Amthal has secured a planned maintenance agreement to manage Barnet and Southgate College's security systems across its three campuses. This collaboration aims to provide a dependable and swift response to benefit staff, students, and visitors through a cohesive strategy.
Barnet and Southgate College, a prominent further education institution, operates in Barnet, Southgate, and Colindale, serving a varied student body with academic, vocational, and technical programs. The college facilities include teaching blocks, workshops, specialist learning environments, and bustling communal areas.
Essential Security System Maintenance
Given the vast movement of people within the college estate, the maintenance of efficient life safety and security systems is crucial. Amthal's responsibility now includes the college's intruder alarms, fire alarms, Paxton access control, and IP CCTV systems. Their duties involve routine maintenance, system monitoring, and continuous technical support, aligning with the college's safeguarding and estate management strategies.
Their duties involve routine maintenance, system monitoring, and continuous technical support
Pritesh Dattani, the Soft Facilities Manager at Barnet and Southgate College, expressed: “Managing life safety and security systems across three busy campuses requires a joined-up approach. We consolidated maintenance under a single provider to ensure consistent performance, improved visibility, and reduced fragmentation across systems and sites.”
He continued by highlighting the necessity for dependable systems, swift fault response, and coordinated maintenance to minimize disruptions, stating, “Having Amthal in place gives us confidence that fire, intruder, access control, and CCTV systems are managed within a consistent framework, supporting safeguarding and operational continuity across the college.”
Complex Access Requirements
The complexity of the college's infrastructure is mirrored by its extensive security systems. The intruder alarm system includes 800 circuits across 10 monitored panels, addressing various access needs across multiple buildings and departments.
The complexity of the college's infrastructure is mirrored by its extensive security systems
The fire alarm network comprises 1,569 devices connected through 15 networked panels to ensure prompt detection and response in crowded learning areas. Access control is maintained through 483 Paxton-controlled doors, facilitating regulated campus movement while ensuring operational flexibility.
Additionally, 452 IP CCTV cameras provide thorough visual coverage of critical internal and external areas, aiding in safeguarding, incident review, and daily management.
Ensuring System Integrity
Amthal also supports new installations through the college's contractors, ensuring seamless integration with existing infrastructure to preserve system integrity as the estate evolves.
According to David Williamson, Amthal Fire & Security's Business Development Manager, “This contract reflects the importance of maintaining fully integrated life safety and security systems across a large multi site education environment. Our focus is on ensuring all systems are maintained in a way that supports reliability, compliance, and operational continuity across the college estate. By working closely with the college and their contractors, we can help ensure both existing infrastructure and new installations continue to operate as a connected and dependable system across all three campuses.”
Amthal has been awarded a planned maintenance contract to cover Barnet and Southgate College across all its three sites, to ensure a reliable, rapid response and coordinated approach for the benefit of staff, students and visitors.
Barnet and Southgate College is a large further education provider operating across three main campuses in Barnet, Southgate and Colindale. The college supports a diverse student population across academic, vocational and technical programmes, with sites that include teaching blocks, workshops, specialist learning environments and high footfall communal areas.
Core operational requirement
Given the scale and movement of people across the estate, maintaining robust life safety and security systems is a core operational requirement.
Amthal was selected to cover the college’s intruder alarm, fire alarm, Paxton access control and IP CCTV systems across all three sites. The scope of works includes routine maintenance, system monitoring and ongoing technical support to ensure all systems remain compliant, fully operational and aligned with the college’s safeguarding and estates strategy.
Coordinated maintenance planning
Pritesh Dattani, Soft Facilities Manager at Barnet and Southgate College said: “Managing life safety and security systems across three busy campuses requires a joined-up approach. We consolidated maintenance under a single provider to ensure consistent performance, improved visibility and reduced fragmentation across systems and sites.”
“At this scale, reliability, fast fault response and coordinated maintenance planning are essential to minimize disruption to teaching and campus activity. Having Amthal in place gives us confidence that fire, intruder, access control and CCTV systems are managed within a consistent framework, supporting safeguarding and operational continuity across the college.”
Varying access requirements
The complexity of the estate is reflected in the scale of the systems in place. The intruder alarm infrastructure spans 800 circuits across 10 monitored panels, providing coverage across multiple buildings and departments with varying access requirements.
The fire alarm system comprises 1,569 devices connected through 15 networked panels, designed to ensure early detection and coordinated response across densely occupied learning environments. Access control is managed through 483 Paxton controlled doors, supporting controlled movement across campuses while allowing operational flexibility for staff and students. In addition, 452 IP CCTV cameras provide visual coverage across key internal and external areas, supporting safeguarding, incident review and day to day site management.
Maintaining overall system integrity
Amthal is now also supporting installation works delivered through the college’s contractors, helping ensure new systems integrate effectively with existing infrastructure and maintain overall system integrity as the estate develops.
David Williamson, Business Development Manager at Amthal Fire & Security, added: “This contract reflects the importance of maintaining fully integrated life safety and security systems across a large multi site education environment. Our focus is on ensuring all systems are maintained in a way that supports reliability, compliance and operational continuity across the college estate. By working closely with the college and their contractors we can help ensure both existing infrastructure and new installations continue to operate as a connected and dependable system across all three campuses.”
