New Yard - security/alarms and fire extinguishers

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LynH

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I should really have combined this question with my tack room flooring post but my head is all over the place making decisions about my new yard which should be up by the end of this week. I am so excited I feel like a child at Christmas.

I've seen some good motion sensor lights that also video any movement and store it on a memory card if needed later. I want to get an alarm for the tack room and hay/feed barn (2 pairs of double garage doors) and would really appreciate any recommendations. I'm guessing it's a choice between door sensors or motion sensors or both and if I should get CCTV as well so I can see from in the house. The yard has been laid out so all doors are visible from the house.

Our front gate is usually locked when we are out and will eventually have electric gates.

Has anyone any recommendations for any particular brands or good alarm set ups? Any security advice is very welcome.

Also where do you buy fire extinguishers and which type are best for a block of wooden stables?

Any other new yard advice or recommendations or things you'd wished you'd thought about at the start?
 
At our yard we have various hoses all over the yard. The yard was looked at by Fire Prevention & they concluded that we didn't need exringuishers as we had sufficient hoses to put out any fire that started. We actually put one in the tack room but didn't bother anywhere else. :)
 
Electric gates will not protect your property as if they want to get in they will simply ram them and break the locking mecanism.

If you want to protect your Tack Room you need an alarm system which has been installed by a professional burgler alarm company who will link it to a monitoring station which will inform the police of any activation. You should also have a mega-blaster installed to alert you if there is a break-in. Also mark all tack with Smartwater www.smartwater.com and have it tack marked as well.

As regards the stables you should have a water sprinkling system installed so that in the event of a fire breaking out this is activated.

Most stable fires are caused by faulty wiring (in many cases eaten by rats etc. - ensure all wiring is encased within conduits), also electrical appliances such as fridges which build up dust which causes the appliance to overheat and catch light. Many people put old used fridges in tack rooms and these are a likely candidate to star a fire as they tend to develop faults.

The BHS do an exellent book on preventing fires in equestrian and agricultural properties. Available from the bhs book shop. www.bhs.org.uk
 
With all these requirements I would give someone like ADT a call. Get it done professionally and have done.
 
I would speak to your insurance company and ask them to advise you on the best way to achieve security and reduce your premiums. That way they can't deny any claims if you are unlucky to be burgled
 
The issue with water hoses and fire extinguishers is that they are no use if the fire breaks out say at night when no one is about. Theerfore a springkling system will automatically activate and set of an alarm as well which could also be connected to a monitoring station.
 
I'm sure the fire brigade will be more than willing to come and advise you on extinguishers, its also good for them to know the layout of your yard should the worst happen.
 
Water extinguishers should be fine for wooden boxes, a sprinkler system is nice to have but will probably be very expensive and are only really supposed to suppress a fire and prevent spread rather than put it out completely, although if you can afford it it will help.
If you live on site it may be worth speaking to a fire alarm company about having an alarm fitted that will go off in your house.
A lot of fires start in barns, either through arson, faulty wiring or combustion of bales so making sure that muck heaps and hay and straw are stored away from the yard will help reduce the risk.
Speak to your local fire station coz they will probably be able to offer you free advice.
 
We invested in a professional security system after a lot of similar properties to ours had been burgled.

Sorry to be obvious, but have you thought about joining your local Horsewatch? Plus ask your local crime prevention officer to call and/or give you a survey as this will highlight the most obvious things that you might not have thought about, i.e. my livery had her satnav clearly visible in her lorry - which we actually hadn't thought about! (numpties!!).

Also you could ask you local fire prevention officer to come out and give you some advice. The advantage with these two peeps is that they will give you skilled advice - at no charge to yourself! So worth having.

When you've had the benefit of their advice, then you could, if that's your decided option, ask some professional security firms to come out and give you a survey, and basically then it woudl be up to you to use the one that you felt gave you not only the best set-up initially, but also, and VERY important - will give you the after-sales survey as well.

Or you could get a lot of the stuff that you need either at somewhere like B&Q or on-line, and install it yourself if you've got the know-how or can employ someone who has.

We opted for a simple professinally-installed system of non-electric radio alarm devices. These are basically sensors which when the system is armed, if someone passes though them then the central alarm will kick off. We also had some dummy cameras set up. The joy with a non-wired system is that you can add to it or adjust it according to your needs, whereas if you have electrical wiring put in and then need to change it, it is problematic (and expensive!).

I don't know where you are situated OP, but if you're in the Westcountry I can PM you the name of the people we used, I was very pleased with them; they did us a good and very thorough survey and thought of lots of issues we hadn't considerered. This is why its good to get an expert in to look at a situation.
 
A co2 extingisher (for electrics) and a fireblanket (if you have a toaster/kettle) would be a start in the tack room with a foam or water with additive handy somewhere nearby and a couple more dotted around

Dont go for plain water exringushers these are larger and heavier than the modern additive ones - those are smaller, more efficient and wont cause problems if the spray catches an electric outlet/light etc

Dont go for the cheapest as so often these cannot be serviced. Decent ones should be anywhere from £40-120 each

Liquid filled extingishers kept outside should have an LFA added (low freeze additive)

Plastic purpose made boxes will help them live a longer life

Thet should be serviced each year but if you are a private yard you might not decide to do this, every month check the pressure gauges on the front and upend the extingisher to keep the contents on the move

Make sure extinguishers are wall hung as they can corrode around the base if just on ground

If you choose not to have extingishers then always keep a long hose attached to a tap and at the very least get the fireblanket and have buckets of sand dotted about

A dometic intruder alarm would do (insurance allowing) ADT are very good with the small alarm market but dont rule out small local companies as these are nearly all run or staffed by ex ADT or ex Chubb staff
 
I would say the most important thing is to have a plan of how you will get the horses out and where your putting them once they are out, and fire prevention through checking electrics are sound, ensuring non essential appliances are turned off and storing flammable stuff away from the stables.
Fire extinguishers should only be used if your confident using one and the fire is small.
 
Toby_Zaphod said:
At our yard we have various hoses all over the yard. The yard was looked at by Fire Prevention & they concluded that we didn't need exringuishers as we had sufficient hoses to put out any fire that started. We actually put one in the tack room but didn't bother anywhere else. :)
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Hosing water would probably not be a good idea with an electricity based fire. There are extinguishers especially for those sort of fires. The hose would be fine for anything else though possibly not as effective as specialist extinguishers. Ask your insurance company what they require as it is them you will have to satisfy in the event of a claim.
 
I've dealt with a barn and stable fire and a hose or fire extinguisher would have literally been like pissing on a bonfire, and I was there within minutes of it starting.

I'm not saying don't have fire extinguishers, we have them everywhere and ironically they were serviced the day before our fire, but in practical terms things like stable layout, hay storage, fire breaks etc will be more effective. I'd certainly never have wooden stables again.
 
OP I suggest you contact your local fire station and tell them your concerns, they will probably come out and give you advice that's specific to your set up, its free and they won't be trying to sell anything.

The best thing to do is what myself and robinhood said, plan what your going to do with the horses in the event of a fire, and risk assess your yard to reduce any fire hazards, but the fire brigade should help you with that if they visit you.
As ive said before, extinguishers are only for very small fires.
 
If u r a business u need to do a fire risk assessment.

Bit restricted as on phone at mo but pm me if u need any help. Although it's offices and warehouses I look after I'm a Facilities Manager so Fire Safety, Security etc is my day job :-)
 
Thank you all so much for the advice I didn't expect so much but am delighted with all the info.

It's a private yard at my home and as the horses will only ever be stabled when we are at home a good smoke alarm which can be heard in the house is a good idea. The hay barn is separate from the stables but unfortunately we had to have wooden stables as that is all planning would allow. I don't intend to have much electrical stuff in the yard as it is so close to the house which should minimise risk. I'll ask the local fire prevention for advice.

I joined the local Countrywatch scheme and have had all saddles marked by the police. I did notice a local property today had a sign up about Smartwater so will look into that.

We are having a lot of work done on our house so when that is finished it would make sense to have a good wireless security system linking the house and the yard. I've had pipe work laid from the yard to the house so linking the security should be easy enough.
I'm lucky in that I am at home during the day and my OH often works from home too. It's hard to prepare for every theft risk, someone round the corner had a stable door taken!
 
JulesRules said:
If u r a business u need to do a fire risk assessment.

Bit restricted as on phone at mo but pm me if u need any help. Although it's offices and warehouses I look after I'm a Facilities Manager so Fire Safety, Security etc is my day job :-)
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Thank you, it's a private yard but I do want to make it as safe as possible but I don't officially need to do a risk assessment.
 
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