Comelit Group UK Ltd - Experts & Thought Leaders

Pioneer charity Samaritans has worked in partnership with Comelit-PAC and installer Red Technical Services Ltd to complete an upgrade to the fire safety system at its registered office in Ewell. The organisation, focused on suicide prevention through human connection, provides emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. LogiFire wireless system To protect the staff who help make this possible at its central office services, Samaritans has replaced its ageing fire alarm with a new LogiFire solution designed to bring reliability, compliance, and reassurance. The charity required a system that could be installed quickly and efficiently, with minimal disruption to its vital operations. Following a detailed review of requirements, Comelit-PAC recommended the LogiFire wireless system, which combines the latest technology with straightforward operation. Says Anthony Borrow at Samaritans: “The safety of our staff and volunteers is always a priority. We needed a fire system upgrade that would bring us peace of mind while also being practical for our office environment. The process was made straightforward through the support of both Comelit-PAC and Red Technical Services, who worked with us from the outset to understand our needs and ensure a smooth installation.” Features and functions At the centre of the installation is a single LogiFire 118 panel configured as a wireless solution. To extend coverage across the office, the system incorporates four translators and wired interfaces linked with four door access points. Sounders, manual call points, and detectors were fitted throughout the building to ensure full compliance with fire safety standards. The system features cloud-based remote connectivity, enabling Samaritans’ facilities team and Comelit-PAC engineers to monitor and manage the fire safety network in real time from any location. Through a secure online platform, authorised users can receive instant alerts, check system status and carry out diagnostics without needing to be on site, ensuring a fast response to any issue. Easy installation Steve Hopkins, General Manager from Red Technical Services Ltd, added: “This project required careful planning to keep the office fully operational for their essential work during installation. The wireless design of the LogiFire panel meant we could phase the work efficiently, avoiding intrusive cabling and keeping downtime to an absolute minimum. Remote cloud access now allows engineers to run system checks, update configurations and respond to alerts immediately, which reduces maintenance costs and improves ongoing resilience.“ Planning the programme Delivering the upgrade required close collaboration between all parties. From the design and specification stage, Comelit-PAC worked alongside Red Technical Services Ltd to map out the system requirements and plan the works programme. This included site surveys, identifying the best equipment locations, and agreeing on installation phases to reduce disruption to the charity’s operations. Delivering reliable protection Mandy Bowden, Comelit-PAC Fire Systems Business Manager – UK & ROI, concluded: “Our priority was to design a fire safety system that delivers reliable protection and can adapt as Samaritans’ requirements change. Through close partnership, we carried out detailed surveys and planning to ensure the system fits the building and its operations precisely. The combination of wireless technology and secure cloud monitoring provides the flexibility to expand coverage, add new devices, or adjust settings as needed, all offering long-term confidence in the safety of staff and volunteers.”

Comelit-PAC has expanded its access control portfolio with the launch of PAC Lock, a fully integrated offline locking solution that enables customers to manage wired and wireless doors within the same Access Central™ platform. PAC Lock brings the benefits of Open Security Standard (OSS) offline technology to the PAC ecosystem. The result is a practical and scalable way to extend access control to areas where cabling or constant connectivity may not be possible or cost-effective. Evolution of access control David Hughes, Head of Product Management at Comelit-PAC, said, “PAC Lock represents a significant step forward in the evolution of Access Central™. It gives our partners and customers the flexibility to secure more doors without compromising on system integrity or user experience. By adopting the OSS protocol and using our OPS™ credential across both online and offline environments, we’re providing a unified approach that simplifies configuration and day-to-day management.” PAC OPS™ credential With PAC Lock, access permissions are written to the secure PAC OPS™ credential, which stores user permissions, event data, revalidation periods and other key information. When the credential is presented to a PAC Lock device such as an electronic cylinder, handle set or cabinet lock, the lock verifies the access permissions locally and writes the event to the OPS™ credential.  The credential is seen by the Access Central™ updating device and access permissions are updated, where events are collected and seen in the events screen or viewed as part of a standard report. This allows both online and offline doors to be administered through the same interface, ensuring consistency for installers, administrators and end users. Software integration PAC Lock integrates directly into the Access Central™ workflow, with offline locks configured and managed using the same process as wired doors. It includes defining access groups, assigning credentials and managing revalidation schedules. Installers benefit from a familiar setup procedure, reducing training requirements and simplifying deployment across mixed installations. Trusted technology partner David Hughes concluded, “The introduction of PAC Lock means Access Central™ can now manage more doors, more efficiently, and in more environments. It’s a powerful addition to the PAC range that strengthens our position as a trusted technology partner for installers and end users seeking flexible, future-ready access control.” PAC Lock supports an extensive range of locking formats, including electronic cylinders, handle sets, padlocks and cabinet locks. This allows integrators to specify solutions tailored to different door types and usage patterns from main entrances requiring live online monitoring to interior areas where standalone control is sufficient.

Comelit-PAC has supplied its LogiFire wireless, addressable multi-panel fire alarm system at Augean’s Kirkby site, installed and commissioned by Centurion Fire & Security to ensure full regulatory compliance. The facility, operated by the major waste treatment specialist, required a robust fire safety system for complete coverage, local and remote monitoring and minimal disruption to operations. Together, Comelit-PAC and Centurion Fire & Security designed and implemented the system to meet the highest category of fire protection under BS 5839-1:2017. The wireless technology enabled a faster installation with minimal disruption, while still ensuring reliability and offering scalability for future site development. Installation process Says Emma Smith, Site Manager at Augean: “Great service from Centurion, the installation guys always worked efficiently and professionally. We’re pleased with the Comelit-PAC products installed and would be happy to recommend, especially the wireless aspect that have made a real difference in our fire safety set-up.” Thermal CCTV cameras were positioned across external areas, combining perimeter security with early fire-risk detection and external manual call points and sounder VADs were installed to ensure rapid and clear emergency alerts. Both systems were integrated into a centralised platform, giving Augean the flexibility to manage the solution at any time, from any location, with total visibility across its operations. This dual protection has strengthened site safety and streamlined management processes. Comelit-PAC’s multi-panel wireless solution George Antemes, Key Account Manager at Centurion Fire & Security, added: “Working on this project was a great opportunity to demonstrate the efficiency and quality of our team.”  “By adopting Comelit-PAC’s multi-panel wireless solution, we were able to complete the works quickly and seamlessly, maintaining full operations throughout. The system’s flexibility and ease of installation across the site helped us deliver a high-standard, fully compliant fire safety solution with minimal disruption.” Mandy Bowden, Fire Manager at Comelit-PAC, concluded: “Waste management sites present demanding fire risks, and achieving L1 compliance was essential for Augean. By combining our fire detection system with integrated thermal CCTV monitoring, we’ve delivered a reliable and scalable solution that ensures complete visibility and futureproof protection across the facility.”