by Dhale Angelo D. Santos and Nigel Q. Lutao, APRIL 2023

MPT South Hub (MPTS Hub) was intended to be a state-of-the-art building since its conception, and this is definitely true for its fire safety measures in place. It is equipped with multiple high-tech equipment that would not only improve the quality of life in the office but would also serve as a standard for similar infrastructures throughout the industry. The MPT South Hub has technology such as E-charging stations for e-vehicles, full solar panel arrays for energy generation, building management systems for automated building monitoring and of course a Fire Detection and Alarm System (FDAS) with a Fire Suppression System.

So how does the MPTS Hub protect us from cases of fire in the office? Assuming first that QESH guidelines failed to prevent a specific case of fire, fire detection will then be the priority of the MPTS Hub Fire Safety System. It does this by either using smoke/heat detectors found in every room of MPTS Hub or the manual fire alarms scattered throughout the office as seen in the following images.

 Smoke Detector 

Manual Fire Alarm

The FDAS main panel will then detect not only the presence of fire, but also the specific detector or manual fire alarm that was triggered. This then allows the addressable system, with its complex installations and more accurate detection, to automatically do complex functions depending on the given situation. After the horn and strobe light turns on, multiple different functions throughout the building will simultaneously and automatically occur. The simultaneous functions include: the turning on of the rooftop blowers to extract smoke out of the facility, the elevator moving to either the upper ground floor or the lower ground floor depending on which location would bring it farther from the fire source, turning off the ACU units, automatic opening of all the lobby turnstiles, and the disabling of authorization functions for all doors in the building.

Diagram of the Sequence of Operation After Fire Detection

After the system goes through its sequence of operation after fire detection, the Fire Protection System would now kick in. This involves the multiple fire protection devices that cater for specific needs of the building in case of fire. The most basic fire protection devices we have are the indoor/outdoor fire hose (found in their respective cabinets per area), fire hydrants, sprinklers, and the classic fire extinguisher found throughout the building.

Basic Fire Protection Devices

For the server room and kitchen area of the building, specific types of fire suppression systems were installed in order to better suite the location and the assets/items it houses. For the server room/data center, an aerosol based extinguishing medium is used to avoid damages that can be caused using water or basic extinguisher mediums. For the kitchen, a water-based substance with low acid levels is used as the extinguishing medium to avoid damaging the stainless-steel components of the kitchen hardware. Mechanical systems are also installed to instantly cut off gas and electricity feeding into the kitchen stove and other flammable hardware in case of fire. These are the specific countermeasures that the building has in place to efficiently and immediately tackle any case of fire that may happen in the building.

 Server Room Fire Suppression System

Kitchen Fire Suppression System

Hopefully, despite having these multiple fire safety measures, the MPTS Hub will never have to experience cases of fire through everyone’s constant compliance with the company’s fire safety rules. Though the company and its employees can rest assured that the building is clearly well equipped to handle the worst-case scenario.

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About the writer:

Dhale Angelo D. Santos. A licensed Electrical Engineer who discovered writing as his unveiled passion to share his engineering skills and knowledge in a creative way.

Nigel Q. Lutao. Always balancing a firm view of reality with a hint of carefree idealism, I constantly try to convey the harsh truths while reaffirming the hope of a kinder and brighter future.