Derbyshire's Chief Fire Officer urges Government to rethink new guidance on sprinkler systems in schools

Gavin Tomlinson, the county’s Chief Fire Officer (CFO), expressed his concerns as he responded to a Government consultation on Building Bulletin 100 (BB100): Fire Safety Design in Schools, stating that the document represents a real lessening of standards in fire safety.

He also said it provides a potential loophole that would allow building developers to follow alternative design guidance, circumventing the requirement for the fitting of sprinkler systems.

CFO Tomlinson now wants the Government to reconsider the draft BB100 document and bring English standards in line with policies in Scotland and Wales, where sprinklers are mandatory in all new and substantially refurbished schools.

He said: “In 2020 I witnessed three schools destroyed by fire. Sadly, despite the best efforts of the Firefighters attending they were unable to save Harrington Junior School, Long Eaton in May 2020, St Mary’s Catholic School in Darley Abbey on the 3 October 2020 and Ravensdale Infant School in Mickleover on the 5 October 2020.

“Such loss is hard to accept as I have no doubt that if sprinklers had been fitted in these schools, the education, mental health, wellbeing and lives of countless children and their families would not have been as severely impacted upon and the school buildings at the heart of these communities, would not have suffered the devastation they did.

"The sprinkler system would have ensured minimum damage and disruption and allowed the premises to return to normal as quickly as possible.

MORE: Delays expected as more major north Derbyshire roads set to close for works

CFO Tomlinson added that, unless legislation changes, “sadly we face a future where we may continue to be called to such devastating fires.”

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), of which CFO Tomlinson is the Protection and Business Safety Chair, is calling on the Department for Education to think again on sprinklers and work with the fire and rescue sector to make schools safer.

The original BB100 guidance, when first released in 2007, acknowledged the important role of sprinklers and stated that “all new schools should have fire sprinklers installed except in a few low-risk schools.”

But, CFO Tomlinson and the NFCC say the new draft does not appear to mandate the use of the BB100 design guidance in all new school buildings, meaning it will still be possible for designers and developers to circumvent the improvement in areas such as automatic fire suppression systems by using other building design guidance.

CFO Tomlinson added: “Derbyshire has always led from the front raising awareness of the effectiveness of sprinklers in any setting. We have already made a bold statement in Derbyshire.

"Following the October 2020 school fires, both Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council signed a Statement of Intent, committing to fit sprinklers and the right fire safety measures in new build schools and primary and secondary schools undergoing significant renovation, refurbishment, or extension.

“While this great work in Derbyshire continues, we need the Government to support the recommendations made and presented as part of the consultation, to ensure we protect our schools, and the education of the children who attend them in the future.”

To view the survey on Building Bulletin 100: Fire Safety in Schools visit https://consult.education.gov.uk/technical-standards/building-bulletin-100/.

The Government consultation is live until August 18.

Support your Derbyshire Times by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Click here to subscribe.