Enhancing Safety Together with Aico and Cross Keys Homes
At Cross Key Homes (CKH), the safety and wellbeing of residents is their top priority. To achieve this in their properties, they recently partnered with European market leader in home life safety, Aico, to host a Resident Engagement Day focused on upgrading fire alarms across Kingfisher Court.
Kingfisher Court is a community consisting of 79 flats built in 2014 for older residents requiring extra care. This safety upgrade initiative, driven by the end-of-life of the current alarms, aims to maintain the highest standards of fire protection to keep residents safe. Since the partnership began over a decade ago, Aico’s alarms have demonstrated exceptional reliability, and Aico is proud to continue this partnership based on previous exceptional performance.
Why Cross Keys Homes Chose to Continue with Aico
When the time came to replace the original smoke alarms fitted in their properties, the decision to stick with Aico has been a natural one for CKH. Aico has built a strong reputation in the industry by creating high-quality, reliable alarms that perform consistently. Over this ten-year partnership, Aico’s alarms have protected the residents effectively, giving them and CKH peace of mind.
The Role of a Resident Engagement Day
Aico’s Resident Engagement Day was designed to involve communities of housing associations in the process of their home safety upgrades, fostering a space for open dialogue and active participation. This event allowed CKH to discuss the importance of upgrading alarms, demonstrate Aico’s innovative features, and address questions from residents about safety in their homes. By engaging directly with the community, CKH and Aico were able to enhance understanding and emphasise the critical role that these alarms play in keeping the residents safe.
Why Fire Alarm Upgrades Are Essential
Over time, fire alarms can lose effectiveness, especially as they approach their end of life. It is important to make sure that residents are protected by the latest technology, which detects potential hazards more accurately.
Regular alarm testing and maintenance is essential, along with replacement at end of life. To help residents find the maximum lifespan of the alarm, there is a date-code label on the side of Aico alarms. This is a four-digit code, detailing exactly when the alarm was made. Above this is the “Replace By” date.
Aico’s 3000 Series alarms are mains powered, with a 10-year lithium tamper-proof battery back-up, providing full circle protection at all times. With Aico’s fire alarms, the residents will benefit from the most advanced fire safety technology available, ensuring early warning in the event of a fire.
Aico’s Advanced Technology & Commitment to Safety
Aico’s alarm systems come with updated features that provide an added layer of protection for residents. The alarms will be interconnected to the existing telecare system equipment, so that when one alarm is triggered, it will call through to the warden or call centre via the warden call speech unit. Furthermore, the alarms can be installed and interconnected with radiofrequency, which means the need for rewiring will be kept to a minimum. Additionally, Aico’s technology offers smart features like remote testing via a low-level control switch, ensuring the alarms’ effective operation and minimising costly callouts.
Due to the type of properties involved in this initiative, Aico’s 3000 Series alarms were required to ensure the continued protection of residents and compliance with British Standard BS 5839-6:2019. The fire alarms were fitted in every room to create a category LD1 system, which provides the highest level of protection, whilst incorporating a low-level controller. Additionally, all alarms in the 3000 Series fit on Aico’s easi-fit bases, making the replacement process much more efficient.
- The Ei3014 Heat Alarm is equipped with Aico’s tried and tested thermistor heat sensor to provide a faster alarm response when temperatures of 58oC are reached. This alarm is ideal for detecting heat-build up from large flaming fires, located in the kitchen.
- Aico’s Ei3016 Optical Smoke Alarm is best for detecting slow, smouldering fires with its high-performance optical smoke sensor. The alarm is sited in the living room, bedroom, hallway, landing and dining room.
The upgrade took place over a 6-week program, beginning early in December 2024.
“We extend our gratitude to our residents for their involvement and to Aico for their continued dedication to quality. As we move forward with these upgrades, we are confident that the enhanced technology will help us maintain the secure living environment we strive to provide. This collaboration exemplifies how we can build stronger, safer communities by working together.”
– Trevor Thomas, Cross Keys Homes
Working Together to Build Safer Communities
This partnership between Cross Key Homes and Aico reflects the commitment they share to creating safer living environments. By working together, Cross Keys Homes can implement proactive solutions that align with our core mission: to prioritise the safety of every resident. This Resident Engagement Day was just one part of this ongoing commitment, and Aico is looking forward to continuing these interactions and improvements.
“Working with Trevor at Cross Keys Homes for over 4 years has been an incredible journey. It was an absolute pleasure to support him and the team on this project and to be on hand to support and answer any questions from the wonderful kingfisher community. It’s been satisfying to collaborate with such a committed team and contribute to a project that makes a meaningful difference in the lives and safety of the residents.”
– Rob Avery, Relationship Manager, Aico
