An outbuilding is a small construction that is separate to a main building; outbuildings can be classified as anything from sheds, barns and greenhouses to garages, storage areas and classrooms.
Pensnett High School Outbuilding Fire, August 2017
At the end of August 2017, a fire broke out in an outbuilding of Pensnett High School, Dudley at around 7pm. Ten firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze which they characterised as a severe incident. The fire was finally put out after one hour and the use of two hose reels.
Even though the cause of this fire is still unknown, Pensnett High is well known for being a victim of arson, with three previous arson attacks recorded since the school’s closure in 2010.[1]
What are the Risks?
There are many fire risks associated with outbuildings, such as:
- Arson
With many outbuildings located away from main buildings, they become vulnerable to arson attacks, especially when left unattended or during late hours. - Flammable Substances
As outbuildings are commonly used for storage, some may contain flammable substances or gases, which can easily fuel a fire if they come into contact with sparks or naked flames. - Poor Maintenance
Poor maintenance is another risk regarding outbuildings as faulty equipment or wiring can cause sparks if they are not properly maintained. - Delayed response
If the fire detection system installed in an outbuilding is not connected to the fire alarm system in the main building, it can cause a delay in response time and, therefore, a fire may not be detected before significant damage has been caused.
What is the Solution?
Wi-Fyre hybrid fire detection is the perfect solution for protecting buildings from fire as it can simply be added to your outbuilding, regardless of its size, shape or age. Wi-Fyre allows fire detection devices to connect wirelessly to a new or existing hardwired system. This gives you the option to connect any wireless call points, detectors and sounders installed within the outbuilding to the main control panel, without the need for cabling.
Each field device connects to the main control panel via a Wi-Fyre Transponder which is connected to the fire alarm wiring via compatible interface modules. All Wi-Fyre Transponders connected to the control panel can communicate with 30 mixed field devices and the number of transponders you need will depend on the number of field devices required to fully protect the environment.
A wireless survey must be carried out using the Wi-Fyre wireless survey head to ensure there is sufficient signal strength between the transponder and each connected device for the system to operate efficiently.
Sources: [1] blackcountryradio.co.uk
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