It is a legal requirement for all non-domestic/commercial properties to (where appropriate) equip the building with fire detectors and fire alarms. It is also part of these requirements to ensure they are maintained appropriately, ready to activate in the event of a fire. 

Protive Group are accredited  BAFE SP203-1 which covers Fire Detection and Fire Alarm Systems. This Scheme exists to deliver quality, independent evidence that providers are competent to deliver design, installation, commissioning and/or maintenance fire detection and fire alarm system services. 

The four ways your fire alarm system works to protect your property and its occupants from the dangers of fire are by detecting fire, alerting occupants, managing risk, and notifying the fire department. 

The 4 main purposes of a Fire Alarm System 

1 Detect Fire 

Your fire alarm system is designed to detect fire in two main ways: smoke and heat. It should also have the capability of manual pull, in case a fire is observed before smoke or heat reaches the sensors of the system. Other systems are activated when movement in the sprinkler system is detected, indicating that the sprinklers are responding to a fire.  

2 Alert Occupants 

When the fire alarm system detects smoke, heat, or water movement, it alerts occupants of the building using both audible and visible alarms. These alarms will be bright, loud, obnoxious, and impossible to ignore, which help mobilize individuals to follow your evacuation plan. Using both types of alarms ensure that every person in the building is alerted. 

3 Manage Risks 

Your building’s fire alarm system works in a third way to protect you: by reacting to potential risks using control measures. When the alarm is activated, some systems perform a set of tasks that help prevent fire and smoke from spreading as well as protect occupants, such as: automatically shutting doors in different zones, powering off ventilation and air conditioning, or redirecting elevators to bring cars to a designated level. 

4 Notify Authorities 

The fourth purpose of your fire alarm system is to notify authorities. This ensures the fire department is en route as quickly as possible, so they can respond and extinguish the fire before it becomes an even bigger threat.