CASE STUDY - WKK ELECTRICAL
WKK ELECTRICAL HAS FINISHED A COMPLETE REWIRE OF THE LARNE FIRE STATION WITH A BESPOKE INSTALLATION AND THE NIFRS TEAM IS FINALLY HOME AGAIN… New electrical systems to the rescue
W KK Electrical is becoming an expert company in the regeneration of all electrical systems at historical buildings such as the Ballycopeland Windmill. However, as a family-owned and managed business, they also take special pride in working on projects that truly benefit the community. That was certainly the case with the complete rewire of the Larne Fire Station as part of a £1.25m total upgrade. The refurbishment started in February 2021, five years after the station was damaged during a break-in when a fire engine was stolen. The station had been remodelled for the last time 30 years ago, and WKK’s installation included a complete rewire of the existing station building and electrical services to an extension and new training tower. In a collaboration with Seaview Developments, works also included refurbishment of the surrounding car-park with new electrical services including specialist Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) radio systems and stand-by generator installations. The rewiring also comprised of a new main switchboard, lighting and power
controls, a self-test digital emergency lighting system, a lift installation and refuge system, a fire appliance charging system, a fire alarm system, and a lightning protection system. The station has gone greener this time, with a solar PV provision. Such a huge refurbishing job in a tall building has its own challenges, but fortunately fear of heights wasn’t of them. “Installing the site lighting at the top of the training tower would have been a bit of a challenge for some, but our site foreman had a good head for heights and didn’t see this as a problem,” explains Chris Kennedy, WKK’s contracts director. The rewiring project was finished in February this year and Chris’ team was very satisfied with the result. “The most rewarding part of the project was handing the job over and providing demonstrations to the NIFRS team. It was great to see their satisfaction with the various systems we had installed,” he commented. The station had been vacant since the robbery incident, and the NIFRS was based near the harbour at Redlands Road. Architecture firm Samuel Stevenson & Sons were commissioned by the NIFRS
to provide modern facilities and update the appearance to reflect the NIFRS estate aesthetic. Duty room, offices, and changing facilities were upgraded on the ground floor with a community space, kitchen, and training room provided on the first floor. The building was also upgraded for DDA with a new accessible entrance and lift. Additional staff welfare and training space have made a big difference to the station’s facilities. The new bespoke training tower and building to the rear with portholes and ship doors will enhance firefighter training in the station for the wide variety of incidents they respond to, as well as allow them to better prepare for specific incidents in Larne Port. The NIFRS team is already operating from the long-awaited premises, and residents feel reassured having the firefighters finally back home.
T: +44 (0)28 9030 8881 E: info@wkkelectrical.com www.wkkelectrical.com
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