TRUSSVILLE, ALA. — In my more than 30-year career in the fire suppression industry, I’ve heard every call a restaurant fire systems tech receives. From “Your fire system discharged for no reason!” to “My restaurant just had a fire, and your fire system didn’t go off!” I know the calls that fire techs dread. Amerex’s STRIKE ECS gives you the answers you need to combat these calls.
At Amerex, we develop and build our products at a state-of-the-art production facility in Trussville, Alabama, with commitment to the highest standards of quality, service, innovation and value, ensuring every aspect of our business lives up to them. Driven by that commitment to delivering the best for our customers, we are proud to announce the addition of our STRIKE Electronic Control System (ECS) to our KP™ Restaurant Fire Suppression System. STRIKE has completed UL testing and is now available for shipment to our network of fire equipment distributors.
The STRIKE ECS is the result of years of rugged mining, transit and military electronic evolution. Armed with the experience of developing electronics in these environments, we designed STRIKE specifically to work with our KP System, a staple in commercial kitchens around the world. STRIKE complements Amerex’s existing Mechanical Release Module (MRM) and Pneumatic Release Module (PRM), adding the next generation of restaurant system controls with enhanced capabilities. The STRIKE ECS is an alternative to a traditional control system, utilizing electronic circuits for detection, actuation, and manual pull stations rather than stainless steel cable, corner pulleys, fusible links and other mechanical components.
What does STRIKE mean for technicians?
- A smart system. The STRIKE Control Unit is the brain of the system, providing constant supervision of each circuit in the system and monitoring for fire and trouble conditions. STRIKE alerts the end-user as soon as an issue is present, before system maintenance. KP with STRIKE is capable of monitoring and releasing two separate hood systems, either separately or simultaneously. STRIKE can also be tied to auxiliary smart controls, such as a building alarm system. The STRIKE unit also provides downloadable reports on system events with date, time and an event description. If the system actuates, an event record will detail exactly when it took place and how the system was activated.
- No more worry about grease buildup. Electronic detection components aren’t susceptible to potential grease buildup issues. Traditional system components are vulnerable to ever-present kitchen grease, potentially jeopardizing their functionality or necessitating frequent and messy cleanup. STRIKE’s electronic components are impervious to grease buildup.
- Fast and easy installation. No more running steel cable in and around the hood — just plug-and-play wiring. The streamlined STRIKE installation process replaces stainless steel cable and corner pulleys with simple, color-coded wiring, making installation efficiency one of the system’s key benefits.
- Quick, reliable detection and actuation. With two separate detection and actuation circuits, the STRIKE ECS is capable of controlling two complete fire systems. These systems can actuate simultaneously or separately, depending on the layout and needs of the kitchen. STRIKE’s detection circuits use either linear heat detectors that can cover the entire plenum or spot heat detectors for higher-temperature appliances. Linear and spot detectors can be mixed and matched as needed on either detection circuit to match the appliance arrangement of the kitchen.
Amerex is invested in having the most advanced and highest-quality commercial restaurant fire suppression systems available. According to a 2017 NFPA study, there are more than 8,000 fires annually in food and drink establishments, mostly related to cooking flames and flammable kitchen materials. Our food service industry customers choose Amerex’s UL-listed Class K fire extinguishers and fire systems when it matters most thanks to innovations like our Zone Defense coverage and contemporary improvements like silver agent cylinders. The KP system with STRIKE is another leap forward in the evolution of kitchen fire protection from Amerex, an industry leader for more than 40 years. To learn more about STRIKE, visit https://www.amerex-fire.com/products/amerex-restaurant-systems/.
Jamie Knowles first discharged a fire extinguisher onto a live fire at age 14, and he’s been involved in the fire equipment industry ever since. Jamie is currently the Restaurant and Industrial Systems Product Manager for Amerex. His passion for our products and industry expertise play a key role in our product development efforts.
Media contact:
Jonathan Carter
Marketing Manager
Amerex Fire
205.661.4146
About McWane Inc.
McWane, Inc. is a family-owned business based in Birmingham, Alabama, with companies across the U.S. and around the world. The McWane family of companies casts ductile iron products, including pipe, valves, hydrants, fittings and plumbing products, and manufactures fire extinguishers, fire suppression systems and steel pressure vessels. McWane is a leader in delivering clean, safe drinking water while focusing on safe, environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. With more than 7,000 team members, McWane has a longstanding commitment of supporting the communities where our team members live and work. For more information, visit mcwane.com.
