Protect24 has successfully retrofitted fire sprinklers for hundreds of residents in the North West.
The UK’s leading retrospective providers of fire safety measures for social housing completed on time and on budget.
Protect24 were awarded a £5 million contract by the ForViva Group to provide protection for thousands of resident.
They retrofitted fire sprinklers and other safety measures to 17 high-rise blocks in Greater Manchester and Knowsley.
Protect24 MD Mark Lyons, said: “We are delighted with the project but perhaps more important, the people that live in these properties are delighted.
“There is always a little concern at the prospect of works but our team has worked tirelessly and respectfully and the feedback has been incredible.
“Those people living in these properties now feel safe and that is thanks to a significant investment by the ForViva Group.”
Protected
In total, more than 1,300 homes in Salford and Knowsley are not protected against the threat of fire.
ForViva was one of the first landlords in the country to embark on a sprinkler program following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Their £5 million investment has seen sprinklers fitted into all apartments, communal areas, bin rooms, and scooter storage facilities in the tower blocks.
Larger water tanks have been installed with the sprinkler system having its own separate booster water supply.
Colette McKune, Group Deputy Chief Executive at ForViva, said: “The safety of tenants and their peace of mind is our top priority.
“We took the decision to remove cladding on affected blocks and install sprinklers, not because we lacked confidence in our existing fire safety arrangements, which we had immediately reviewed, but because we knew some tenants did not feel safe in their homes.
“We worked closely with regional fire and rescue services after Grenfell, but on a national level, we felt clear guidance on regulations would take some time. We listened to tenants and their concerns and felt we had to act decisively.
“We undertook this work not only to provide additional reassurance to tenants but because we believed it was the right thing to do.”
Grenfell
Each tenant living in the blocks received an induction before work started and received ongoing support to keep them updated throughout the process.
Peter Memory, 68, lives with his wife Carol-Ann, 67, at College Croft, a 15-storey high-rise block of sheltered accommodation in Eccles, Salford.
He said: “Seeing what happened to people living at Grenfell Tower was an extremely worrying time for many people living in high-rise blocks.
“I understood why my neighbours and other people living in blocks like mine were worried and felt unsafe. One of the biggest factors in helping people living in our block feel safe after Grenfell has been installing sprinklers.
“Even though we were reassured that the block was safe and action was taken to replace cladding really quickly, I felt that ForViva made the right decision in agreeing to fit sprinklers to all their high rise blocks.
“It was clearly a big investment, but what tenants appreciated was it was done when other people living in other tower blocks around the country still hadn’t had their cladding taken off.
“My wife and I now feel safer than ever. We know that if a fire does ever happen the sprinklers will turn on.”
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