Broadland Housing Association is currently in the process of updating its fire protection systems in its frail elderly and sheltered schemes

... and updating the fire and smoke detectors in flats and their communal areas

In partnership with Kidde Fire Protection Services, Broadland Housing Association is currently in the process of updating its fire protection systems in its frail elderly and sheltered schemes, and updating the fire and smoke detectors in flats and their communal areas.

Broadland is one of the largest traditional Housing Associations in the East of England, providing almost 4,000 affordable homes for people with housing needs in Norfolk and Suffolk. The Association was formed in 1963 by a group of local business people who were committed to providing more affordable housing in Norwich. The first scheme at Shipfield, on the outskirts of Norwich, was completed in 1967 and today the Association maintains its founders' original vision and is currently engaged in building a further 500 homes – all of which will be let to people in housing need.

Broadland Housing Association has a philosophy of developing honest, open and dependable partnerships and seeks to work with others in all sectors who share this approach. Nine years ago, Broadland and an alliance of other local housing associations were looking for such a partner who could provide entry security systems, warden call systems, emergency lighting, fire equipment maintenance and generally meet all their safety and security needs. The company they contracted, Briton Fire, was subsequently acquired by one of the country's largest fire protection and prevention organisations, Kidde Fire Protection Services, who are continuing to work with the housing associations to ensure the safety of their residents.

Broadland offers many different types of housing, from blocks of flats to 3-bedroom houses for families, and several schemes offering sheltered housing with care, or accommodation for older people. Each property has various types of installation to protect its tenants, from simple fire alarms to state-of-the-art Warden Call systems. Currently there are plans to extend door entry systems to all the Association's apartment blocks. Kidde Fire Protection Services are likely to be involved in the specification and installation of the systems. If required, the door entry systems and Warden Call can be linked to CCTV by Kidde Fire Protection Services so that visitors can be monitored prior to their admittance.

Broadland's accommodation for older people and those requiring support and care are equipped with Kidde Fire Protection Services Warden Call communication systems that enable staff to respond instantly to distress alarms. The system has a central unit that controls communication with mobile devices as well as hard-wired phones, so staff can move about freely, safe in the knowledge that they can respond to distress calls instantly. Outgoing calls can also be made from any location in the event of an emergency, to ensure the fastest possible response.

Housing with care or housing association residents can be issued with alarm pendants fitted with soft wiring which communicate with the staffs' mobile devices via WiFi hotspots around the building. Residents do not have to be near a phone to make a distress call as their pendant, when depressed, will communicate with the mobile device which also indicates the location of the caller. In a housing association that does not have 24-hour on-site supervision, calls go through to a call centre in Kings Lynn that looks after 13,000 properties and responds to emergencies immediately.

Those living in housing with care accommodation and not given alarm pendants have emergency pull cords and speech modules that are located around their property. Pulling the cord activates the speech module, allowing the person in distress to speak to someone right away.

In partnership with Kidde Fire Protection Services, Broadland Housing Association is currently in the process of updating its fire protection systems in its frail elderly and sheltered schemes, and updating the fire and smoke detectors in flats and their communal areas.

Peter George, head of Communications Systems for Kidde Fire Protection Services says: "Our Warden Call System is completely flexible in terms of programmability and expansion, ensuring that the changing long-terms needs of individuals can be accommodated. It can be fully integrated with access control and fire alarm systems.

"Having working call systems is critical when you are dealing with peoples' health and welfare, so Kidde Fire Protection Services' maintenance team has an industry-leading 4 hour response time, every 24 hour period, 365 days per year."

Kidde Fire Protection Services carries out regular safety audits and maintenance checks for Broadland Housing Association. Bob Leathers, Head of Estates comments, "There are few companies like Kidde that can provide integrated warden call, access control, CCTV, emergency lighting and fire prevention and protection systems, all from one single source. It is a resource which has proved valuable for Broadland and for the safety of our residents".

Kidde Fire Protection Services' "total capability" in Warden Call is available to Housing Associations and Care Homes nationwide. The company also provides concierge systems that protect blocks of apartments from intruders.