A fire suppression specialist has scooped a top national award in recognition of its fire safety work with Swindon Borough Council.
Plumis, whose clients include a range of local authorities and housing associations, took gold in the ‘Active/Passive Fire Project of the Year’ category at the Security & Fire Excellence Awards, for its work to increase fire protection for residents with severe mobility issues.
Swindon Borough Council appointed Plumis and its installer MCFP, earlier this year, to fit innovative fire suppression watermisting technology in a ground-floor flat and bungalow, as part of a holistic safety strategy for both homes.
The local authority was renovating them as part of its ‘pathway homes’ programme, which involves adapting properties for those whose housing needs have changed due to age or declining health.
Plumis’ Automist was chosen by the council because of its ability to detect fires early and activate quickly, suppressing fires before they can grow – limiting the build-up of heat and toxic smoke.
Early activation combined with watermist’s unique properties, helps to maintain tenability, allowing more time in the event of a fire for people to escape or be rescued.
In addition to increasing protection, the system is also easy to retrofit. For both of these installs, Automist was installed whilst other remedial works were being carried out – minimising disruption.
Councillor Cathy Martyn, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Public Safety, said: “We take the safety of our tenants extremely seriously, especially so when our residents have additional needs and require extra support.
“The Plumis Automist system provides an extra layer of protection for our tenants who have mobility issues. It is easy to install and we have been so pleased with the results we are now looking to use the system in some of our other properties.”
William Makant, co-founder and CEO at Plumis, said: “We’re proud to have been recognised in this year’s Security & Fire Awards and to have scooped gold with our Automist approved installer MCFP.
“Automist is reliable and provides rapid, targeted protection to people considered vulnerable, along with peace of mind for those supporting them. Winning this national award is a testament to our commitment to addressing the challenges of keeping people safe from fire in their homes.”
Following the success of both installs, the council has since appointed MCFP to fit Automist in another of its ‘pathway homes’ and exploring other schemes that would benefit from watermist fire suppression.
The annual Security & Fire Excellence Awards has recognised for more than two decades the very best people, projects and processes that the sectors have to offer.
