The Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site in Montana seeks to preserve the history and culture of the cattle industry in the West. Once the headquarters of a 10-million acre cattle ranch, the area is now operated by the National Park Service and sees thousands of visitors each year.

To protect the historic ranch and to keep visitors safe, DJ&A was tasked with evaluating design alternatives and developing a site-wide schematic design for the upgrade, expansion and integration of three separate fire detection/suppression and intrusion systems.

DJ&A and an architecture firm worked closely with the Park staff and regularly consulted with the State Historic Preservation Office to ensure the design complied with Secretary of Interior Standards for Historic Preservation, which minimize impacts to historic fabric, character of the buildings, archaeological resources, and the historic scene.

Key Services

• Evaluated and integrated three separate existing systems (dry pipe suppression/detection system in the main ranch house, wireless and hard wired fire detection and intrusion system in 11 historic structures
• Designed museum storage facility with wet pipe suppression /detection and intrusion – all individually monitored) with new systems
• Development of the new systems included additional fire suppression in the Kohrs Ranch House
• Installed wireless or hard wired intrusion systems in all structures

Value Added

DJ&A designed the system to include shallow depth, insulated water lines to minimize the impacts to the historic site and to ensure that the water system would not freeze if activated during the winter season.