Security & Fire Alarm System Services

You should test your fire alarm once a week at a set time. Before you test you alarm, you must warn people inside the building that this is a regular test and that no evacuation is required. You must also advise your Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) that you are about to initiate the test so they do not alert the Emergency Services.

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A fire safety risk assessment is the best way to gauge whether or not your premises needs a fire safety system, you can contact us for more information on this.

As a starting point, if you answer yes to all the following statements then a fire alarm system may not be compulsory for you:

• Are your premises open plan, one storey, with a simple layout?
• Are there any high risk substances in your premises such as flammable chemicals?
• Are any high risk activities such as cooking done?
• Do you have any vulnerable occupants, such as the elderly, very young, or disabled?
• Would a fire be easy to spot if it broke out on any part of your business premises?
• Can someone shouting “FIRE” easily be heard by all occupants?

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A conventional fire alarm system is suited to low risk areas. They are cheaper to install and wired together with cable. A conventional system is made up of closed circuit zones where each zone within the premises has a circuit containing the detectors, manual alarm and sounder. The circuit closes back at the alarm panel, so there will be as many circuits as there are zones. These systems are not appropriate for large buildings as it will result in too much wiring, also the main fire panel is not specific enough for large buildings.

An addressable fire alarm system is better for large buildings as all the zones are within a loop, which reduces the amount of wiring. Less wiring means this system is better for high risk areas like hospital, care homes and schools. They are also more specific when is comes to showing the exact location of a fire.

A wireless fire alarm system has the zones within a loop like the addressable system, however, there are no cables, this makes wireless systems good for historic buildings and churches.

Take a look at our blog to find out more.

The Fire Safety Order 2005 states that it is the duty of the ‘responsible person’ in each commercial and industrial premise to ensure that you meet the requirements, including providing a fire detection system suitable for your premise.

The standard life span of an optical detector is 10 years though some specific manufacturers suggest an extended life span. However, detectors need calibrating according to their environment and are highly susceptible to degradation based on environmental factors.

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