The picturesque Broadlands House in Romsey was kindly offered as the venue for the session by The Countess of Mountbatten of Burma.
Test Valley is home to a number of incredible heritage properties which were represented at the well-attended event by their site managers, to learn how they can prevent fires occurring, and how they can assist firefighters if a fire were to break out.
The buildings have unique architectural features and therefore unique risks which crews need to be aware of before attending an incident there.
Many of the buildings have been adapted over the years prior to the introduction of fire regulations, boast specialist security systems and are usually located in remote areas with multiple entrances.
The fire service is keen to work with the site owners and managers to ensure the buildings are protected and preserved for future generations to enjoy.
HIWFRS Station Manager for Test Valley, Rikki Noble said:
“The morning was extremely well received by the site managers of our local heritage buildings.
“Many were able to benefit from the session and have now developed a greater understanding of how they can prevent fire, but also have an awareness of how they can help us out if we were ever called to an incident at their properties.
“We look forward to building upon these relationships, and continuing to provide the best possible protection to our heritage sites.
“As an organisation we want to use this session as a blueprint for how we engage with these types of properties across Hampshire and Isle of Wight.
“Once again I’d like to thank The Countess of Mountbatten of Burma for generously providing us with the facilities at Broadlands House to run this vital session.”
HIWFRS teams are working with the heritage buildings to gather information specific to that site, such as which is the best entrance point for a fire engine, where the hydrants are and creating salvage plans, in order for firefighters to know which historical artefacts to save first, if an incident got to that stage.
Working with fire panel manufacturer, Advanced, the attendees were given an overview of the many types of fire detection systems on the market, and which were best for their different sites.
HIWFRS’ Rikki Noble talked through what a senior firefighters considerations would be when arriving at a fire involving a heritage building, before Richard Jordan-Baker from Broadlands House showcased the salvage plans they have developed for their site.
Fire stations across the Test Valley area will now be consolidating the relationship with their local heritage sites by conducting familiarity visits every six months.
