Case Study
Fire Safety for National Trust Heritage Property
The Client
A Grade I listed Gothic style, Victorian house and estate that was put in the care of the National Trust in 2002.
Due to being a listed building, with an extremely intricate interior and high ceilings, specialist systems were required to ensure there would be detection of the earliest signs of any fire at the property.
Sector:
Services:
Our Trusted Service Solutions
The Challenge
A specialilst Fire Alarm System was designed to ensure accurate and prompt detection of any fire on site. As Aspirating System was installed in the main hall/lobby area due to the high ceilings of the property. These systems work to accurately detect fire in the earliest stages by constantly sampling the air for traces of smoke particles.
Our Approach
A Fire Alarm panel with devices including call points and detectors were also installed throughout the house, where possible. We worked closely with a team of building specialists to ensure that we were able to cover the property sufficiently, whilst not damaging any of the spectacular coving covering the ceilings.
A Monitored Intruder Alarm and CCTV System were also installed to protect the property. Due to the age of the building and the contents, criminals may look to target such a place. Having the monitoring on the Intruder Alarm means that the police will be contacted and attend in the event of an Alarm activation.
The Importance of Fire Safety
Fire safety is always so important, but can vary in reasons. Most of the time, fire safety measures are put in place to ensure safety to occupiers such as workers or residents of a building.
For some businesses or for listed properties, very special systems which can detect very early signs of fire are required to keep both the occupants, and the property safe. Fire Alarm and detection systems need to be custom designed to detect fire/smoke at the earliest opportunity and the quickest response from the authorities.
When many of these listed properties would have been built, fire safety would not have been a big consideration. Many of these buildings will have large open spaces, expansive wooden architrave and interior. Whilst this decor is beautiful and fitting for the time, it can be extremely flammable should a fire start.
Challenges of Heritage Properties
These types of buildings can present all sorts of challenges when making them fire safe. Balancing the preservation and aesthetics with fire safety is essential.
Modern buildings are designed with safety and fire safety in mind. Back when these listed properties were designed and built, there would have been little consideration for fire safety. The materials used are far more combustible and the design of the building can make it even less fire safe. Large open spaces can mean that fires can spread quickly within, as well as big voids where fires could potentially go undetected.
Benefits of working with Churches Fire:
Technology-Enabled Communications
Transparency & Visibility Through Customer Portal
Swift Rectification of Issues
Fire Safety Compliance & Assurance
Featured solutions
Fire Evacuation Drills
Evacuating the premises safely and effectively is paramount in the event of a fire and the procedure should be familiar to all employees and visitors.
Automatic Opening Vents (AOV)
Churches Fire & Security can help with the installation and servicing of Automatic Opening Vents (AOV), which are critical fire safety systems designed to provide effective smoke and heat ventilation in the event of a fire.
Evacuation Alert System
An Evacuation Alert System from Churches Fire & Security is designed for operation by the fire department and facilitates safe exit for residents and occupiers of high-rise residential properties in the event of a fire.
Emergency Lighting
Churches Fire & Security are experts in industry standard emergency lighting to guide your customers and staff to safety in an emergency.
Fire Training
With it being a legal requirement for employers to ensure that all employees are sufficiently fire-trained, we can offer expert fire training services.
Fire Extinguishers
Churches Fire & Security have the benefit of a UK nationwide operation, so whether your business is large or small you will be covered. The fire extinguisher servicing plan meets all the statutory legal requirements. Starting at basic maintenance every 12 months.
Kitchen Fire Suppression Systems
A kitchen suppression system is used in a industrial or commercial kitchen, an area usually at high risk of fire or injury. Churches Fire supply and maintain both Ansul systems and Amerex products for customers, all of which require fully trained technicians to install and service.
Gent Fire Alarm Systems
We provide top-of-the-range Gent fire alarms that lead the industry to be one of the most advanced fire detection and alarm systems available on the market. A Gent fire alarm provides you with the peace of mind you’d expect from your system.
Fire Risk Assessment
At Churches Fire & Security we provide professional, practical Fire Risk Assessments (FRAs) that give you a clear understanding of fire risks in your premises and the actions needed to control them.
Hose Reels
Fire hose reels are excellent for tackling large fires. We will work with you to determine whether fire hose reels are right for your building and, if so, where they should be placed.
“Our confidence in your service delivery continues to grow… we now use Churches Fire as the benchmark against our other contractors.”
Ryan Jardine
Senior Property Manager, Bupa UK
Contact Our Team Today
Churches Fire & Security lead the way in the industry by offering your business a compliant, reliable and consistent one-stop-shop for fire and security solutions in the UK. Contact our team today to discover how we can help.