What is a commercial fire alarm system?

An effective fire alarm system must be correctly installed and maintained in your commercial building to ensure the safety of people and property.

Fire alarm systems can come in a range of formats and configurations but all serve the same purpose, which is to detect and mitigate the severity of a fire in the event of an emergency. 

This blog post will discuss the various aspects of commercial fire alarm systems, how they work, and what systems are most suitable for commercial properties.

What is a commercial fire alarm system?

A commercial fire alarm system is installed to ensure that, should a fire break out in your building, you will be notified at the earliest opportunity and protective steps will be put in place to enable building occupants to safely evacuate the premises, as well as ideally protecting your building from further damage by alerting the emergency services immediately. 

What does a commercial fire alarm system include?

There are several components that make an effective commercial fire alarm system. These include a control panel, manual call points, network controllers, smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide detectors, as well as audio and visual detectors.

The control panel is the primary component of all fire alarm systems, as it is responsible for managing all the other devices that are connected to the system. It works to guarantee that all devices work in tandem so that the system operates smoothly when activated.

How does it work?

Your system’s sensors will identify any heat, smoke, or carbon monoxide on the premises. They will then sound either an audible or visual alarm to get occupants to evacuate the premises and find a safe place away from the potential danger inside or outside the building. 

The control panel can send a signal to a 24-hour monitoring centre. As soon as the monitoring centre receives the signal, they will notify the appropriate authorities that they have received a report at your address. The monitoring centre will then give you a call to inform you that they have received the signal and that the emergency services have been notified.

Does my business require a commercial fire alarm system?

Under the UK fire alarm regulations, every commercial building is required to have an appropriate fire alarm system in accordance with the Fire Risk Assessment. 

According to UK government legislation, you, as a business owner, bear all responsibility for the fire safety procedures in your building. Hence, installing a functional fire alarm system is a simple approach to guarantee that you are both following legal requirements and safeguarding building occupants.  

What type of fire alarm system does my business need?

The type of installed fire alarm you need depends solely on the type of commercial building you own. There are three main types of systems which are differentiated by their setup and wiring. These have been detailed below. 

• Conventional fire alarm systems

Conventional fire alarm systems, often referred to as a 4-wire system, are hardware systems that communicate through wiring. They consist of automatic detectors and manual call points that are wired from the control panel to either fire alarm zones or sounder circuits. 

Each ‘fire alarm zone’ is a physical wire circuit that informs the control panel of where the fire has been detected on the premises. The control panel is then wired to at least two sounder circuits, which accommodate the system’s warning devices and alert building occupants of a potential fire. 

Smaller businesses, such as local shops and restaurants, would benefit the most from this type of fire alarm system. 

• Addressable fire alarm systems

An addressable fire alarm system functions by assigning an ‘address’ to every device in the system. Every device tracks changes in its surrounding atmosphere to pinpoint the precise location of a fire within the building. 

They are a modern solution that tracks the progression of the fire across the building and communicates this information digitally, enabling emergency services to proactively evacuate building occupants from dangerous areas. 

This type of system would be most beneficial to larger commercial properties and industrial facilities. 

• Wireless (radio) fire alarm systems

A wireless (radio) fire alarm system connects detectors and call points to your fire alarm control panel via radio transmission. As this system is battery-operated, it will continue to function as intended even in the case of a power outage.

They work in the same way as traditional fire alarm systems and are especially popular in historical or protected buildings since they prevent miles of unattractive cable between the detectors, sounders, and main control panel from having an impact on the building’s aesthetics.  They are also a good solution to challenging installations such as where asbestos exists or hard to reach areas where it is difficult to install cabling.

Larger commercial buildings, such as hospitals, office complexes, schools, universities, and warehouses, are most suited for these systems.

How Nortec Fire can help

At Nortec Fire, we can design, install, and commission fire alarm systems that are specifically suited to your building’s requirements, ensuring the safety of your premises and its occupants. 

Whether you require a conventional, addressable, or wireless alarm system, our team of experts will work directly with you to offer detailed drawings and zone plans tailored to the category of your commercial building.

As a BAFE registered company, we adhere to the most up-to-date British Standards code of practice during the entire design and installation process to ensure the safety of building occupants is prioritised. 

You can learn more about our fire alarm design and installation service here.