Adapting your fire alarm system
Your fire alarm system is made up of fire detectors and the control panel, both of which can be adapted to reduce the chance of false alarms. You need to make sure you have the right system for your needs.
Detectors and Manual Call Points
Fire detectors and manual call points are the front line of fire safety in your building; they will alert you to a fire. There are a few key things to consider with detectors:
- Select the right detector for the location/application
- Ensure your detectors are located in sensible places
- Check manual call points can’t be knocked by mistake
- Consider varying the performance level of your detector
- Have your fire system maintained and serviced regularly by a third party certificated company such as BAFE or LPCB
Our Detectors and Call Points Leaflet has more detail -
Fire detectors and call points
Control Panel
The control panel monitors the detectors, sends the signal out if a fire is detected and tells you where in the building the problem is. Many panels can ‘filter’ signals by:
- Disablements – switching off parts of the system at certain times of day or when certain things are happening
- Delays – delays can be set to allow the fire warden to check the area before an alarm is sounded and the brigade is rung
- Multiple Signals – the control panel can be programmed to wait for more than one signal to be sent (from different detectors or a multi-sensor one) before sounding the alarm
There are other options; see
Fire Alarm Control Panel leaflet
Read the leaflets and talk to your fire alarm maintainer to make sure you are getting the best out of your system.