Canary Wharf

The importance of a dedicated communications link as part of an emergency plan is recognised within the Canary Wharf development that includes the UK’s highest tower, One Canada Square.

At a height of 800 feet (244 metres), One Canada Square is equipped with 256 fire telephones providing cover for 65 floors and 8 stairwells. The size of the installation suited the exchange equipment, along with battery backed power supply, to be housed in two 32U racks rather than a self-contained exchange cabinet with integral annunciator, which are commonly used for smaller installations.

The building’s control room houses the separate annunciator panel, which is designed to the customer’s specification to be building specific and to create an intuitive graphical display of call origin. This design also allows for the inclusion of controls for other emergency systems.

The Fire Telephone and Disabled Refuge system has been well received by the Canary Wharf organisation and has become a standard with the management team. The Project Manager comments:

“Very popular because of its design and robust construction. There is ample room for cables and its simplicity makes it ideal for electrical contractors to install and requires minimal commissioning.”

Subsequently, the Fire Telephone has been installed into further buildings within the complex, being:

• 5 Canada Square (Citigroup)

• 8 Canada Square (HSBC tower)

• 20 Canada Square

• 25 Canada Square (Citigroup)

• 33 Canada Square (Citigroup)

• 1 Cabot Square (Credit Suisse)

• 10 Upper Bank Street (Clifford Chance)

• 20 Bank Street (Morgan Stanley)

• 25 Bank Street (Lehman Brothers)

• 40 Bank Street

• 50 Bank Street

• 1 Churchill Place (Barclays PLC)

• 15 Westferry Circus