Lothian Buses

Evolution Fire & Security puts fire safety first on the buses

Providing essential fire protection to one of the UK’s largest publicly owned bus companies requires a high degree of technical knowledge, customer responsiveness, and trust. The business trusted with providing such essential services to Lothian Buses is Evolution, the integrated security and fire solutions business.

Lothian Buses has a heritage stretching back almost 100 years. Today it has a fleet of more than 700 vehicles delivering over 70 services in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas of Midlothian and East Lothian. It is a business that constantly invests in its services, its infrastructure and its vehicles.

“Evolution supports us not only by servicing and maintaining our legacy investment but also by recommending and installing new systems.”

An essential part of this investment is the need to provide a safe environment for its 2,000 employees, not just in the four main garages in which the vehicles are kept, serviced, and maintained, but also in the travel shop, training centre, and other office space in which its people work.

Responsibility for protecting such a diverse portfolio of property rests with Facilities Manager Neil Aitken, and for Fire safety provision, Neil has recently turned to Evolution: “Given the history of the company, and the range of property we own, we have a diverse range of fire systems all of which need to be serviced and maintained,” he explains.

“Evolution supports us not only by servicing and maintaining our legacy investment but also by recommending and installing new systems when they are required to ensure that our fire safety is never compromised.”

Constant Change

Neil says that the busy and dynamic nature of the business leads to constant change. It also means he can be ‘time poor’: “We are always adding new rooms so Evolution has to be flexible in its response and in adapting to our needs. I know that when I pick up the phone, I am talking to someone who understands our issues, understands our business and I can trust to find an appropriate solution.”

Evolution currently supports the systems installed across eight sites – a mix of technologies including alarm panels, radio systems, and ancillaries from a diverse range of manufacturers. It has a set of established Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with Lothian Buses with agreed response times for a service that is delivered 24/7, 365 days.

Nigel Hyson, Area Sales Manager for Evolution in Scotland, says that experience counts: “Working with disparate third-party systems is something that is only achievable through our depth of knowledge and experience,” he explains.

“Working with Lothian Buses challenges us not only to maintain what’s there, but also provide best advice on new systems and technologies when change is required.”