Sprinklers save lives, 200 turn out for Fire Safety seminar

Around 200 delegates from the building and design industries in the region and beyond attended a one-day business seminar on Providing a fire resilient environment for all. 

Organised by BAFSA in collaboration with, and hosted by, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, the event focused on raising awareness of the life-saving benefits sprinkler and suppression systems can provide to communities. It was held at The Burgess Hall in St Ives.

During the seminar, presenters spoke about the challenges faced by the fire and rescue service in higher risk buildings, protecting vulnerable people, local authority approaches to protecting buildings from fire and case studies sharing lessons learnt. There was also suppliers on hand to answer any questions about what’s on the market and demonstrate the latest technology.

Group Commander Dave Lynch, Head of Fire Protection for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service commented:

“We were delighted to welcome so many delegates to the event. It’s great to see so many people seeing the benefits of sprinklers and how they can protect their business and help us reduce risk within our communities.

“This year we are launching a new sprinkler strategy in Cambridgeshire. We see sprinklers as an integral part of fire protection, not just in commercial premises but also in the home. We are working with developers and the local authority to ensure that sprinklers are considered right at the early stages of developments to ensure that the safety of residents is at the forefront.”

BAFSA Chief Executive Keith MacGillivray said, 

“What a fantastic turnout for this event, there is a huge amount of interest in sprinklers and what they can do to protect people in both domestic and residential properties, they are invaluable to the vulnerable in our communities as sprinklers act for those who cannot act for themselves.

"BAFSA has further free to attend seminars during March in Bournemouth and Lancashire and would encourage all to attend. Sprinklers save lives and protect firefighters."

The event was sponsored by BAFSA and BAFSA members; IPS Flow Systems, FloWatch, Rapidrop and SureFire.