Wireless Fire Detection for Retail
With something like 3 million people working in retail, and sales of around £300 billion in 2010, keeping safe from fire is not only mandatory under law but is an essential part of business continuity.
Latest reports from government estimate that the cost of fire to the British economy is around £7bn per year with over £2.4bn attributed to arson alone. The average cost of a commercial fire is £43,000.
Where even an evacuation could cost £1,000’s per hour, a fire could be disastrous for any retailer. If it’s your only outlet, then it could close the business and in some cases close it for good.
A recent fire at High Street fashion retailer New Look, made news because of an inadequate risk assessment and insufficient staff training; approximately 450 lives were put at risk. This resulted in a record fine of £400,000.
“Staff within the shop did not seem to have a plan to evacuate people. They went from no cause for alarm, to panic” - Shopper Joanne Weaver
Fire protection for staff, customers and property is therefore vital as part of the overall business strategy and yet it must not impinge on everyday activities.
Wireless fire protection from EMS can form part of the solution, meeting all the requirements of EN54-25, FireCell is a fast track, cost effective method of implementing protection quickly without impacting business, no closures, no inconvenience and no loss of customers or sales.
Installing FireCell means that no cables are required anywhere in the premises, cutting costs normally associated with remedial works or, in some cases, complete refits.
The time taken is greatly reduced as systems can be installed overnight ensuring trading is unaffected. No more drilling through walls and the mess that comes with it, each device is simply screwed to the ceiling or wall in minutes.
Pre-programming of FireCell, the EMS wireless fire system, before it leaves the factory ensures even faster installation. You can of course leave this to your chosen or nominated contractor, but pre-programming means the system is checked and tested in its entirety, your guarantee that it works the minute the installation has been completed.
Before any work is started, a comprehensive survey is carried out by EMS specialists who execute extensive radio tests to ensure adequate signal strength and propagation throughout the premises.
Once installed, any changes or upgrades can be carried out without major works or inconvenience at minimal cost by competent persons. In addition all EMS manufactured products carry a five year warranty and our technical support is unrivalled.
Our experience and expertise within the retail sector is underlined by the many High Street names as well as independents that our systems protect across the UK. We are able to help, advise and assist with fire protection, ensuring that this element of your overall fire strategy is in place.
