At Blists Hill Victorian Town, one of the museums cared for by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, visitors travel back in time to the year 1900 as they wander through streets of historic buildings, visiting traditional shops, exploring industrial sites and seeing Victorian-style homes; some of these buildings have been moved brick by brick to the museum from across the region. Preserving this historical charm required a modern fire safety solution that could operate across the sprawling, complex site – encompassing mine tunnels and standalone structures– without disrupting daily operations or its unique visitor experience.

The existing fire alarm system was due for renewal and the Trust was looking for something with better functionality.  The site now features seven separate Advanced MxPro 5 panels which are connected to the AdvancedLive smart monitoring and management platform. This allows the independent panels to be unified into a single, cohesive interface, creating a virtual network for the fire system. This approach eliminates the need for additional hardware like separate BMS interfaces or modules, making the solution cost effective and simple to install. By making the fire system status available anytime, anywhere via any internet-enabled device, AdvancedLive provides the site’s security and facilities teams with seamless, centralised management to suit their location and schedule.

Designed with end users in mind, AdvancedLive allows non-specialist staff to monitor fire system status through an intuitive interface that features a choice of map or list views. Real-time notifications alert the team to fires, faults, or device disablements, enabling them to act quickly, even when off site. This easy-to-use system empowers the Blists Hill team to maintain safety standards without requiring in-depth fire system training, saving both time and resources.

Chubb Fire and Security carried out the installation, which included 600 Hyfire wireless devices to ensure comprehensive coverage across the site’s houses, shops, and underground mining tunnels. The seamless integration of AdvancedLive and wireless devices ensures robust fire protection while maintaining the historical integrity of the buildings.

Dean Bradley from Chubb Fire and Security praised the system, noting: “The installation process was smooth and seamless, thanks to the integration capabilities of Advanced equipment. With such a dispersed site, it was crucial that we could provide full protection without disrupting the flow of daily operations and by using Advanced we were able to do just that, whilst maintaining the integrity of the site’s historical charm.”

Paul Taylor, Lead Technical Architect at Advanced, added: “Blists Hill Victorian Town presented a unique set of challenges – from the site’s historical significance to its dispersed layout. Our solution, combining an MxPro 5 network and the remote management and control capabilities of AdvancedLive, has proven invaluable in addressing these complexities while preserving the visitor experience. We’re proud to have played a role in safeguarding such an iconic site for future generations.”

Ross Davidson, Visitor Engagement Manager at Blists Hill Victorian Town, said: “The new system allows us to locate and identify the source of any activation much more quickly, meaning we can minimise disruption to our visitor experience.”

AdvancedLive’s scalability ensures it will continue to support the site’s evolving needs, providing the ability to integrate new buildings into the system as Blists Hill expands. Its real-time monitoring, ease of use, and cost-efficient design make it an invaluable tool for safeguarding this living slice of history.