- Jun 2024
- Social housing
- All
Triangle Housing Association, a social housing provider that provides supported accommodation and specialised care/support services, chose Automist to protect their service users at its housing scheme on Garryduff Road in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland.
The Challenge
Triangle’s Ballymoney development has been a cornerstone of the housing association’s portfolio for many years, providing supported living accommodation to approximately 21 service users, with a range of individual housing support needs.
In September 2022, Triangle commenced work to redevelop their Garryduff scheme which included the construction of two newbuild supported housing chalet bungalows (both of which have now been handed over). The contract also included the refurbishment of 2A Garryduff Rd (another supported housing bungalow), a new CAT1 (over 55’s) apartment development and the demolition of the original Garryduff House.
Phase one of the development completed in April 2024, Triangle’s service users have now moved into their new homes and are supported round the clock by Triangle’s support staff.
The new supported housing bungalows are fully wheelchair accessible, and feature ensuite bedrooms and a support call system.
Given the vulnerability and varied mobility of the service users, a reliable and efficient fire suppression system that facilitated extended evacuation times was crucial.
Fire engineers consulted during the planning stages of the project recommended Automist, which has been shown to activate faster than a traditional sprinkler system to suppress fires early and reduce the production of toxic smoke, thereby increasing the time available for people to escape or be rescued.
Approach
Eurotec Safety Services, based in Belfast, have been resellers and installers of Automist across the whole of Ireland for 14 years, making them the perfect partner for Triangle’s project. Their expertise in fire alarm design and installation was pivotal in integrating Automist into the two new bungalows.
Automist employs sensors on the ceiling to detect fires and wall-mounted sprayheads that scan rooms when activated, to identify and target the source with watermist. This watermist removes heat and suppresses the fire, with minimal water damage.
Eurotec fitted 28 Automist sprayheads into each of the two buildings, working in collaboration with other contractors to ensure a safe, seamless and efficient installation process.
A spokesperson for Triangle Housing Association, remarked: "We are committed to providing service users with the highest level of safety and care, so the decision to use Automist was made as it suppresses fires so effectively that it extends our available evacuation time to approximately thirty minutes, compared to the three and a half minutes offered by traditional fire sprinklers.
“Many of our service users have disabilities, which can include mobility impairments, so this extra time is invaluable.”
Outcome
The successful installation of Automist in Triangle’s Ballymoney development represents a significant milestone as the first social housing project in Northern Ireland to adopt this advanced system.
This project demonstrates the housing association’s commitment to continuous improvement and innovation, it shows that Automist was essential in ensuring that the new supported housing bungalows not only meet, but exceed the safety standards, providing peace of mind to the service users, their families and Triangle’s staff.
The success of this initiative has paved the way for future supported housing developments, with plans already in place to incorporate the Automist system on the other supported housing bungalow which is being refurbished in phase two of the Garryduff redevelopment.
