Last Updated on 11 June 2021.
Your business is under a huge amount of pressure right now.
You’re having to make some tough decisions and it seems likely that things won’t be the same as they were for a long time, if ever.
There’s that saying, isn’t there? That in difficult times you learn who your real friends are.
Who’s got your back and who’s running for the exit.
It’s so important right now to know that you’ve got a solid team behind you; that counts both internally within your business and externally – people like your suppliers and contractors.
That’s why we at WFP Fire & Security want you to know that WE’RE HERE FOR YOU throughout the lockdown and whatever comes next.
Since the lockdown announcement on 23rd March 2020, we’ve had no lapse in our service and are continuing to keep your businesses safe and legally compliant, whilst following government advice.
Click here to read our Customer Care & Contingency Plan in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
We risk assessed, we acted, and we conquered.
Right now, many fire alarm companies have shut up shop, despite the Government’s acknowledgement that the fire industry is an essential service, with all operatives to be regarded as key workers, to continue to mitigate fire safety risks and alleviate the pressure on the emergency services.
As a result, we’ve jumped in for many business owners and site managers who have been left disappointed and without the vital support line they need.
Put it this way: your building’s fire alarm is like a life support machine. And like any life support, you need someone to come running in when it flatlines.
Fire safety risks haven’t gone away, so neither have we.
As many buildings are now being left vacant or are running with limited staff, fire and security concerns are, in fact, heightened, to ensure the protection of the premises.
Here are a few key ways we’re helping people just like you right now:
1. Extending our telephone support line to non-customers
To give back and ensure everyone has a helping hand during this time, we’ve extended our telephone support line (usually free as part of a maintenance contract with WFP) to non-customers for technical support. So, if your alarm is beeping and you’re not sure why, if you’re not sure how to carry out a fire alarm test, or if you’re confused about what you need to be focusing on with regards to fire safety or security, we’ll be there for you.
The number to call is 01277 724 653. It doesn’t have to be about fire, you can call for security questions as well!
2. Fast turnarounds for monitoring installations
Our turnarounds are usually pretty impressive during normal working conditions, but right now we’re having a lot of interest in people wanting to install monitoring (i.e. emergency response) on their intruder and fire alarms. From the initial enquiry to full completion of alarm monitoring to enable keyholder and emergency response, we’re averaging 48-72 hours. And for the cost of around £1 a day, well – that’s pretty cheap when you consider peace of mind is priceless!
Click here to learn more about intruder alarm monitoring.
And click here for further information on fire alarm monitoring.
3. Maintaining the status quo
Fire safety requirements and responsibilities have not diminished – as we like to say, “fires don’t get furloughed!” – and so continuing to carry out essential fire protection maintenance and remedial work to ensure the functionality of systems is incredibly crucial during the pandemic.
So long as you can permit access to a building, we can continue to maintain your fire protection systems for you and carry out remedial work. Many are actually finding this time to be productive in getting work done which would usually be invasive and inconvenient under everyday circumstances when buildings are at full capacity. You can now, for instance, get work done which you might previously have allocated for out-of-hours.
We’re working together with business owners, site managers, property managers and caretakers to ensure their individual protocols, as well as our own, are being met, alongside government guidelines, to keep systems maintained and working efficiently.
(It’s also important to remember that when things do go back to normal (or the “new normal”), there’s going to be a back log of a number of jobs that have been postponed during the lockdown, meaning there could be a longer delay in bookings. That’s fine if it’s relating to a paint job, but it’s certainly not alright if it’s relating to your fire safety and security!)
So, if you need us for…
- Technical or regulatory advice
- Emergency call-outs to investigate faults
- Maintenance of fire and security systems
- Monitoring/emergency response for your alarms
- Installations or repairs to your fire and security systems
WE’RE HERE FOR YOU.
4. Training Videos & Webinars
During lockdown, we’ve collaborated with other local businesses in other key faculties of business management, such as finance, insurance and employment, to bring you a complete overview of what you should be focusing on right now, and tips to help get you through.
PLUS, we’re aware that due to many people being furloughed, some are now being handed the responsibility of looking after their building’s fire alarm with no prior knowledge or experience of doing so.
Our Technical Director, Barry Leeds, and Managing Director, Paul Field, urge you to make sure that whoever is currently in charge of looking after your fire and security systems (be it for weekly testing or managing risks in the building), they feel confident in doing so. DO NOT neglect to do this, because it could create a huge amount of unnecessary panic if something was to go wrong with the fire alarm (such as a fault resulting in continuous sounding of the alarm).
If you need help, we can arrange for a step-by-step video or a Facetime call to show you what you need to do.
If there is anything else we could be doing to help you right now, please do get in touch!
