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Elgin High School Sprinkler Activation

25 April 2022 @ 12:44 pm - 26 April 2022 @ 9:00 am

  • Fire Rescue Service: Scottish Fire Rescue Service (SFRS)
  • Incident: Fire
  • When: 25 April 2022
  • Time of call: 12:44 pm
  • Location: Elgin High School, Elgin
  • Occupancy: Comprehensive Education Facility
  • Automatic fire suppression System: Fire Sprinklers

 SFRS have reported the following incident;

Background

Elgin High School is a three storey, £30 million six-year comprehensive facility accommodating up to 800 pupils which opened in October 2017, replacing the old high school building. The new school is a widely used community facility with sport facilities, performance facilities open to the public.

Automatic Fire Sprinklers

  • Since 2010 all new built Scottish schools are required to have automatic fire sprinklers fitted, protecting both the occupants and the building in line with Scottish Building Standards for non-domestic buildings.
  • This is not the case for England, current guidance when first released in 2007, acknowledged the important role of sprinklers and stated that “all new schools should have fire sprinklers installed except in a few low-risk schools”.
  • Unfortunately, it is possible for designers and developers to circumvent the improvement in areas such as automatic fire suppression systems by using other building design guidance. The outcome schools not installed with fire sprinklers.

The Incident

  • Two fire rescue appliances were mobilised to a fire involving the school toilet cubicles on the second floor, one breathing apparatus crew consisting of two wearers were committed to extinguish the fire.
  • Upon entry, it was identified the sprinkler system, actuated controlling/containing the fire to within the compartment of origin. The fire was extinguished using one hose reel jet, no injuries were reported
  • Minimal fire and smoke damage limited to the fully enclosed WC toilet
  • Toilet paper was established to be the material ignited first

Automatic Fire Sprinkler System

  • Wet pipe System
  • Actuation, 1x concealed fire sprinkler head

Business continuity

  • This incident was a relatively minor inconvenience due to the prompt activation of the sprinkler system preventing a major fire, proving once again that schools are back up and running in a short period of time. The benefits of sprinklers clearly demonstrated protecting this £30 million comprehensive facility.

The outcome of this fire could have been so much different,  if this incident had been in England.

For example, The Selsey Academy fire, August 2016 sprinklers were not fitted, the outcome the school left destroyed following the fire. The Academy was rebuilt would you believe without sprinklers!!!!!!!!!!

Imagine what it feels like to lose everything you have been striving for because a fire
in your school has destroyed your course work, your art, your pets, your memories… And then to discover that it could all have been protected if automatic fire sprinklers had been present. The confusion and emotional distress can be unfathomable for the most vulnerable in our communities

 

              

Images, credit West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service

Links

Details

Start:
25 April 2022 @ 12:44 pm
End:
26 April 2022 @ 9:00 am

Other

Location (Town/City)
Elgin
Type of Sprinkler Installation
Wet
Submitted by (Optional)
SFRS