Delivering Advanced Fire Protection for High-Risk Waste Processing Environments
As part of Fire Shield Systems’ commitment to delivering intelligent fire protection for the waste and recycling sector, this installation showcases the performance of our Water Foam Monitor System and multi-detection camera system in a high-risk environment.
At the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Capa, Dublin, Fire Shield Systems supplied and commissioned a fully automated fire detection and suppression solution, designed for industrial fire detection and suppression. The system provides real-time thermal and visual monitoring, precise automatic fire suppression from our automatic foam cannon system, and full integration with the site’s fire alarm network, ensuring rapid suppression with minimal operational disruption.
The Challenge
Modern waste processing and recycling sites present extreme and complex fire risks. Bulk waste storage, shredding, and material handling can all generate friction, trapped heat, or deep-seated smouldering within compacted waste piles.
At the Capa MRF, the challenge was to protect large, open waste bays and material stockpiles where fires can develop invisibly beneath the surface, often triggered by contaminants such as lithium-ion batteries or metal fragments.
Traditional temperature or smoke detection methods alone cannot detect these early ignition sources. A system was required that could:
- Detect fire at its earliest stage, including hidden smouldering material
- Differentiate between background heat and genuine ignition
- Deliver automated, targeted foam suppression without human intervention
- Integrate with the facility’s fire alarm network for full visibility and control
Multi-Detection Camera & Automatic Foam Cannon System
Our Solution: Fire Shield Systems’ Integrated Fire Detection and Foam Suppression Package
Fire Shield Systems designed, supplied, and commissioned a fully automated, fire detection and suppression system, purpose-built for the waste and recycling sector.
The system incorporates three complementary detection technologies and a precision-engineered automatic foam cannon network, powered by a robust, site-specific fire pump infrastructure.
Multi-Detection Camera System
At the core of the installation is Fire Shield’s multi-detection camera system, combining:
- Infrared thermal imaging to continuously monitor for temperature changes across large waste piles
- Flame detection for instant recognition of open ignition
- Video analytics to verify heat signatures and visual confirmation, reducing false alarms
By analysing both infrared and visual data, the system accurately distinguishes between harmless heat fluctuations and real fire conditions. This enables an earlier and more confident activation sequence than conventional detection technologies.
Automatic Foam Cannon Suppression
Once a fire condition is confirmed, the system triggers an automatic foam cannon assigned to the corresponding detection zone.
Each cannon discharges approximately 950 litres per minute, delivering high-coverage foam onto and around the affected area to rapidly cool and suppress the fire.
The system uses an environmentally responsible, PFA-free foam concentrate, removing harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) traditionally used in firefighting foams. This ensures powerful fire performance while meeting modern environmental and compliance standards.
This targeted, zoned activation ensures that only the affected area is treated preserving resources and minimising disruption to ongoing operations.
Fire Pump and Water Storage Infrastructure
The suppression system is supported by twin electric duty and diesel standby fire pumps, housed within a custom-built FireBox pumphouse designed and manufactured by Fire Shield Systems.
A dedicated on-site water storage tank ensures immediate supply to the suppression network, maintaining consistent performance even under high-demand conditions or during mains failure.
Integrated System Design and Monitoring
The facility is divided into multiple detection zones, all continuously monitored in real time and integrated with the site’s fire alarm system. Each alarm condition is displayed visually on the control interface, providing operators with instant situational awareness.
Fire Shield Systems also provided system commissioning, operator training, and ongoing aftercare support, ensuring full compliance and operational reliability.
Conclusion
This installation demonstrates Fire Shield Systems’ capability to deliver high-performance fire protection solutions for high-risk industrial environments.
By integrating multi-detection technology with automated foam suppression and purpose-built pump infrastructure, Fire Shield Systems provides robust, self-activating protection against the unique fire risks of waste and recycling operations.
This helps ensure early detection, rapid response, and effective suppression, reducing risk, downtime, and water consumption, while meeting the highest industry safety standards.
Fire Shield Systems remains at the forefront of industrial fire protection, delivering engineered detection and suppression solutions built around the unique risks of waste, recycling, and biomass processing facilities.
Contact us
Do you own or operate a business that needs fire protection?
Call us today on 0800 975 5767, or fill in our contact form, to speak with a member of our team.