THE NEW one way microphone pilot scheme is ‘thought to be one of the first installations of its kind’ in a social housing block, with Essex Fire and Rescue Service (EFRS) part of the installation plans.
Echo News reported on the test installation of the new communication system in Longbow Flats in Southend, with the news outlet noting that the installation is ‘thought to be one of the first installations of its kind into a tower block used for social housing’. The installation, agreed between Southend Council, South Essex Homes and EFRS, is designed to enable fire and rescue services (FRSs) to ‘access a one-way microphone located on the ground floor’ in an emergency.
Should the scheme be successful, it could be ‘rolled out to other social housing blocks within Southend’ as part of a ‘direct response’ to the Grenfell Tower fire and its subsequent inquiry. The news outlet added that one of the earliest findings of the inquiry was the ‘inability’ of London Fire Brigade to ‘be able to communicate with the residents’ to advise them on whether to leave their homes or stay put.
With the first phase report highlighting ‘a need’ for FRSs ‘to be able to send an evacuation signal to the whole or a selected part of the building’, this new system allows FRSs to ‘communicate directly’ with residents in Longbow Flats ‘through a distributed network of loudspeakers’, providing assistance and guidance. It also offers the option to select individual or multiple floors, with loudspeakers mounted in communal landings, stairwells and above flat entrance doors.
This system will ‘only ever be used in the event of an emergency situation’, and would enable EFRS to ‘coordinate an evacuation of the building’ or ‘reassure residents that they need to stay indoors’. Work has begun to fit the system, with this involving ‘minimal disruption’ for residents and expected to be completed in March 2021.
Council leader Ian Gilbert stated: ‘We will support any scheme which helps keep our residents safe, especially within their own homes and we are grateful to South Essex Homes and [EFRS] for initiating this pilot and putting Southend’s high rise social housing at the forefront of these changes within the UK.’
Mario Ambrose, executive director at South Essex Homes, added: ‘As this project is unique in the social housing sector, once it is complete we will need time for [EFRS] to assess its effectiveness as they will ultimately be the end users. Should it prove successful, we will then look to begin a programme to have similar systems installed in all the high rise blocks in Southend.’
Mark Earwicker, EFRS group manager, commented: ‘The installation of an annunciation system will enable our firefighters to remotely sound the alarms and communicate with specific floors or the whole building should it be required during a fire. With this system in place, residents can be reassured that they can safely stay in their flats during a fire unless circumstances mean that we need them to leave the building.
‘This is a positive advancement in fire safety equipment which will not only help to protect the residents of the building, but make it easier for firefighters to communicate and evacuate the building if required.’