FIRE DETECTION
Edge of the world
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How Ajax protects the Vernadsky Research Base in Antarctica from fires
n the spring of 2021, the Vernadsky Research Base, a Ukrainian Antarctic Station, was equipped with an Ajax security system featuring FireProtect and FireProtect Plus fire detectors. The Ajax equipment was delivered at a distance of 16 thousand kilometers and now protects the scientific base in Antarctica. From this article, you will learn how to install a fire alarm system at a facility if that facility is a polar station. There are 10 to 14 members of the Ukrainian expedition living at the Vernadsky Research Base. They are scientists and the people who run the station. Every year, one team of polar explorers replaces the other. They study the Southern Ocean,
30 | June 2021 | IN SECURITY
the Earth’s magnetic field, and Antarctica’s climate, flora, and fauna. For example, they record the “languages” and “dialects” of whales, monitor the hole in the ozone layer, and make daily meteorological measurements to predict the weather worldwide and global climate change. Wasn’t there already a fire alarm at the Vernadsky Research Base? There was, but no one upgraded it for 36 years (since 1985). For the first 10 years, the base was used by British polar explorers. At the time, the base was called “Faraday” and belonged to the United Kingdom. Since then, it changed name, flag, and country, but not its fire detection
equipment. The old system malfunctioned and caused false alarms. Some detectors were inoperable. But finding spare parts for them (and bringing them to Antarctica) was becoming more difficult. What happens if there is a fire in Antarctica? Antarctica is the windiest place on earth, where hurricane-force winds blow most of the time. Even a tiny flame can quickly turn into a large blaze. Most of the buildings at Antarctic stations were built decades ago. These are often small wooden houses with metal panels insulated with foam. When the foam burns, it
