Fire safety system upgrade from Comelit-PAC supports Samaritans

The organisation, which is focused on suicide prevention through human connection, provides emotional support 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

To protect the members of staff at its central office, Samaritans has replaced its ageing fire alarm with a new LogiFire solution from Comelit-PAC designed to bring reliability, compliance and reassurance.

The charity required a system that could be installed quickly and efficiently, with minimal disruption to its vital operations. Following a detailed review of on-site requirements, Comelit-PAC recommended the LogiFire wireless system, which combines the latest technology with straightforward operation.

Anthony Borrow, senior project and facilities manager at Samaritans, explained: “The safety of our staff and volunteers is always a priority. We needed a fire system upgrade that would bring us peace of mind, while also being practical for our office environment. The process was made straightforward through the support of both Comelit-PAC and Red Technical Services, who worked with us from the outset to understand our needs and ensure a smooth installation.”

Extended coverage

At the centre of the installation is a single LogiFire 118 panel configured as a wireless solution. To extend coverage across the office, the system incorporates four translators and wired interfaces linked with four door access points. Sounders, manual Call Points and detectors have been fitted throughout the building to ensure full compliance with fire safety standards.

The system features cloud-based remote connectivity, enabling Samaritans’ facilities team and Comelit-PAC engineers to monitor and manage the fire safety network in real-time from any location. Through a secure online platform, authorised end users can receive instant alerts, check system status and carry out diagnostics without needing to be on-site, thereby ensuring a fast response to any issue that might arise.

Steve Hopkins, general manager at Red Technical Services Ltd, commented: “This project required careful planning to keep the office fully operational for all essential work during installation. The wireless design of the LogiFire panel meant that we could phase the work efficiently, avoiding intrusive cabling and keeping downtime to an absolute minimum. Remote cloud access now allows engineers to run system checks, update configurations and respond to alerts immediately, which serves to reduce maintenance costs and also improves ongoing resilience.”

Close collaboration

Delivering the system upgrade required close collaboration between all parties. From the design and specification stage, Comelit-PAC worked alongside Red Technical Services Ltd to map out the system requirements and plan the works programme. This included site surveys, identifying the best equipment locations and agreeing on installation phases to reduce disruption to the charity’s operations.

Mandy Bowden, fire systems business manager for the UK and Ireland at Comelit-PAC, informed Fire Safety Matters: “Our priority was to design a fire safety system that delivers reliable protection and can adapt as Samaritans’ requirements change. Through close partnership working, we carried out detailed surveys and planning to ensure the system fits the building and its operations precisely.”

Bowden concluded: “The combination of wireless technology and secure cloud monitoring provides the flexibility to expand coverage, add new devices or adjust settings as and when needed, all of which offers long-term confidence in the safety of staff and volunteers.”

*Further information is available online at www.comelit-pac.co.uk