Staff and pupils at Marchwood Junior School, near Southampton, are benefitting from the reliability and innovation of the new Soteria range from Apollo Fire Detectors in an installation which marks the range’s first educational application.

With nearly 300 pupils aged 7–11, Marchwood Junior School is housed within a uniquely designed building which was built in the 1980s and refurbished in 2004, when a single storey extension was added.

In 2016, Southern Fire Alarms (SFA) was awarded the tender by Hampshire County Council (HCC) to specify and install a new fire detection system at the school. The old system was obsolete and non-compliant and was due for renewal as part of the HCC Schools’ Refurbishment Programme. The school building contains many open areas with high ceilings and interconnected spaces, presenting challenges which the designer of the fire detection system needed to overcome.

Apollo Fire Detectors, which has an established relationship with SFA, suggested the use of Soteria for a number of reasons as Charles Smith, Head of Product Management, explained: “Soteria was the ideal choice for Marchwood Junior School. The advanced technology used within the range significantly improves the detection of smoke, enhances the reliability of the detection process, and reduces the risk of false alarms. Our stringent testing procedures offer peace of mind to staff, pupils and parents, with products comprehensively tested to exceed EN54-5 and EN54-7 standards. At Apollo, we’re really proud to have been part of this project, which marks the first educational installation of Soteria in the UK.”

A total of 90 Soteria devices were installed at the school, with a panel from Advanced. The installation had to be completed during term time when the building was occupied.

Jessica Garrard, Sales & Marketing Co-ordinator for SFA, added: “It was great to be able to install the new Soteria range, and we’re really pleased with the results. As well as the improved detection and reliability, we’re very happy from an aesthetics point of view. The Soteria detectors have a more modern-looking design, and it’s nice to have a green polling LED. The installation itself went smoothly with the only challenge being that most of the works were carried out at a high level due to the unique design of the school. We’ll definitely use Soteria in the future, and would recommend the range for other school installations.”

Take a closer look of the Soteria Range: here.