Property Owners Urged To Install Sprinkler Systems

Property Owners Urged To Install Drencher Sprinkler Systems

Auckland (October 28) - Commercial and industrial property owners are being urged to install "Drencher" sprinkler systems in their properties, following their success in containing a fire that started in Christchurch’s historic Wentworth building recently.

Christchurch Chief Fire Officer, David Buford said there is no doubt in his mind that the Wormald drenchers saved the neighbouring NZI building from going up in flames.

Property Manager for the NZI building John Raso, from Colliers International agreed the Drenchers saved the day.

“The level of protection the system provided allowed our tenants to occupy the building the very next day,” Mr Raso said.

“The price of installing the drenchers is a tiny percent of what their neighbouring tenant will be paying through loss of business.”

The drenchers are maintained by leading fire company Wormald, a Tyco International Ltd company, as part of a total sprinkler system. Their primary purpose is to soak the outside of a building with water, preventing a threatening fire from infiltrating the building. The systems are engineered to comply with the relevant New Zealand and international standards, using the latest in fire protection technology.

Chris Mak, National Engineering Manager for Wormald, said the systems are easy to install and cost effective.

“We have been installing these systems for many years and they have proven their value time and time again, Mr Mak said.

“Fully automatic fire sprinkler systems are widely regarded as one of the most effective methods of controlling a fire and our systems offer state-of-the art technology in this area,” Mr Mak said.

Wormald designs, installs and commissions reliable, cost-effective sprinkler systems by carefully analysing a building and its contents in terms of occupancy, operation and fire risk.

Sprinkler systems automatically detect a fire, transmit an alarm and control or extinguish the fire. They are located in places where people cannot always be present and operate only as needed in the immediate vicinity of the fire.

They can prevent fires from reaching destructive proportions, which may mean the difference between a minor interruption and a prolonged permanent shutdown.

Mr Mak noted the recent Christchurch incident isn’t the first time that the drenchers have saved an NZI building from going in up in flames. In Tauranga in July 1998, fire gutted the Churchill Building in Grey Street. The damage would have been a lot worse if the adjoining NZI building had not installed an extensive sprinkler system six months earlier. The drenchers on the building sprung into action and stopped the fire from spreading and causing significant damage.

John Raso from Colliers says “Anyone with a significant property must consider installing such a system. NZI could have faced tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage and loss of income had the drenchers not been installed.”

ABOUT WORMALD

Wormald, a division of Tyco Services Australia/New Zealand, is a leading provider of fire protection solutions. They have been designing, manufacturing, suppling, installing and servicing fire detection and protection systems since 1889.

ABOUT TYCO SERVICES

Tyco Services Australia/New Zealand, a unit of Tyco International Ltd.’s Fire & Security business segment, is a leading provider of Fire & Safety, Electronic Security, Electrical and Mechanical Services, Integrated Systems, Motion & Control, Fuel Services and Facilities Management. Tyco Services employees over 10,000 people and operates in over 150 locations regionally.

ENDS

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