Fire protection for the Rows

14 March 2007

The city council will invest £100,000 over the next three years to protect Chester's historic Rows from fire.

Work has already started to install fire detection equipment in council owned premises and public walkways on Watergate and Bridge Street Rows.

The detection systems link to a private monitoring station which will immediately alert the fire service if an alarm is activated. The monitoring station will also notify the city council's CCTV control room.

Cabinet member for community safety, Councillor Bob Rudd explained: "The buildings are fitted with smoke and heat detectors and we are installing linear heat detectors on some public walkways. All of these link to a central control panel. This panel feeds information to a data monitoring station and enables the location of a fire to be identified as soon as an alarm is activated.

"At the moment we are focusing on properties owned by the council and some public areas but we are very keen to work with private owners and discuss the different fire protection options available to them.

"I am extremely pleased that funds have been committed to protect one of Chester's most unique features and look forward to seeing more areas covered in the future."

The council has worked closely with the local fire service to identify the most suitable technology for the city's Rows. Mark Abram, Group Manager for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We are pleased to be working with the council to achieve our shared goal of protecting Chester's heritage. Reducing the risk of fire to a minimum is very important to local businesses and the economic prosperity of the city. The alarms being installed and the automatic link will play an important role in helping to protect lives and property."

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