Hochiki Europe realises fire safety regime for multi-storey college campus

The installation was specified and delivered by SFA Fire and Security, whose engineers worked closely with in-house staff to design a system capable of handling the varied fire risks found across further education provision.

Subjects such as catering, automotive maintenance, construction and engineering carry a higher risk of nuisance alarms due to the heat, dust and fumes generated, while IT and digital media spaces rely heavily on electrical equipment. It followed that a tailored approach was needed to protect the site without interrupting learning.

The ESP solution’s common mounting base allowed SFA Fire and Security’s installers to work throughout the site using a single standard base across most devices, reducing the range of parts held on-site and helping the installation programme to remain on schedule despite the complexity of the building.

In kitchens and workshops, Loss Prevention Certification Board and VdS approved heat sensors were used to distinguish genuine fire risk from cooking activity and dust, reducing false alarms and protecting valuable teaching time.

The textual identifier within the ESP system affords staff the exact location of an activated device, supporting fast and accurate evacuation decisions in what is a large site with high footfall.

Wall-mounted VADs, certified to EN 54-23, generate audio and visual alerts throughout the college, ensuring that alarms reach staff and students regardless of location or impairment. Where cabling access is limited by drop beams, wireless technology has been integrated with the ESP loop, thereby avoiding extensive drilling and preserving the building’s original structure.

Numerous challenges

Naomi Fell, projects director at SFA Fire and Security, explained: “This project presented numerous challenges due to the complexity of each room and storey within the college. Our extensive experience of working with Hochiki’s products, combined with the consistently positive feedback for them from our end users, mean that the ESP solution was the clear choice for this project. We met Bournemouth and Poole College’s stringent deadlines with minimal disruption to teaching and learning.”

Ryan Baulcomb, regional sales manager at Hochiki, added: “Hochiki and SFA Fire and Security have a strong and long-term partnership that has been built on years of successful project development. The installation at Bournemouth and Poole College shows what that partnership can deliver on a genuinely complex site. We’re proud that our products continue to give installers and end users alike the reliability and support they expect.”

Bournemouth and Poole College now benefits from a fire detection system tailored to the specific demands of each corridor, room and storey across the site, with the flexibility to adapt as the location continues to grow.

*Further information is available online at www.hochikieurope.com