Fire Protection

Acis Homes Gainsborough, part of the charitable Acis Group, is dedicated to managing high-quality social housing for local people in need. In 2025, they launched a programme to install Aico’s Gateway and Environmental Sensors into their properties, with 91 installations completed so far. Across these properties, 536 rooms are being monitored across 627 connected devices, integrating with existing Aico fire and carbon monoxide (CO) alarm systems 
in place.

The initiative is driven by safety, energy efficiency, and compliance with expanding regulations like Awaab’s Law. This rollout was prompted by ongoing damp and mould concerns, as well as the need to gather energy performance evidence following recent solar PV projects.
 

An innovative new fireproof safety product from industry experts Ritherdon & Co is being described by a well known supplier as a game changer and “possibly the best on the market.”

“No one wants to see another Grenfell incident,” said Shane Porter, Managing Director of Comyn Ching Architectural Components: “Ritherdon’s Mark lll FireSeal product is the only one we know of on the market today, that has been so rigorously tested including though penetration testing.”

John Street, Newham, a high‑rise residential development comprising Blocks A and C, has been equipped with a comprehensive life safety solution from Advanced, incorporating SmokeGo smoke control and EvacGo evacuation alert systems to support a stay‑put fire strategy and enhance resident safety.

Construction professionals from leading architects’ practices to fire engineers and major contractors are signing up in increasing numbers to receive a significant new CPD seminar from Stephen Neville, the Specification Sales Manager for FIREFLY® keen to understand the technicalities of compartmentation and other key fire safety considerations. Leveraging a comprehensive portfolio of barrier products and fire hatches employed across commercial, industrial, healthcare, and other building sectors, FIREFLY® offers unmatched expertise to deliver enhanced RIBA-accredited CPD seminar on these crucial topics.

Fire doors are critical life safety components, designed to slow the spread of fire, smoke, and heat long enough to protect occupants and property. A recent incident in a Connect Housing residential block provided a rare real-world demonstration of how a fully certified fire doorset performs under genuine fire conditions. The event highlighted the importance of correct specification, a compliant product, and accredited manufacturing and installation.

Ferrier Point, a 23 storey residential tower block in Newham, East London, became the focus of national attention during the cladding crisis after investigations revealed that its exterior was fitted with aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding, the same hazardous type implicated in the rapid fire spread at Grenfell Tower. In response, Newham Council undertook a full recladding programme, and by 2019 the building had been completely stripped of its ACM façade and upgraded with VitraDual® - an A1, noncombustible precoated aluminium rainscreen cladding system from Valcan. 

Kidde Safety Europe has introduced a new Fire and CO Alarm Control Switch that enables remote testing and silencing of interconnected Kidde FIREX hardwired alarms, providing a practical solution for properties where alarms are installed in locations that are difficult to access or require regular inspection.