Firstco - Systems Engineering Consultants and Systems Integrators

Firstco was established in the UK in 1998. It has grown rapidly in the areas of technical consultancy, project management and control systems design and integration particularly in the rail sector.

Typical delivery projects include the design and supply of integrated control systems where a multitude of subsystems such as CCTV, access control, public address, radio, telephony and PLC / SCADA applications are all brought together on a single user-interface.

Control room design and systems integration

A recent project led by Firstco on behalf of a Train Operating Company (TOC) involved replacing the client's proprietary OEM tunnel control system with an integrated open access solution that allowed for easy upgrade and future-proofing.

Following consultation with the client’s control room and operations staff, the decision was taken to integrate the control and monitoring of the following systems onto a single control room GUI, which was then duplicated for redundancy:

• Tunnel ventilation
• Fire main valves
• Tunnel and station lighting
• Escalators
• Door alarms
• Train location
• Passenger information displays (next train LEDs)
• Public address
• CCTV camera to monitor switching
• Fire detection
• Gas detection

Equipment monitoring:

• Radio base stations and amplifiers
• Public address amplifiers
• Lifts
• Sump pumps
• HVAC
• Tunnel fans and dampers
• Main power distribution and OHLE

Each GUI consists of three screen setup driven by a single mouse and keyboard and allows any controller to have immediate access to all aspects of the system. Ergonomic desks and seating have been provided to give the controllers the best possible environment and there is a spare workstation to allow seamless changeovers.

The solution was based on a network of Allen Bradley PLCs and PCs running Allen Bradley RSView32 Graphical User Interface (GUI).

Project management, detailed design and commissioning of rail and tunnels systems

Firstco are heavily involved in leading the extension of existing rail lines into a new, world-class integrated transport facility. This includes:

• Providing specialist input to the project leaders for controls and communication systems and systems engineering
• Ensuring the systems requirements of the stakeholders (user, operator and maintainer) are fully understood
• Assisting in clarifying the briefs to enable the sub-project teams to move forward with their definition and detailed designs
• Assisting in interfaces with specialist client and supplier systems teams and the existing rail stakeholders (train operating company and Network Rail)
• Supporting and facilitating progress of the sub-project teams by aiding communication, identifying possible solutions providers and opportunities for rationalisation and challenging thinking
• Designing, commissioning, testing and project managing the delivery and integration of station and tunnel control systems into a single control room GUI

Value assured engineering

Firstco offers clients an alternative method of systems procurement and delivery. By separating out the three primary elements of a typical large systems project and applying individual expertise to each of these a more commercially focused solution can be obtained.

The three primary elements are engineering design, assurance / compliance and cost management. By forming a team drawing expertise from each of these disciplines Firstco enables the client to realise huge potential savings in overall delivery costs.

Firstco Middle East and Firstco Mauritius

Following demand for high standards of engineering and relationship management, Firstco has recently set up businesses in both Dubai and Mauritius to benefit clients in the rail, airport and BMS sectors.