Drax designed and installed a wireless fire alarm scheme, saving Silva Homes £490,000 in Waking Watch warden fees over 16 months; as well as vastly improving the safety of residents and enhancing the protection of our clients’ property
Fire detection challenges
Silva Homes were undertaking a 2-year renovation of an aging multi-story residential block, following the discovery of inadequate fire barriers and compartments. Silva took the issue seriously and decided that the entire block was to be taken back to the slab and completely renovated, all while being partly occupied.
To prioritize resident safety, Silva used an out-of-hours fire warden (Waking Watch) to continually walk the blocks and to raise an alarm should they detect a fire. This warden service cost £7k per week.
As the renovation project still had over 6-months remaining, the housing association decided to explore using continuous fire detection to replace the Waking Watch wardens. This posed a variety of challenges, including not being able to run cables, high levels of dust, and the requirement to quickly adapt the system following construction stage completion.
EMS FireCell system
Using the expertise in large building fire alarm system design, Drax worked with Silva Homes to develop a fully wireless temporary fire alarm scheme. It opted for an EMS FireCell system, which is a highly adaptable fire alarm product, perfectly suited to the clients’ requirements.
The system took only three days to install, including a 3G connection to the ARC housing association
The system took only three days to install, including a 3G connection to the housing association chosen Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC). All fire events are automatically reported to the ARC, who follows a strict protocol to call the brigade upon receipt
Successful installation
Two days after the system was installed, the Waking Watch wardens were stood down, seeing a saving of £7k per week. This offered the client a return on investment (ROI) of just three weeks.
Due to the complex and unforeseen issues with the building renovation, the project has now overrun by over 10-months. This overrun has seen the client achieve savings of £490,000 to date, all while improving the safety of the residents.
The fire alarm scheme was initially designed as a temporary solution but has now been decided it will remain in the building post-completion. With some very minor upgrades to the system, the residents of this building can sleep well in knowing their landlord is doing their best to care for them.
Improved safety
“Drax helped us design and install a temporary fire alarm solution for a large, partly inhabited, residential renovation project. The outcome saved over £7k per week, as we no longer required a waking watch, but more importantly, improved our resident's safety. The installation was so successful, we decided to integrate it into the final construction. Thank you Drax!, ” said Lyn Ware, Interim Project Manager, Silva Homes.
