St Paul’s Cathedral is a vibrant working church, a national treasure, and an iconic landmark in London. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the late 17th century, it has been the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of London for over 1,400 years. The magnificent building serves as a place for reflection, discovery, learning, and debate, welcoming nearly two million visitors annually for worship, sightseeing, concerts, educational events, and performances.
Tecserv UK has been the trusted fire contractor for St Paul’s Cathedral for several years, providing regular planned preventative maintenance (PPM) to ensure the fire systems remain operational and compliant with safety regulations.
However, the age and complexity of the heritage building posed unique challenges. Subsequently The Cathedral wanted to review their fire alarm system to address the occurrence of false fire alarm activations which were all too often triggered by draughts or smoke from burning incense candles.
Whilst the existing fire alarm system was still functional, pinpointing the detection device that had triggered the alarm wasn’t sufficiently accurate and required consulting architectural drawings which made the process slow and cumbersome.
Under the existing system, staff at St Paul’s struggled to identify the source of a device activation and determine whether it was a false activation or a legitimate threat. Given the size of the Cathedral, locating the issue was challenging. If the fire brigade was called, a full evacuation would be necessary, potentially involving over 2,000 people during peak times.
Understanding the complexities of working with a heritage site like St Paul’s, Tecserv UK collaborated closely with the Cathedral staff to develop a bespoke solution. It was agreed that a thorough review of fire safety protocols, alongside a complete upgrade of the fire alarm systems, was essential.
To reduce false alarms, Tecserv UK implemented a Ziton fire alarm system. This advanced setup triggers a full alarm only when two devices—either in the same zone or across different zones—are activated simultaneously.
A separate graphical visualisation software package was also installed to improve the efficiency of pinpointing activation sites. This new system allows Cathedral staff to quickly identify which detector has been triggered, eliminating the need for outdated drawings. By isolating specific areas, staff can address potential fire risks more effectively, significantly reducing the chances of a full-scale evacuation.
To minimise disruptions to the Cathedral’s daily activities, Tecserv engineers conducted much of the upgrade work outside of regular hours, ensuring that St Paul’s could continue to welcome visitors without unnecessary closures.
The new fire alarm system has significantly enhanced the safety and protection of St Paul’s Cathedral, its 1,400-year-old heritage, historical artifacts, and valuable religious texts. With the upgraded system in place, the Cathedral is better equipped to manage potential fire risks while maintaining a safe environment for visitors and staff.
Please note Tecserv UK only operate within the United Kingdom – any work outside of this region cannot be considered.
