Comprehensive Fire Alarm System Upgrade at Arthur Mellows Village College
Future-Proofing Fire Safety in a Busy Secondary School
Supporting a Thriving School Community
Absolut Security Solutions was appointed to deliver a major fire alarm upgrade at Arthur Mellows Village College, a large and highly regarded secondary school serving students from across the Peterborough area.
As a busy educational setting with hundreds of students and staff on site every day, the college needed a dependable fire alarm system that would provide complete protection, improve reliability, and support the school for many years to come. The existing Gent fire alarm system had reached the end of its serviceable life. It had become increasingly unreliable and was beginning to fail, creating concerns about long-term performance and maintainability.
Our task was to design and install a brand-new addressable fire alarm system comprising more than 1,200 devices and seven interconnected control panels, while ensuring that the school always remained protected throughout the upgrade.
The Challenge
Replacing a fire alarm system in a live school environment requires meticulous planning. Arthur Mellows Village College is a large and complex campus with teaching blocks, administration areas, communal spaces, and specialist classrooms. The scale of the site meant that a full replacement could not be completed in a single phase. The college needed a modern and highly reliable addressable fire alarm system, continued fire protection throughout the entire project, minimal disruption to teaching and daily operations, and a solution capable of supporting more than 1,000 devices. Maintaining a fully operational fire alarm system at all times was the most critical requirement.
Our Solution
A New Addressable Fire Alarm System
We designed and installed a state-of-the-art addressable fire alarm system tailored to the scale and complexity of the college. The new system includes over 1,200 fire alarm devices and seven interconnected fire alarm control panels, providing comprehensive coverage across all buildings. Advanced addressable technology enables precise identification of alarms and faults, making the system easier to manage and maintain.
The result is a robust and future-proof system that gives the college complete confidence in its fire safety infrastructure.
Phased Changeover with Continuous Protection
Because the school remained fully operational throughout the project, the upgrade was carried out in carefully planned stages. As each area was completed, the new system was linked to the existing Gent installation. This ensured that both systems worked together during the transition, maintaining full fire alarm coverage at every stage.
Students, staff, and visitors were protected by a fully functioning fire alarm system throughout the entire upgrade process.
Working Around the School Day
Our engineers coordinated closely with the college to minimise disruption.
Works were scheduled around lessons, examinations, and key school activities wherever possible. Careful communication and planning allowed the project to progress smoothly while the school continued to operate normally.
A Complex Project Delivered Safely
Large-scale fire alarm upgrades require more than technical expertise. They demand detailed coordination, precise programming, and a clear understanding of the operational needs of an educational environment.
By combining thorough planning with a phased installation strategy, we were able to replace an ageing and unreliable system with a modern solution without compromising safety at any point.
The Result
Arthur Mellows Village College now benefits from a fully upgraded fire alarm system designed to protect the entire site. The project involved replacing the obsolete Gent fire alarm system, installing over 1,000 addressable devices and seven linked control panels, improving reliability and fault identification, and maintaining continuous fire protection throughout the works.
The new system provides a future-proof solution that will support the college for many years to come.
Final Thoughts
This project demonstrates the importance of careful planning when upgrading life safety systems in occupied buildings. By replacing the outdated fire alarm system with a new addressable solution, we delivered a significant improvement in reliability, performance, and maintainability. Most importantly, our phased approach ensured that the school community remained fully protected from start to finish.
Arthur Mellows Village College now has a modern fire alarm system that supports its commitment to providing a safe and secure learning environment for students and staff. At Absolut Security Solutions, we specialise in delivering complex fire alarm upgrades in live educational settings, combining technical expertise with a practical approach that puts safety first.
Your safety, assured.
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