Clearview National September 2016 - Issue 178 | Page 68

FIRESAFETY& SECURITY

The smarter way to
hold open fire doors
Launched just three years ago, the Agrippa devices
have gone from strength to strength. Here we look
at what makes them stand out from the rest.
»»BASED IN COUNTY DURHAM, THE
manufacturers of the Agrippa fire door holder
and closer launched the wire-free range of
products at International Trade Show, Firex.
Until now, the reliability of wire-free fire
door holding and closing devices has been
questioned by fire safety professionals due
to false activations, damage caused to soft
furnishings and the fire door itself.
It was in response to these concerns that
innovators of fire safety products, Geofire,
developed its unique ‘listen and learn’
technology. This advanced pre-programing
means that the devices pre-record the sound
of the building’s specific fire alarm and only
release the fire door should they hear this
particular sound.
Geofire’s Agrippa range of wire-free fire
door holders and closers have been very
popular in environments where minimal
disruption is desired such as care homes,
schools and hotels. The cleverly designed

68 » SE P 2016 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M

battery-powered units mean that there is no
need to re-wire a building’s current fire door
activation system. The devices can be fitted
in a matter of minutes and are even complete
with a handy, step-by-step installation video summarised over the page.
Both products are hygienically installed
at the top of the door, ensuring there is no
damage to floors/carpets or any warping of
the fire door. It is often beneficial in such
environments to hold open fire doors to ease
access and increase ventilation during busy
periods, where as many building facilities
managers fall into the trap of wedging open
fire doors without realising they could be
prosecuted for doing so.
The Agrippa fire door holder is a simple
solution to holding open internal fire doors. It
is competitively priced and easy to install. The
holder is particularly useful for holding open
fire doors in corridors and there are many
accessories available including chain keepers

and extension brackets for non-standard
installations.
The Agrippa fire door closer is a swing-free
device, which allows the fire door to be held
open in any p