Fitting a new life safety system to any public space can be complex, but when undertaking this task in a hospital, during a pandemic, the complexity increases tenfold.
When Pyrotec Fire and Security was chosen as the contractor to update an existing fire detection system at Wycombe Hospital in High Wycombe, Hochiki was selected to supply a replacement system. The company was commissioned by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust to replace an existing network of obsolete control panels and devices. The hospital was fitted with a network of 26 control panels, pre-programmed off site. Loop by loop, each fire zone had old devices switched out and replaced with Hochiki’s ESP Intelligent range of addressable fire detection and alarm equipment.
Hochiki says the range is designed and manufactured ‘to the highest international standards’, and offers an adjustable sensor solution to reduce false alarms. It said: “What made Hochiki products the standout choice for this project, however, is their compatibility with other brands’ control panels.”
Justyn Soames, lead project manager for the job, said: “When you are working in a hospital it is vital to carefully manage the job to ensure there is no loss of old or new fire alarm system coverage. It is thus imperative to work with systems and devices that are simple to fit and test. Hochiki life safety devices were chosen because – despite their innovative technology – they are incredibly simple to fit, and, most importantly for this project, Hochiki technology is highly flexible and compatible with other systems.”
