Fireworks Campsfield House Immigration Centre Case Study

\ Campsfield House Immigration Centre \ Campsfield House Immigration Centre is a privately run immigration detention centre located in Oxfordshire. It was converted from a Young Offenders Institute to an immigration detention centre in 1993 and has a capacity of 215 persons.

Home Office Campsfield House Immigration Detention Centre protected with Watermist fire fighting equipment.

The Problem Campsfield House Immigration Centre has suffered two fires in the last 5 years. The last fire (in 2013) spread from a cell area into the roof space above and extended along the roof of a wing of a accommodation block.

The resulting conflagration required 10 fire tenders to get the blaze under control; the fire resulted in the hospitalisation of 2 men. The procedures needed for evacuation of a detention centre are far more challenging than that of an open access building.

The Solution Fireworks designed and installed a Anti-ligature in-cell fire protection system in the cells and Ordinary Hazard Group 1 fire protection system in other areas of the detention centre.

The in-cell anti-ligature fire protection system has been proven by UK Building Research Establishment (BRE) to suppress the fire, maintain a tenable atmosphere - allowing the detention

centre time to respond to the fire threat - and evacuate the detainees safely.

water – the result is that the facility has less consequential damage and can return to operation more quickly.

The Fireworks OH1 fire protection system has been 3rd party certificated by Lloyds Register to CEN TS14972:2011 to suppress the fire in an Ordinary hazard group 1 fire risk. The certification testing proved that the Watermist system is more effective than a sprinkler at reducing consequential loss whilst using less

Employing high pressure watermist allows water to be used in its most efficient fire suppression mode – resulting in the cell being able to be re-instated very quickly and without water damage to the surrounding cells. Fireworks Fire protection systems have already saved many lives in prisons to date.

The speed of the installation ensured continuity of accommodation for other detainees, and allowed the remainder of the immigration centre to be kept open whilst works were completed.

Overall this minimised any possibility of disruption to the day to day business of the detention centre.

The BRE test criteria were:

• Successfully extinguished the fire at the first attempt

• Maintain a tenable atmosphere for a period of 20 minutes when fire tested • Dramatically reduced cell in accordance with the specifications temperature, toxic gases & smoke to ‘tenable’ levels • Discharge a relatively small amount of water • Ensured sufficient oxygen was available to sustain life throughout • Deliver a spray of water mist with the cell. sufficient momentum to discharge droplets to the back wall of a cell.

Note: During the ‘rescue’ and the ten Experience minute waiting period after inundation The Inundation was to last for 5 Fireworks have installed Watermist that the fire did not resume; minutes after pre-burn and operation equipment throughout UK prisons temperatures & toxic gases in the cell of internal cell fire detection systems, since 2006. The UK home office continued to fall, remaining well below then a simulated ‘rescue’ of an inmate figures for current prison population is levels that could be harmful to life. involving opening the door for a set over 86,000 inmates and prisons in the period of one minute would occur, The life-saving capabilities of the UK are now mostly protected by followed by Re-closing the door and Watermist system were borne out Fireworks equipment. waiting 10 minutes during which time within weeks of the first installation Watermist systems were selected by the fire was not to resume. when a young woman’s life became at the Ministry of Justice and the Home risk due to a fire breaking out in her Fireworks tested Watermist Office after extensive fire testing at the cell . The Watermist system was products as follows: UK Building Research Establishment deployed and she was safely • Mobile 8 and Hose reel mounted proved that Watermist systems were evacuated – this was the first of many hand held lances much more effective than traditional lives saved. hose reels and would save lives.

• Fixed in cell nozzle with glass frangible bulb operation using a locally mounted pump unit.

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Fireworks Fire Protection Ltd Amber House Station Road Attleborough Norwich, Norfolk NR17 2AT 0800 975 7462 www.fireworks-ltd.com fireworks@fireworks-ltd.com