FIREscape+ specified for busy KOKO Emporio store in Turin

KOKO Emporio is an established retailer with several stores across Torino and Moncalieri, in the main offering home, clothing and lifestyle products to shoppers resident across the region.

The store in question spans 800 m² across a ground floor and basement. As is the case with any busy retail floor, aisles and stock displays can make it harder for customers to find the nearest exit in an emergency, particularly so those shoppers unfamiliar with the layout.

Compliance requirements

The store needed a fire detection system that met current compliance requirements alongside emergency lighting capable of guiding staff and customers to safety during any fire or power failure episode.

ELE.CO SRL specified Hochiki’s FIREscape+, which combines ESP intelligent fire detection with emergency lighting on a single four-loop control panel. ALN-EN smoke sensors with adjustable sensitivity were installed throughout to reduce false alarms, while EN 54-23 compliant visual alarm devices were added to make alarm activation clearly visible to every occupant, working alongside ESP sounders to deliver full audible coverage.

The basement presented a particular challenge. The space houses separate retail and warehouse areas with long aisles, stock boxes and stairways. As such, the emergency lighting needs to keep the space illuminated and evacuation routes clear during a power outage.

High power luminaries connected to the FIREscape+ panel now cover this area, guiding staff and customers alike to the nearest exit if the power fails or an evacuation is needed.

Right choice

Ervin Peza, owner of ELE.CO SRL, explained: “Hochiki’s FIREscape+ system reduced installation costs significantly compared to installing two separate systems, making it the right choice for this application. Combining fire and emergency lighting on a single panel and loop reduces cabling, which simplifies both installation and maintenance procedures.”

Peza added: “KOKO’s new integrated fire and emergency lighting system means that the store can run smoothly, day to day, with customers confident that any fire will be picked up quickly and that they can find their way to safety.”

Further, Peza noted: “Hochiki’s addressable technology means the system can pinpoint the exact location of an incident and guide people along the safest route out, even if the power does go down.”

The installation shows how a combined and addressable fire and emergency lighting system can meet the practical demands of a busy multi-site retail environment, giving store owners one system to manage rather than two.

*Further information is available online at www.hochikieurope.com