All About Fire - No one supports you like IFEDA: February 2014

Wednesday 12 February 2014

New training courses brochure

Our new training courses brochure can be found via the following link

Please note that the dry riser course for 18th march is now full, however there is an extra course on 15th April in Chester.

There is also and extra extinguisher refresher course on 24th Feb in Buckingham, at the IFEDA national office.

Friday 7 February 2014

Council gives go-ahead for sprinklers in wake of Lakanal tragedy

Southwark Council is installing sprinklers to its sheltered housing schemes and temporary accommodation hostels as part of £32 million plans to improve fire safety in the wake of the Lakanal House tragedy.

A coroner’s report following the fire at the 14-storey tower block in July 2009, in which six residents died, recommended that the council considered retrofitting sprinklers to high-rise residential buildings.

Following a feasibility study, Southwark’s cabinet has decided against installing sprinklers in general needs blocks, but has given the go-ahead to install sprinklers to existing and future sheltered housing schemes and temporary accommodation hostels.

It plans to retrofit existing properties by September 2016 at an estimated cost of £4.9 million.

The combined annual repair and maintenance bill will be £25,100.

Council officers advised against installing personal protection sprinkler systems for vulnerable residents in general needs blocks unable to self-evacuate, citing the effects of a triggered sprinkler system on medical needs, life support and medical equipment.

Southwark will spend a further £3.6 million by March 2015 installing automatic battery-powered smoke/heat detection to general needs-tenanted council homes in the 142 blocks included in the study.

The same equipment will be installed to all tenanted council homes over the next 10 to 15 years at an estimated cost of £23.4 million - or £703 per property.