Fire Alarm System Upgrade at The Jerwood Centre

Overview

The Jerwood Centre is a museum and archive facility dedicated to housing and preserving historical artefacts. As a site of cultural significance, the building required a sensitive and intelligent approach to fire safety, particularly due to the presence of a linked gas suppression system. The existing fire alarm system was over 20 years old and no longer fit for purpose, posing both a compliance risk and a threat to the irreplaceable items stored within.

Challenges

1. Obsolete Fire Alarm System: The original system was outdated, with ageing devices and limited functionality, necessitating a complete upgrade.
2. Gas Suppression Integration: The presence of a linked gas system made the installation particularly complex, requiring careful coordination and specialist knowledge.
3. Existing Infrastructure: While the cabling infrastructure remained viable, all devices and the main panel needed replacing. Numerous interfaces tied into the gas suppression system had to be swapped out and reconnected seamlessly.
4. Evacuation Requirements: The system needed to provide two types of sounder alerts, including a countdown warning to allow safe evacuation before gas release.
5. Heritage and Conservation Concerns: As a museum, maintaining the building’s aesthetics and ensuring minimal disruption to sensitive areas were key considerations.
6. Custom Functionality: A new override key system was required—a feature not previously implemented by the team but recommended and delivered by NPG Fire.

Solution

NPG Fire delivered a full system replacement using the existing wiring infrastructure, ensuring both efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Sixty new detectors were installed, along with DIN rail I/O units to support the range of interfaces needed for the gas suppression system.

Key elements of the solution included:

• Advanced Detection and Double-Knock Configuration: To minimise false alarms and ensure only genuine incidents triggered a response, a double-knock setup was used.
• Sounder Strategy: Two distinct alert types were programmed—a standard evacuation signal and a pre-gas release countdown alert, giving occupants time to exit safely.
• Integration with Gas System: NPG worked in close coordination with gas suppression specialists to ensure flawless integration of systems.
• Override Key System: An NPG-recommended enhancement, the override function allowed authorised personnel to delay or prevent gas release in specific situations, providing an additional layer of control.

Quote

“NPG Fire have just finished replacing the fire alarm system at our collection centre in Grasmere, a building which houses our extensive collection of manuscripts. We couldn’t be more impressed with their expertise, dedication and professionalism.

“Their support at the quote stage, ensuring we got what we needed for the best possible price on a complex system linked to fire aspirating and fire suppression systems, was invaluable. Their attention to detail during installation was equally impressive, leaving the system in better working order than it has ever been and giving us confidence in how it worked.

“Harrison, Carl and George were considerate of the working environment, understanding that people in the building needed to be informed of what was happening and being respectful in all areas. They were especially careful where our collection is stored, taking steps to protect it from dust and potential damage. They took time to explain the processes and requirements for the installation and were happy to answer questions.

“The alarm panel installed is similar to others we have — reliable and easy to use. It has been configured specifically to suit the building, clearly set up and labelled so that everyone can use it. Although there were some quirks with the old system, the team worked with us to resolve them and also supported other contractors working on the suppression systems to ensure everything functioned efficiently together.

“I’ve been really impressed by NPG Fire’s friendly and knowledgeable team. We’re already working with them on the intruder alarm and are in discussions for future projects. A true five-star service that is hard to find.”

Outcome

Despite the complexity, the installation ran smoothly with no reported issues. The upgraded fire alarm system now provides comprehensive protection while supporting the sophisticated requirements of the Jerwood Centre’s gas suppression setup. Once again, NPG Fire delivered a tailored solution that combined technical expertise with practical foresight.

Back to Case Studies