Safer Runnymede BS5979 Alarm Receiving Centre - Intech Furniture

Intech Furniture first worked with Runnymede Borough Council twelve years ago, installing their original control room. After teaming up with the Council again from 2005 to 2008, looking at various sizes and locations, Intech were the successful tenderer for the Safer Runnymede project.

The requirement was to design and build an alarm receiving control centre to BS 5979 whilst also embracing the ergonomic standard for control rooms ISO 11064.

The main control room consists of:

• An enclosed, 5 x 2 46” Harp Visual LCD monitor wall complete with base storage.
• Four control consoles, ranging from three operator positions through to single operator consoles. All Intech consoles feature a dropped back script which is ergonomically appealing to the operator as it lowers the viewing angle of their desk mounted TFT's allowing ease of viewing of the main monitor wall. With our consoles having a deeper script than the majority of standard desking available, we are able to utilise the dropped back feature without taking from the available workspace the operator requires.
• A review console and meeting table matching the finish of the main furniture.

In addition to providing the technical furniture, Intech also carried out a full fit out of the alarm receiving centre. This included working in conjunction with Kings Security Systems to provide both an intruder alarm system and intercom / access control system suitable for a BS 5979 alarm receiving centre. The whole alarm receiving centre was built to this standard which is just one of a number of BS 5979 A.R.C's Intech have installed over the past few years. This control room was the first to be constructed with the new unique wall structure required under the revised edition of BS 5979, which replaces the traditional concrete block shell with a composite steel plywood structure of equivalent attack resistance.

The design and layout of the alarm receiving centre has been designed in accordance with the exact requirement set out by the Council. Alongside the control room there has been the inclusion of a dedicated equipment room allowing for any maintenance and service to be carried out without any disruption to control room operations. There has also been a meeting room that can double up as command room in the event of a major incident. This room has a full height glazed partition that will allow senior members of the authority to oversee events in the control room without requiring access. In addition the A.R.C is a fully self contained facility with male and female W/C’s, a store room and a large mess facility including staff lockers.

Other additional services provided for Safer Runnymede were electrical services, plumbing installation, full decoration and floor covering throughout.

The lighting within the control room was vitally important. To make the lighting unique to the Safer Runnymede project, custom made suspended lighting rafts were installed following the footprint of the consoles below with locally controlled dimmable dark lights above. In addition to this, fluorescent uplighting was also included within the lighting rafts making the lighting rafts both functional and a feature of the control room.

The combination of the ambient lighting, decoration and ancillary items such as silk plants and artwork create a control room environment that puts the operator's comfort paramount. In this instance, in addition to the contemporary artwork provided by Intech, custom sized frames were produced to house the photos of Runnymede and the surrounding area sourced by David Dodd, Safer Runnymede’s Partnership Community Safety Manager.