Perfect teamwork
Back in 2005, Securiton AG installed a comprehensive fire alarm system – including a security management system – throughout a new building complex in Wankdorf, comprising a stadium, shopping centre, offices, school, doctor’s surgeries and multi-storey car park, as well as a stand-alone building with a training centre and the headquarters of CSL Behring. In recent years, the entire system has been renewed without any significant interruptions. This open heart surgery had a happy ending thanks to the outstanding teamwork of all those involved.
When the new Wankdorf building and stadium complex was opened in 2005, it was equipped with a comprehensive fire alarm system from Securiton AG for reliable protection against a possible outbreak of fire. A security management system from Securiton was also commissioned, enabling all 24 fire alarm control panels in the stadium, shopping centre, multi-storey car park and the stand-alone building on the other side of the square to be operated from a central location.
Successful renewal
Because Securiton was no longer able to guarantee the availability of spare parts for the outdated system, the entire fire alarm system and the security management system had to be modernised – and all during ongoing operation and without interruptions to the security system. A comprehensive concept was analysed in detail with the responsible technical facility management team from Bouygues E&S, then implemented over several months.
For Robert Vinicky, the technical manager at Securiton responsible for the project, the biggest challenge was that the fire alarm system had to continue running without major interruptions during the renewal. As a result, parallel operation was planned and implemented. “Since the locations of the user stations and the control panels did not change, space was very limited. We had to remove the existing control panels from the wall and temporarily hang them on ropes. The new control panels were installed on the wall behind them,” explains Vinicky. In his opinion, the good cooperation with his team and Bouygues E&S was the key to success: “A project like this can only be carried out successfully with good teamwork. It’s like the football team that plays here – everyone knew what they had to do and we were fully committed to the end result.”
Reliable and modern
The new system now consists of almost 3,500 combined fire detectors that detect both smoke and heat in the smallest concentrations and report this to the 18 state-of-the-art SecuriFire fire alarm control panels in an emergency. In addition, 252 manual call points were installed for triggering an alarm manually. The complete system is connected to the UMS Lite security management system, which displays the status of all systems live on two monitors as part of a clear graphical overview of the Wankdorf complex.
The modernisation of the fire alarm system was also a major challenge for the technical staff at Bouygues E&S. For Daniel Vetter, Head of the BE/SO Region at Bouygues E&S, it was crucial that the customers in the shopping centre and stadium didn’t notice the renovation and that they were safely protected from fire at all times during their visit. It goes without saying that the excellent cooperation with Securiton AG also contributed to the success: “The deadlines were met, the organisation worked very well and the budget was followed,” explains Vetter.
Incidentally, Securiton AG is not the only Swiss Securitas Group company providing safety and security in Wankdorf. Contrafeu AG (sprinkler system), TUS (alarm transmission), Certas AG (alarm reception) and Securitas AG (traffic and event services) also play their part in ensuring a safe stay in Wankdorf.
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Reference report
Football stadium Wankdorf | (159 KB)
Reference report
Football stadium "St.Jakob-Park" Basel | (312 KB)
Reference report
