As an extra precaution only low voltage fire and security detection wiring will be left on when the house is not in use. Another threat of fire is careless smoking. Smoking has long been banned within the house and is now permitted only in the parking area, quite a distance from any structures. Vandalism is always a concern, although it has never been a problem at Sotterley. To address the possibility of intentional fire Sotterley is replacing its existing security system with one which is much more sophisticated.
Smoke detectors provide the best early warning of a fire.
This is especially true since in a place like Sotterley they can be more sensitive since no smoking or cooking is done in the main house. Detectors will make the kind of loud sound you have probably heard if you've tested a smoke detector or burned a meal, so that if someone is in the house they can act quickly. The staff at Sotterley will be trained to respond to a fire in the proper way, and to know exactly where the extinguishers are. Any time, day or night, the smoke detectors will also automatically call an alarm company, telling them not just that there is smoke, but what room it is coming from. When the historic building is as important as Sotterley and when there might be a number of visitors in the building, additional measures beyond fire detection must be instituted.