Sadly, the historic Norman King public house in Dunstable, Bedfordshire was demolished last week after a fire ripped through the building rendering it unsafe.
Built circa 1109, under the reign of King Henry I, the Grade II listed building, with real beams and a thatched roof, had recently been acquired by new management and was undergoing extensive renovation when the fire struck in the middle of the night. A hotel next door, also owned by the new management, had to be evacuated.
The cause of the fire is still unknown but it is confirmed not to be related to recent riots.
In historic buildings like this, where provisions for fire alarm systems were obviously not considered due to the times, it can be difficult for owners to successfully implement a safe fire system. Due to constraints with building regulations and the importance of aesthetics in listed buildings, traditional alarm system wiring and normal systems just can’t be used.
Canny owners looking for effective fire protection must look elsewhere and the obvious choice has to be a wireless fire alarm system.
A wireless fire alarm system takes away the headache of trying to hide cabling and work to listed building regulations. They are extremely flexible and are surprisingly cost-effective to set up and expand in future if required.
Something like the HyFire Economy Control Panel is capable of handling up to 126 devices, ranging from wireless manual call points to wireless sounders. Like a traditional wired system, heat and smoke detectors can be placed at regular intervals to provide the best coverage of the building in order to detect a fire, the difference is that they are battery powered (no power cables) and they communicate with the control panel wirelessly through radio waves.
For large applications, sometimes covering more than one building, expander modules can be used in conjunction with the control panel to increase the range of the fire alarm system. Translator modules can also be purchased to connect wireless smoke detectors etc. to existing wired systems – a low-cost, easy way to adapt a fire system.
As a custodian of a historic building with structural sensitivity, current owners owe it to future generations to make the building as safe as possible and a wireless fire alarm system is the perfect solution.
Discount Fire Supplies stocks a range of wireless fire alarm system detectors and modules. See our wireless fire alarms category for the full range.
Discount Fire Supplies sell a range of fire alarms, fire alarm accessories and much more. Browse our online shop or contact us for a quote today.
