Safeguarding History: Fire Protection For Heritage Buildings

Published on 16 Nov 2021

Losing any building to a fire is always a tragedy - but when there is a wealth of history or
significance also at stake, the loss is irreplaceable. John Harrison, Sales and Marketing
Director at Ramtech, discusses the fire protection challenges associated with heritage
projects and how they can be safeguarded from the risk of fire thanks to innovative
wireless fire safety technology.

The world watched in great sadness and shock as flames engulfed Paris’ Notre Dame - one

of the most famous and culturally significant buildings of our time. The twelfth-century

Catholic treasure had been undergoing renovations at the time, although after a lengthy

investigation, the cause of the fire was still fairly inconclusive. The blaze was a stark
reminder that hundreds of years' worth of legacy can be turned to ashes and destroyed in

mere minutes.

World Heritage Sites

Historic England describes the fire as ‘probably the most devastating of disasters’ for

protected buildings. While heat and smoke are obviously detrimental, the water used to

fight the fire can cause problems too, along with the impact of having a building exposed to

the elements.

Historic England’s research in 2019 indicates that there were over 1,000 incidents requiring

Fire & Rescue attendance including:

Listed buildings: Grade I listed buildings x 15, Grade II listed buildings x 47, Grade II

listed buildings x 343.

World Heritage Sites x 16.

Conservation Areas and locally listed buildings x 554.

Fire safety professionals

 If a fire did occur, being able to identify the source would limit
devastating

The problem is, heritage often comes hand-in-hand with ongoing refurbishment to keep the

often aged structures in good condition so they do not fall into disrepair, and those

extensive projects will always be wrought with challenges, particularly protecting against

fire. In fact, the latest figures from the Home Office show that between April 2018 and

March 2019, fire and rescue services attended 365 fires on construction sites in England –

increasing from 333 in 2014/15. 

For site owners, their contractors, and fire safety professionals, preserving the safety of the

site and those on it from fire risk during construction is extremely important. If a fire did

occur, being able to identify the source would limit devastating, irreplaceable damage and

ensure that those present on the site could be quickly located and evacuated.

Fire alarm systems

This is why fire alarm systems need to remain active day and night, so whether a site is

occupied or not, there can be real-time insights given to enable sites to quickly react to

potential disasters and mitigate risk by alerting the local fire brigade and other responsible

building personnel immediately.

 Heritage projects have the added concern of protecting the building
fabric from any unnecessary alterations

On top of the practical fire safety concerns, heritage projects have the added concern of

protecting the building fabric from any unnecessary alterations to maintain its historical

value. So, choosing a fire protection system that does not rely on an external power source

and will not impact the building fabric is another consideration.

Dust proof detectors

To monitor and locate fire risk during the construction phase, while the permanent solution

is waiting to be installed, a temporary fire alarm system is essential. To support heritage

buildings, Ramtech has wireless solutions that can be deployed no matter the size, location

or timeframe that the temporary fire safety system is required for,

For instance, when Great Scotland Yard and London contractor Galliard Homes needed to

protect a Grade II-listed former metropolitan police headquarters undergoing a

transformation into a luxury five-star hotel, it was important to have a system that could

span across the vast Edwardian building, which was being extended (boasting 92,000 sq. ft.

over seven stories). To protect the iconic structure Ramtech deployed a system of over 30

WES alarm call points and dust proof detectors. A GSM base station with text messagealerts

was also used to monitor the building for fire out-of-hours.

Extensive internal alternations

More than 60 WES alarm units were deployed across the site, to move
with the flow of the project

Similarly, the restoration of Bolton Albert Hall completed by contractor Willmott Dixon

required extensive internal alternations while the building was still occupied by Bolton City

Council, so a system of more than five WES alarm call points and heat detectors were

deployed in the refurbishment areas.

For projects that span long periods of time, such as the £30m renovation at Nottingham

Castle by G.F Tomlinson – which lasted three years – or the six-year conversion project at

Donaldson’s – a Grade A listed former school in the center of Edinburgh – by City & Country,

having a system that can be scaled up or down quickly without the need for time-
consuming wired installation is a must.

Needing immediate notifications

In Edinburgh, more than 60 WES alarm units were deployed across the site, to move with

the flow of the project. Over at Nottingham Castle, protecting close to 1,000 years of history

from the risk of fire during a significant refurbishment was an incredible undertaking. The

castle trusted Ramtech’s WES alarm system and solution in place was strengthened by

combining with Ramtech’s REACT platform.

The fire protection industry can do its part to raise standards by

promoting the innovations available to it

A cloud-based solution that can raise alerts in real time, sent straight to mobiles via a handy

app, REACT ensures those that need immediate notifications and detailed insights can

receive them in the most efficient way. Other heritage projects that have featured WES

systems include St George’s Hall in Bradford, Norwich Castle and The Fry Building at the

University of Bristol.

Wireless safety systems

The possibilities for wireless safety systems are endless and ensure no heritage site ever

needs to go without adequate protection. Heritage buildings are irreplaceable, like the lives
of those working on site. To safeguard the future of heritage sites, fire safety must remain a

priority. The fire protection industry can do its part to raise standards by promoting the

innovations available to it.

At Ramtech, we are dedicated and passionate about providing the best solution to protect

them and our technology is designed to accomplish this. We believe that by harnessing

wireless technology, the construction industry benefits - these systems can be completely

tailored to meet the modern challenges of individual sites, while protecting their history for

future generations to enjoy.

View this article on TheBigRedGuide.com.

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