London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) – Condition Surveys
Faithorn Farrell Timms was appointed by LFEPA, which runs the London Fire Brigade, to undertake condition surveys of 15 of their fire stations following a competitive tender process.
The surveys were required to update and validate existing programmes of planned maintenance work, and to re-evaluate budgetary allowances. The client had recently purchased a new asset management database system, together with handheld data capture software. We had not previously utilised this system but, due to our vast experience of handheld data capture, we were able to present our proposal for the project in a manner that gave LFEPA confidence that we would be able to interpret the methodology for the site inspection work. This was further enhanced by our understanding of the mechanics of the asset management system for uploading, storing and validating the data captured.
The surveys involved the collection of condition data for the building fabric and finishes, plus mechanical and electrical installations. Building Surveyors, and Mechanical and Electrical Engineers attended a training session with LFEPA and their asset management software providers. In addition to this training session, a pilot survey was conducted on a relatively small fire station to test the data input method and upload routines. The pilot survey was attended by Matthew Meehan, Partner at Faithorn Farrell Timms and Project Supervisor, to ensure that the site inspection team was fully conversant with the handheld data capture software before the main survey programme commenced.
We assisted our client with the set up of the schedule of cost rates and lifecycles in the asset management system, to ensure that the data collected would allow the production of suitable costs to set budgetary allowances for planned maintenance works.