Bournemouth and Poole College, the largest institution for further education and apprenticeships in Dorset, has equipped its four-storey facility with Hochiki’s ESP addressable fire detection system. This installation serves to safeguard a variety of educational environments, such as IT suites, kitchens, workshops, and engineering bays.
Implemented by SFA Fire and Security, the fire detection system was custom-designed to meet the unique challenges of further education settings. The college offers courses in high-risk areas including catering, automotive maintenance, and construction, where dust and fumes can often trigger false alarms.
Meanwhile, IT and digital media spaces necessitated protection against electrical equipment risks. SFA Fire and Security collaborated closely with the college to minimise disruptions to learning.
The deployment of ESP’s common mounting base allowed SFA to streamline installation, utilising a single standard part for most devices. This approach not only reduced the inventory required on site but also maintained progress despite the building’s intricacies. Heat sensors, certified by LPCB and VdS, were strategically placed in areas like kitchens to differentiate genuine fire threats from benign activities, thereby cutting down false alarms and safeguarding instructional periods.
With ESP’s textual identifier system, staff receive precise data on activated devices, facilitating swift evacuation decisions in the expansive and busy site. Enhanced safety measures include wall-mounted visual alarm devices (VADs) compliant with EN 54-23, providing auditory and visual alerts campus-wide. In areas with limited cabling access, wireless technologies were integrated into the ESP loop, preserving the building’s structure by reducing the need for extensive drilling.
Naomi Fell, Projects Director at SFA Fire and Security, remarked, “This project presented numerous challenges due to the complexity of each room and storey within the college. Our extensive experience with Hochiki’s products, combined with the consistently positive feedback from our end-users, made Hochiki the clear choice for this project. We met the college’s stringent deadlines with minimal disruption to teaching and learning.”
Ryan Baulcomb, Regional Sales Manager at Hochiki, expressed the value of the partnership, stating, “Hochiki and SFA have a strong, long-term partnership, built on years of successful projects together. This installation shows what that partnership can deliver on a genuinely complex site. We’re proud that our products continue to give installers and end-users the reliability and support they expect.”
As a result, Bournemouth and Poole College benefits from a fire detection system meticulously tailored to the specific requirements of each area on campus. This system not only meets current needs but offers the adaptability required as the college expands.
