The last thing we want to do in the design of any life safety system is to rely on copy and paste or box-ticking culture. Every building is unique in its combination of building materials, structure, the built environment, its use and its occupants. Fire safety should be viewed holistically in terms of the whole structure and what occurs within it. Fire detection and alarm systems specifically are no different.
Why Is Choosing The Right Fire Alarm System Important?
As noted above, we select different horses for different courses. If we consider the building and its contents, it’s worth considering the fire triangle we all learned at school. We know there’s going to be oxygen, but is there going to be a source of ignition (such as electrical equipment) and fuel (stored goods that can burn, such as boxes or linen, wood or paint)?
Different fuels create different types of smoke, or sometimes no smoke at all. Or is the environment dusty or steamy? We wouldn’t want unwanted activations that cause the whole building to be evacuated every hour!
And then there are the interested parties, which could include the occupant, the responsible person, the leaseholder, the freeholder, the insurer, the local council or borough, the fire and rescue service… Fire alarm systems have to marry the possible risks inherent to the building with the requirements of the people that inhabit or interact with it.
Tips For Choosing The Right Fire Alarm System
Building size and layout
What is the height of the building? What are your ceiling heights? What is the square footage of the floor space? Do you have any racking or high storage? Are there specialist architectural flourishes to consider? Smoke and heat travel in the air and do not move at right angles; will your smoke and heat detectors have room to breathe?
Occupancy type
Do you have members of the general public within your premises, will they be naturally familiar with the building layout? Will they be an overnight guest and under the influence of alcohol? Will the occupants of your building require assistance to evacuate due to age or health concerns? Will the sounding of alarms be overstimulating and panic-inducing? Will trained individuals be present?
Risk Assessment
The complexity of a Fire Risk Assessment shall depend upon the factors considered above. It would be advisable to have a competent and trained third party perform your inspection, with good knowledge of the umbrella of legislation and the requirements of local government. In essence, we need to assess for:
- things that start fires.
- things that burn.
- things that contain fire.
- things that detect fire.
- things that put out fires.
- training and maintenance regimes.
Understand Different Types of Fire Alarm Systems
We tend to split these into commercial or non-domestic fire alarm systems, and domestic fire alarm systems. The equipment is described by ‘Grades’.
Grade A
- Conventional Fire Alarm Systems and Two Wire Fire Alarm Systems
- A control panel complete with an internal standby battery, field wiring in fire-rated cabling and appropriate detection devices and sounders. Monitors for and reports faults such as device removal, power outages or cabling issues. Manufacturers include CTEC, Haes, Kentec, Advanced & Fike, as well as others.
- Analog Addressable Fire Alarm Systems
- An intelligent control panel with an internal standby battery and the ability to be programmed, fire-rated hard wiring or wireless technology can be applied, and appropriate detection devices and sounders. Monitors for and reports faults, power outages cable faults and device faults. Keeps an event log. Manufacturers include Fike, CTEC, Kentec, Advanced, and Morley.
- Grade A is generally applied in commercial settings, buildings of high risk, shared commonway stairwells in non-purpose built flats or apartment buildings, or larger HMOs.
Grade D
- Individual mains supplied 230v devices with local battery backup. Can be installed with non-fire-rated cabling. Interlinked with cabling or via RF. Manufacturers include Aico and Corvius.
Grade C
- A Grade D system but with some degree of control equipment.
The amount of coverage your building requires is described by a ‘Category’, depending upon the risks inherent. Contact us for advice on your fire alarm installation.
Ensure Compliance With Regulations And Standards
This list is by no means exhaustive but a good fire detection and alarm system shall have some consideration given towards BS7671 for cable installation, BS5839 parts 1-9 for fire detection, building actuation and evacuation systems, The Fire Safety Order 2005, the fire safety act 2021, the health and safety at work act 1974, Housing Act 2004 (with secondary legislation specific to HMO’s), the building safety act 2024.
Consider Integration And Expandability
We used to build things to last, but now we build things to change. The requirements of your premises could change quickly with the movement of technology, the economy and the dynamic nature of business and people. If a hardwired simple system might not suit, perhaps a manufacturer such as Fike whose detectors and integrated sounders characteristics can be altered at the device or the panel? Or perhaps a Grade A wireless such as EDA’s Zerio Plus, Hyfire’s Taurus or Apollo’s Reach would benefit you, with easy editing and simple to relocate devices? Perhaps you’re after a Category L5 system due to the building’s BS9999 fire safety design, and you require your system to integrate with the lighting, AV system or loudspeakers rather than sound traditional sirens?
Evaluate Maintenance and Monitoring Options
The Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015 concern not only the design and installation of your equipment but also its service life. Fire Alarm System Maintenance, performed regularly is key. BS5839 recommends that a system be inspected daily, tested weekly, and fully serviced yearly across a minimum of two equally spaced visits. This ensures that your system is in great working order, the safety of your personnel and the function of your building’s fire safety management.
Often off-site? Fire Alarm Monitoring via an appointed Alarm Receiving Center or ARC means that in your absence fire and fault events from your site are in hand. Prefer to keep a closer eye on your maintenance regime? Consider something like Firemate (formerly Nimbus) for your Analog Addressable Fire Alarm System, which will automatically record all panel events into the cloud, and be programmed to text or email any interested parties or stakeholders any event specific to their role.
Speak to a Fire Alarm System Specialist Today!
To find out more or to discuss your fire safety requirements, contact Pretty Wired on 020 4542 1890, email us at info@prettywired.co.uk or send us a message here.
