SAINTE-CLAIRE, Quebec The 2006 H-series Prevost motorcoaches on the assembly line here are being outfitted with automatic fire suppression and tire-pressure monitoring systems as standard equipment.

The fire suppression system is designed to bolster protection for the engine compartment and rear-wheel wells, plus reduce the consequences of a fire in the engine compartment, pre-heater unit or rear-wheel wells. The tire system will constantly monitor all eight tires.

Prevost, which will unveil the systems at Motorcoach Expo 2006 later this month in Tampa, Fla., also is making other new features available on its H models, including new GPS, audio sound and headlamp cleaning systems.

Initially, Prevosts fire suppression and tire monitoring systems will be available on H-series coaches. Later, the features are expected to be added to the company XL II models.

The tire monitoring system adopted by Prevost is from a company called SmartTire and it will monitor both tire pressures and temperatures, while the automatic fire suppression system, which was developed for Prevost by Kidde Dual Spectrum, will monitor the engine compartment and pre-heater for fire.

Kidde fire protection systems have been installed on transit buses, aircraft and trains for years. They also protect soldiers in U.S. Army tanks.

Both systems will available as retrofits on H-series Prevost coaches at company service centers across the U.S. and in Canada.

Prevost becomes the second North American coach builder to begin installing fire suppression and tire monitoring systems on its coaches.

In June, MCI announced it planned to begin installing the two systems on its J- and E-model coaches, and add them to its D-model coaches later. Unlike Prevost, however, MCIs fire suppression system is optional, while the tire monitoring system now comes as standard equipment.

The SmartTire monitoring system chosen by Prevost is designed to provide a number of safety benefits:

· Detecting inner drive-tire failure
· Minimizing road service and unscheduled down time
· Avoiding zippers on under-inflated tires
· Detecting dragging brakes
· Detecting overheating bearings
· Extending tire life by detecting uneven tire wear
· Improving fuel economy
· Reducing liability with black-box recording of tire alert history
· Improving driver comfort, security and peace of mind.

"It eliminates the stress associated with not knowing if the eight tires on a vehicle are okay," said a Prevost spokeswoman.

With the SmartTire system, every wheel is equipped with a sensor/transmitter mounted to the rim by a stainless steel strap (inside the tire). To assure a battery life of five years, or 600,000 miles, the sensor/transmitters operate in various modes.

When the vehicle is stopped for more than 15 minutes, sensors transmit every hour. Normal transmission is activated when the vehicle is moving at 6 mph and information is transmitted randomly every 3 to 5 minutes. If tire pressure drops or temperature increases significantly, the sensor switches to a fast transmission mode that provides updated information to the driver every 12 seconds.

Two antennas, located above the front and rear axles, receive RF transmissions from the sensors. The spare tire is equipped with a sensor but it has to be programmed to monitor its status.

Tire conditions appear on a backlit LCD display installed on the left dash console. The display remains blank until information is requested from the driver or alarm levels are reached. Tire air pressure is temperature compensated to assure precise readings.

Four alarms warn the driver when abnormal conditions develop. A pressure-deviation alert is the first warning of an under-inflated tire. When the pressure falls below the first programmed level, the system alerts the driver with a bright warning light and an audible alarm. The critical low-pressure alert warns the driver when the tire pressure falls below the second programmed level. This audible and visual warning alerts the driver to take immediate precautions.

The high-temperature alert warns the driver when the tire temperature exceeds the programmed level. This can indicate a serious tire problem or possibly a brake problem that requires immediate attention. In case of sensor failure, the system warns drivers if no data has been received from a sensor for more than 15 minutes.

The automatic fire suppressions system is fitted with both thermal and optical sensors for consistent and reliable detection. The 35-foot linear thermal detector covers critical areas of the engine compartment and pre-heater areas. It has a twin conductor cable with temperature-sensitive insulation protected by an outer sheath.

The linear thermal detector operates by short-circuiting during a fire or overheating conditions. The LTD is capable of detecting a fire at any point along its length and will react to a fire situation within roughly 20 seconds.

The optical sensor is designed to detect fire fueled by diesel fuel, oil, lubricants or other types of hydrocarbons. It has a 100-degree field of view and a response time to explosive fires of one half of a second. The fire sensor is immune to false alarms from sunlight, flashlights, lightning, vehicle headlights, incandescent lights, and welding torches (30 inches).

The systems fire extinguisher is an electrically operated, stored pressure-type extinguisher that contains 25 pounds of dry chemical extinguishing agent pressurized with nitrogen. The system has four cone nozzles directed at the engine. A fifth nozzle is directed to the pre-heater unit.

Sensors are connected to a control unit linked to dash-board controls. Upon detection of a fire, the system signals the driver on the control panel, the fire alarm- and stop engine-telltales illuminate, and an audible alarm sounds.

Immediately, the air conditioning system, engine fan and auxiliary heater are turned off to avoid smoke dispersal. After 15 seconds, the engine is shut down and the extinguisher discharges.

At any time before or after automatic fire detection, a manual activation switch located beside the driver may be used to terminate all delays, shutdown the engine and discharge the extinguisher immediately. If the driver presses the "DELAY ENGINE STOP" switch on the control panel or "ENGINE STOP OVERRIDE" switch on the dash once, the engine shut down and extinguisher discharge will be delayed by an additional 15 seconds (30 seconds total delay).

The control panel continuously monitors system integrity and displays the system condition via the "SYSTEM OK", fire "ALARM" and fire "TROUBLE" indicators.

Prevost coaches equipped with the systems, either at the factory or at a service center, are certified per manufacturer requirements.