Fire Alarm queries

I have a Cafe bar with a properly installed fire Alarm, serviced anually and i carry out all the required tests, call points, detectors, sounders etc. It isn't monitored. Some of the detectors are in silly places eg. A smoke detector outside a kitchen door!

Anyway, i just find it odd that in 6 years of service (nealy 7), we have had NO false alarms, problems or anything. People seem to moan about false alarms, problems and other things on this site, but we havent had anything of the sort. Is this Normal?

A properly designed and installed system should not false alarm.

If you have proper kitchen extraction any smoke should be going up the extractor and not leaking out of the kitchen.

as Owain says.

if the system has been designed, fitted and maintained correctly, you should not get any false alarms.

if you want to test the smoke detectors yourself, go to local electrical wholesaler and ask them to get you a `can of smoke` no its not a micky take, its a can of propellent that will trigger the devices.

follow the instructions on the can, and you smoke detectors should activate.

if it dont, call the company who maintains it

you as the property occupier are legally bound under the Regulatory Reform (fire) orders 2006 to ensure that your fire detection system, and emergency lighting (and that your risk assesment is ALWAYS up to date)

yep the regs are now on OUR side not the buildings owner/occupier

josh451 said:

I have a Cafe bar with a properly installed fire Alarm, serviced anually and i carry out all the required tests, call points, detectors, sounders etc. It isn't monitored. Some of the detectors are in silly places eg. A smoke detector outside a kitchen door!

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I dont do fire, but, if you have it serviced, then surely the maintaining co would point out the 'silly places' to you and have them changed, with your agreement of course.

Would say though, if you've had no false alarms then this is good.

Ive had that solo"no climb" stuff before, works a treat!

However, because its a Cafe Bar, we open on a night, and before the smoking legistlation came in, people were able to smoke in the building, which the company said it was not a problem, and fitted rate of rise detectors, some of which cover the main fire exit routes including one stairwell. Surely you should put smokes there, now the smoking legislation has changed.

Also, what are the monitoring services like for fire alarms, they try and sell them to me every year, and i casually say no, but the more you think, it may come in usefull. does it run on the same principal of burglar alarms, where 1 is keyholder, 2 is full response. (thats what the alarm guys said how it happens, not good when it happens at at 3AM!)

Any exit routes should have smoke detectors and not heat detectors.

monitoring fire alarms

we do supply and fit monitored fire systems, but only to the larger clients.

for a small outlet, well, its really a thing that you should discuss with your insurance company. if they offer a large enough discount, (that will cover the charges that you maintenance company will charge you) go for it

in regard to they way they operate, its like an intruder alarm (with the analogue addressable systems) they have a `pre fire` alert that would alert the monitoring station to call the keyholder, but with the older `single shot` systems they have a time scale, if the alarm activates, during the day(open) the ARC calls the site to enquire what is wrong, if the site is closed they call the fire service,
and yes you do need a URN and an approved installer BAFE (NSI OR SSAIB FIRE).to be able to provide monitoring services to fire.

Any exit routes should have smoke detectors and not heat detectors.

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If the exit route is via a kitchen etc then heat or rate of rise detectors would need to be fitted. On new systems now ALL doors that open to the outside must be fitted with a call point (break glass)

That is why it is important to have the fire alarm installed by a company that can supply certificates for the Design and Commissioning of the system. (and can back the certification up !!!)

It also depends when the fire system was 1st installed, as the regulations have changed a few times over the past 15 years.

If the system was installed since 2002 then I would assume it should be an L3 system where there is automatic detection (smokes or multisensors) covering escape routes and areas where free passage is essential to preserve life. And breakglass at emergency exits and between zones.

Detetors sometimes seem in strange places and it may have been to the building construction and getting cables to detectors etc. But a smoke detector covers an area or 7.5m radius so in a corridor of 30 meters only 2 detectors are required and the deistance between those detectors would be 15m, but if the corridor is 20m then the spacing may not look even but it would cover the aread as long as the detectors were closer than 7.51m from the ends of the corridor etc.

Multisensors are a good idea for premesis where false activation is a concern, where during working hours when cooking and such is occurring the detectors will be heat detectors and in the evening they will be smoke and heat detectors, which will protect the building from fire.


But if you have not had false alarms, and your maitenance company have serviced the system at regular intervals and clean detectors etc then the lack of false alarms is a credit to you diligence and you maintenacne companys efforts.

Rob