About Wakefield Fire Station
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue services are based out of the Wakefield Fire Station. The original buildings were constructed in 1963 and no longer fit for purpose. In May 2019, the buildings were demolished to make way for the new, energy-efficient £2.9m fire station. The new fire station offers a state-of-the-art facility, crewed by full-time firefighters who provide emergency cover 24/7 for the county.
Business Needs
The site in Wakefield is made up of multiple buildings across the 26,000 ft² site. Mobile coverage is imperative for operational purposes, health and safety, emergency business continuity and cross-service communications. The site was known to have poor mobile coverage and with the construction of the new facility, they had the opportunity to rectify this.
The main requirements for the mobile signal solution were that it had to enhance EE mobile network coverage across the site and not interfere with existing communication and wireless products in the facility.
The Problem
Wakefield Fire Station has historically struggled to get good mobile coverage in their buildings, particularly on the corporate EE network. When preparation for the construction of the new Wakefield Fire Station was initiated, they needed a trusted partner to provide them with a robust and reliable mobile coverage solution.
The Solution
The IT team from the Fire Service contacted Frequency Telecom to discuss the need for reliable in-building mobile coverage. After gathering the initial requirements, a thorough site survey was conducted, and a proposal put forward.
The Cel-Fi SOLO mobile signal booster solution was chosen for its powerful 100dB of signal gain and quick installation. With a mix of core fire and rescue equipment already in situ, the Cel-Fi SOLO signal booster equipment had to be placed in specific locations to maximum signal gain whilst simultaneously causing minimal disruption to site operations.
Both the site survey and installation of the solution was performed by Boost Pro Systems, one of Frequency’s Cel-Fi certified and approved installation partners. The project was overseen by the lead contractor on site, Murray Building Services Ltd.
The Results
The project was signed off by the client with the EE signal having increased from 1 bar of signal, before completion, to a steady 5 bars throughout the fire station.
