KMSS Signs Royal Caribbean Deal

Kongsberg Maritime Ship Systems (KMSS) has secured the contract to supply Fire Detection Systems to four Radiance Class ships run by Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited (RCCL), out of the Meyer Weft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The contract is worth $3.2 million in total. The four ship deal will see KMSS installing it’s Autrosafe Fire Detection System with Self Verifying Detectors on the currently sailing ‘M/S Radiance of the Seas’ and the ‘M/S Brilliance of the Seas’, which is due to leave the yard imminently. In addition, KMSS will also supply the same systems to two more Radiance Class ships currently in production, to be launched next year and in 2004. Each ship will be fitted with 4500 detectors and 1000 Control & Indication interface units for doors, fire dampers, low location lights, sprinkler valves and other systems. In addition, three Autromaster 5000 Color Graphic Indication and Control System units will be installed to control each ship's Fire Detection System. The Unix or Linux based Autromaster 5000 replaces traditional LED based panels by offering a complete scrolling plan of the ship that can indicate everything from fire spread and smoke concentration to high voltage lines. KMSS will also supply 1600 ‘Smart Buzzers’ to each of the four ships, following the US National Safety Board’s (NTSB) 2001 recommendation that all cruise ships should install local buzzers in all cabins. Each ‘Smart Buzzer’ is capable of producing an 80dB warning sound that switches off after 90 seconds, allowing the public address system to be heard. Using advanced technology, KMSS ‘Smart Buzzers’ can be installed without the need for extra cabling, which drastically reduces the cost of installing this important safety measure.