New Hochiki system eliminates waking watch costs at residential sites
Iain Hoey
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Reliable fire detection replaces waking watch monitoring
Cornerstone Group has partnered with Hochiki Europe to replace waking watch systems with a fully compliant fire detection solution across three luxury apartment blocks in Gravesend, North Kent.
The new installation follows the removal of temporary waking watch arrangements that were introduced after fire risks were identified in high-rise buildings across the UK following the Grenfell Tower disaster.
Hochiki Europe said the new setup combines its ESP addressable devices, Latitude control panels and Ekho hybrid wireless units to deliver a flexible, open protocol solution suitable for long-term safety compliance.
Upgrading systems to meet modern safety standards
The company explained that the combination of hard wired and wireless devices provided full coverage with minimal disruption to residents.
ESP addressable detectors were installed in common corridors, while wireless Ekho devices were fitted within apartment hallways where cabling would have been impractical.
Latitude EN54 compliant control panels manage both device types within a single system, providing consistent event reporting and enabling future integration with other building safety technologies.
According to Hochiki Europe, this approach ensures both flexibility and scalability for evolving building requirements.
Installation challenges and project delivery
Cornerstone Group said that gaining access to individual flats presented challenges during installation, as appointments often needed to be rearranged to suit residents’ schedules.
The team maintained clear communication and worked around tenant availability to complete the works efficiently while ensuring every property was properly protected.
A representative from Cornerstone Group said: “We chose Hochiki because their product reliability is proven and the support in sales was very responsive.
“If we ever needed it, technical help was always first class and helped keep the project on schedule.”
Hochiki Europe confirmed that the final system now provides consistent and high performance detection across all three residential blocks, removing the need for manual monitoring and reducing long-term costs for building owners.
Relevance for fire and safety professionals
This project demonstrates how hybrid fire detection technologies can support the transition away from manual waking watch arrangements toward fully compliant systems that meet evolving safety regulations.
It provides a practical example for fire engineers, system installers and building services managers involved in high-rise residential safety upgrades.
The use of open protocol systems also highlights the value of flexibility and future scalability in addressing long-term fire risk management.
The case may inform future retrofit decisions in multi-occupancy residential settings where wiring constraints and access limitations are common.