Beam Smoke Detectors Keeping Detroit Lions Players Safe

To ensure the safety of its players and staff, the Detroit Lions NFL team selected Fireray beam smoke detectors to provide fire protection for their 91,500sq ft full-size practice field at their $29m headquarters and training facility in Dearborn, MI.

Financed by the Ford family, the site offers state-of-the-art facilities, including indoor and outdoor practice fields, weight training and hydrotherapy rooms and a 103-person auditorium for full team meetings and large press conferences. Seven of the Fireray 3000 optical beam smoke detectors are installed in the indoor field, offering end-to-end fire protection, replacing older Fireray 2000 units. Designed for large interiors with high ceilings, Fireray beam detectors enable extensive coverage at minimal cost and are ideal for applications where the line of sight for the IR detection path is narrow and where the building structure uses reflective surfaces. They are also often used when it is impractical, inappropriate or not cost effective to use traditional point-type detectors.

“We installed the Fireray 3000 units as part of an upgrade, replacing older Fireray 2000 units,” comments Mark Glenn, Facilities Manager at the training facility. An interesting feature of this installation is that the detector beams are required to shoot through a 24 inch hole in the sideline netting. The Fireray 3000 is designed for easy installation by a single operator and its laser-assisted alignment method, combined with easy to use alignment LEDs, offers a visual feedback. The FFE units were delivered and installed by Johnson Controls.

 “It is a solid, state-of-the-art fire detection system and is 

ideal for those parts of our building where a wet suppression 

(sprinkler) system could not be installed. I would certainly 

recommend the Fireray 3000 for this type of application.” 

MARK GLENN- FACILITIES MANAGER