Fire Alarm Systems

Where do Firecall operate?

We operate across the Midlands and South of England, especially; Cheltenham (Gloucestershire), Worcester (Worcestershire), Hereford (Herefordshire), Warwick (Warwickshire), Oxford (Oxfordshire), Swindon (Wiltshire), Bristol and Bath.

Choosing the right fire alarm:

Either Building Control, British Standards, your Fire Risk Assessment or in some cases your insurers. (See further below under 'Property Protection'.)

Manual Fire Alarm Systems

This is the simplest type of alarm. The occupants are the 'detectors' and they sound the alarm. This is only suitable for single occupancy buildings without any areas where a fire could start unnoticed and block an escape route before the building can be evacuated.

Automatic Life Protection Systems

For use where there are unoccupied areas and common corridors where a fire could start undetected and the existing fire protection is inadequate. There are three degrees of cover:

• L1: Automatic detectors throughout the building
• L2: Automatic detectors on all escape routes and rooms opening onto escape routes and defined areas of high risk
• L3: Automatic detectors on all escape routes and rooms off escape routes

Automatic Property Protection Systems

Fire Risk Assessments consider the risk to life. Sometimes the client, or their insurers may also, when the value of the building or contents is high, want to safeguard the property risk which could mean that a higher level of detection is required.

The two levels are:

• P1: Total property protection
• P2: Detectors in those areas of high risk

These systems are normally linked to a monitoring station.

Analogue Systems

This is the simplest form of automatic fire detection. They can be used in smaller buildings which are not on too many floors and are without too many occupiers. The building is divided into zones. There should be at least one zone for each floor and preferrably one zone for each occupier. If there is an activation, the panel will identify the zone in which the activation occurred.

Addressable Systems

More advanced than the analogue system. So named as each detector / call point is given a unique 'address' on the panel. So these are used in larger buildings. On an activation the precise location of the activation is identified on the panel.

To comply with BS5839 all alarms need to be serviced at least every six months.  There needs to be a weekly bell test when a different call point is triggered, each week in rotation, around the building. (Unless there are more than 14 zones, when a second call point needs to be triggered).

The bell test and the servicing routines should be recorded in the log book which must be kept on site.

Wired or Wireless?

Wireless (or radio) alarms are more expensive to install and maintain. However, they take much less time to install and there is a lot less disruption. So, if the window for installation is tight, the ability to conceal the fire cables difficult or the decorations elaborate, then we may well advise clients to consider this option.

Several times in the passed 12 months we have extended an existing wired system in a building that remains occupied and have added a wireless panel to the wired panel to cover the new areas.  

September 2009: Firecall are safecontractor accredited.  

Haes System Approved Partner

Firecall is a Haes Systems Approved Partner. We have just installed our first Expander Sytem enabling wireless and wired detectors to be run off the same panel.