We have installed our first water mist system in a tenant’s home at our sheltered housing scheme at Samford Court, Worlingham, Suffolk.
The misting system disperses more than 100 litres of water in 10 minutes, enough to completely extinguish a fire in most cases. This gives the tenant valuable time to control or escape the situation.
Brian Walshe, Fire Safety Manager, said:
The misting systems have a great capacity to absorb heat energy from a fire and the rapid cooling keeps the air relatively clean, resulting in minimal water damage. The systems enable people to live independently and safely at home for longer. They are particularly good for tenants who may be vulnerable because of poor mobility, or for smokers who have a health condition that requires an oxygen therapy unit. They also help to reduce the fire risk in cases of hoarding.
Because the misting system is only activated when the multi-sensor heads detect both heat and smoke, it causes fewer false alarms. In case of a power outage, the system batteries are charged to last 3 days.
Broadland has 5 of these misting systems, kindly donated to us by the Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service. Our operatives are fully trained to install and maintain the units for Broadland or on behalf of the fire service.
Brian continues:
There is no statutory requirement for Broadland to install these systems. But as a good landlord, we want to do the best for our tenants.