Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Executive Summary

Airport control tower. In late 2003, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions began a multi-year, $3 million+ project to design and install an advanced fire alarm for the world’s busiest passenger airport. The sophisticated network, one of the largest in the world, replaced an outdated, proprietary system that was both costly to repair and difficult to expand. With more than 14 network nodes and 12,000 fire alarm points, the new system shortens response times with pinpoint accuracy, reduced cost of ownership and has made the airport a safer place for travelers and staff. The success of the installation project generated a three year service and maintenance contract complete with a full-time man-in-attendance at the airport.

Situational Overview

Atlanta’s airport is the world’s busiest, accommodating more than 84 million passengers in 2006. Driven by the booming regional economy, the international transportation hub is expected to serve 121 million passengers by 2017. To meet traveler demand, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport embarked on $6 billion in capital improvements including the replacement the airport’s aging fire alarm system, which issued more than 100 false alarms a day. In addition, whenever the airport needed to repair, upgrade or expand the system, it had only one source: the original manufacturer. To choose a new system, the Atlanta Airlines Terminal Corp. (AATC), which manages the airport’s terminal operations, called for competitive bids from manufacturers. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions teamed with NOTIFIER, a Honeywell company and the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial fire alarm systems, to submit the winning proposal. The flexible, cost-effective solution is designed to meet today’s needs and be able to scale easily as the airport grows and changes.

Kratos Service

Airport fire & rescue vehicle. The installation phase of the project went smoothly, as planned and was completed ahead of schedule. Following acceptance of the system, Kratos proposed a three year test, inspect and maintenance agreement to AATC which was subsequently also accepted. Today Kratos maintains the airport-wide system 24x7, including the implementation of the eight month long test and inspection process. Working in shifts, Kratos is responsible for ensuring the entire system functions to specification. In addition, as the airport expands and changes, Kratos is providing technical support and guidance to ensure future system compatibility and avoid the installation of another proprietary system.

Unique Challenges

The airport’s vast size and ongoing expansion made it one of the largest and most dynamic fire alarm projects in the country. At 5.8 million square feet, the Central Passenger Terminal Complex includes a terminal building, six passenger concourses and a transportation mall. Currently, the airport is modifying its 176-gate main terminal to more efficiently serve passengers. It recently completed a fifth runway and is presently building a new People Mover system and integrated Car Rental facility (CONRAC) to better serve the traveling public. Plans are also underway to add a new international terminal to replace the existing international concourse. Kratos works closely with the airport to ensure no disruption to continuing operations or impact on the traveling public.

Kratos Solution

Airport ticket counter. In addition to the latest in fire-safety technology, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions offered the airport a reputation for successfully managing and executing large projects. Kratos' end-to-end solution included consultation and network design, installation, system programming, commissioning, testing and Fire Marshall approval, and customer training. Working through the night, Kratos' technical and installation experts installed and commissioned an intelligent NOTI•FIRE•NET™ peer-to-peer fire alarm network, which includes:

Fourteen NFS-3030 fire alarm control panels, which manage smoke, duct and heat detectors, water-flow devices and automatic sprinklers throughout the airport. Each node protects its own area, while monitoring and interacting with the others.
Eight Network Control Annunciators, which deliver real-time information to local operators through a user-friendly interactive display.
Three Network Control Stations with text and graphic icons providing operators with the latest status and control of each device on the system.
Two UniNet™ 2000 graphical workstations to display information through a single graphical user interface.

Empowering Benefits

Kratos designed the advanced, point-addressable analog fire alarm system to provide a wide variety of benefits, including:

Pinpoint Accuracy: With the old system, every alarm required searching up to 100,000 square feet. Now, each of the 12,000 fire alarm points has its own unique address to pinpoint the emergency’s exact location.
Superior Functionality: Previously, dust triggered false alarms on a daily basis. With the new system, Kratos programmed "smart" smoke detectors that distinguish between dust and smoke. To help the airport respond appropriately, the system issues pre-alarm, trouble, supervisory, and disabled-device alerts in addition to full-blown alarms.

Intuitive Interface: If a pull station, smoke head or heat detector goes into alarm, a map of the immediate area pops up with operator instructions. Kratos worked closely with the airport to design custom graphics for their operators and works closely with airport staff to keep the system updated as it changes and expands.
Shorter Response Times: From four fire stations at the airport, firefighters must respond to any incident within three minutes. A graphical computer interface will provide the fire department dispatchers with a map of the airport’s entire fire safety system.
Cost Efficiencies: By minimizing false alarms, the self-testing system has already reduced service calls by more than 50 percent. In addition, the system’s simplicity reduces the need for operator training.
Flexibility: The modular design will enable the airport to expand the networked fire alarm system to new terminals and facilities once they are built.

About Kratos

Kratos is a leading provider of advanced engineering, security and surveillance, IT services and war fighter solutions for the federal government, and for state and local agencies. We leverage our intellectual and technical strengths to provide our customers with leading edge professional services and solutions for mission critical success.