Northampton housing provider’s new fire safety technology hailed as ‘huge step forward’

A Northampton housing provide has launched new fire safety technology, which has been hailed as a ‘huge step forward’ by the county’s fire service.

Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH) has created a risk assessment tool whereby all necessary information during an assessment will be recorded immediately while an officer is in the block of flats.

Cladding type, building construction, escape routes and fire doors, will be gathered and sent to the relevant team straight away and colleagues will receive follow up reports to provide extra assurance that actions have been taken.

Reminders will also be sent when the next check is due to be completed and the company says this will be at least once every three months.

NPH’s officers have been trialling the technology over the last few months, by carrying out interim fire inspections and raising repairs where needed, such as recording missing fire safety signs or broken fire doors.

Prior to launch, the company demonstrated the new technology to the county’s fire service to ensure it met requirements and will enhance fire safety risk management in the future.

Scott Richards, fire protection manager from Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We work closely with housing organisations such as Northampton Partnership Homes to ensure that they meet their legal obligations in relation to fire safety.

“This new risk assessment tool which NPH is launching, is a huge step forward in keeping their residents safe.

“It will enable them to report issues and undertake remedial work quickly, demonstrating that their approach to risk management puts residents as the priority.

“We are delighted to have been part of this project.”

Gary Duckmanton, NPH assistant director for property maintenance and compliance added: “This new system demonstrates our commitment to keeping our residents safe, and we’re delighted it has received such positive feedback from the fire service.

“We understand that fire safety is a big concern to our residents, especially since the Grenfell tragedy.

“This new technology means we can increase the number of visits to our block every year and make sure they’re checked at least once every three months.

“We will be able to keep our information up to date, identify problems early, and deal with them quickly and efficiently.

“We hope this demonstrates to our residents how important their safety is to us, and we encourage anyone with concerns to get in touch with us urgently.”

Residents can report their concerns by calling 0300 330 7003 or by visiting the NPH website.