Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London, has undergone a rapid safety upgrade to Hyfire’s Wireless Fire System. The Grade I listed building was, ironically built in the 1740s following the Great Fire of London in 1666 and today, almost 300 years later, now boasts a state-of-the-art fire alarm system.
The Mansion House’s chequered past
Standing as a monument to the important and traditional role of the Lord Mayor of London, a title that has existed for almost a millennium, the building was funded in an unusual way. Built during the Age of Enlightenment, the City authorities, who were all members of the Church of England, found a way to tax Rational Dissenters, who believed that state religions impinged on the freedom of conscience. They did so by passing a by-law forcing any man who, once elected to office, refused to serve to pay a hefty fine. Since the only way to serve was to have “taken the sacrament according to the Anglican rite”, wealthy Dissenters were deliberately voted into office only for them to pay the fine.
Through this wrongful practice, the City of London Corporation managed to extort no less than £15.000 and fund the construction of the Mansion House. The story of the City of London Corporation’s Catch-22 situation even made its way into literary culture when Mark Twain recounted it in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889). Despite its controversial past, the Mansion House today has had a positive impact on the community.
A crucial upgrade
Providing the Mansion House with the most reliable and efficient fire alarm system was paramount, since the building is used for some of the City of London’s most formal official functions, such as white tie dinners and the Easter banquet. These events typically host a number of very important individuals, from the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Foreign Secretary.
This makes ensuring the Mansion House, not only a matter of preserving a historic building, but also the safety of a number of people including members of government. Because of this, Hyfire’s partner Square Mile Fire and Security only had the 5 weeks in which the main part of the property was shut down to install the new system. Because of this short window of time, Hyfire’s Taurus devices were the most ideal choice due to their easy installation and the fact there was not enough time to re-cable the building.
Hence, the City of London Corporation opted to upgrade the old conventional fire alarm to a new addressable wireless system. Square Mile Fire and Security installed 500 devices throughout the building, providing adequate coverage to the historic site without the need for any major disruption.
Hyfire’s commitment to safety
James Booth, from Square Mile Fire and Security, stated “It was a real honour getting to work on this Grade I listed historic building. Thanks to Hyfire’s easy to install Taurus system, my team and I were able to get the whole system installed incredibly fast, which delighted the client”.
Hyfire was launched in 2007, bringing to market some of the first commercial wireless detection and alarm devices fully certified to EN54. Since then, the Hyfire brand has become synonymous with quality, reliability and innovation in the commercial fire sector. Hyfire devices come with a five-year warranty, backed up by a dedicated partner programme to ensure the best survey, installation, commissioning, after sales service and exceptional technical support.
The Lord Mayor of London, despite not being a political office, is one of the world’s oldest continuously elected civic offices. Hyfire’s is proud to have become a part of this history by bringing innovative modern technology and helping secure the people and heritage that inhabit the Mansion House.