to be installed, each of which would require a separate smoke detector for activation. While a conventional design would have a duct-mounted smoke detector for every damper, the facility’s size would result in a high number of detectors to maintain. The hot, dust-heavy environment of Las Vegas causes a high failure rate, adding to the maintenance burden.

Advanced photoelectric detectors with Gentex speakers and speaker/strobes were installed throughout the building, and Advanced duct detectors in rooftop air handlers. Advanced Axis AX fire panels were used to incorporate the detectors into a networked system. The combination of Axis AX panel, amplifier, sound file and Gentex speakers produces the 80 dBA required and is NRTL listed to comply with low-frequency mandates. Advanced photoelectric detectors provide full area smoke detection, which allowed the installers to eliminate all damper duct detectors. Only two rooftop units required duct detectors. The detectors are tested as part of the overall fire alarm system, with no individual 9-volt batteries to test and replace.