Fire Protection
GMSE Fire & Security is a BAFE approved company within the industry. All alarms and smoke detectors are designed, installed and maintained to the current British Standard (BS5839). Our fire alarm surveyors are fully trained to advise owners of offices, retail outlets, industrial sites and domestic premises on their legal obligations regarding fire alarms, smoke detection, fire extinguishers and signage.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states it is a legal requirement for all commercial premises to have adequate fire detection and warning systems in place. This also applies if you’re a landlord, have to pay guests such as a bed and breakfast, guesthouse or let a self-catering property.
More than 80% of businesses that experience a fire never recover from it. So not only do they have the devastation of a fire to contend with, employees could potentially lose their jobs, customers could go elsewhere and the company may struggle to survive in the long term.
GMSE can provide connection to Fire Suppression Systems and Automatic Opening Vents.
Fire Alarms
We offer two different alarm installations:
Hardwired Fire Alarm Systems– (connected by cables to the main control system and power supply)
Radio Fire Alarm Systems – (similar to a wireless computer network system, the detectors are powered by battery)
Where installation of a hard-wired system may be difficult or too disruptive, we recommend a Radio Fire Alarm System. As well as being quicker to install, there will be minimal damage to interior walls or décor. This is a particular requirement in public buildings, theatres, historic buildings, listed properties and private homes.
Alarms can either be installed stand-alone, which sound alarms throughout the premises to notify people to evacuate the building and call fire & rescue.
The other type of alarm is a monitored system, which immediately notifies the nominated key holder and the fire and rescue service (via our monitoring control centre), as well as sounding the alarm on the premises. If you are installing a system in a high-risk property such as a timber framed, historic or commercial property, it is likely your insurer will insist on a monitored system.
Smoke Detection
The fire service is called out to over 600,000 fires every year, which tragically results in over 800 deaths. Although only 8% of all call-outs are to domestic properties, over 62% of fire-related deaths take place in house fires. Put simply, you are 20 times more likely to die in a house fire than you would be in a fire at work.
The sad thing is many of these deaths could have been prevented if a smoke alarm had been fitted – the fire service states you are twice as likely to die in a house fire that has no smoke alarm than a house that does!
A smoke alarm could help save your home and the lives of you and your family.
Smoke and heat detectors in domestic premises’ are often designed as part of an intruder alarm system. If you already have an intruder alarm but no smoke detection, our engineers can add smoke or heat detectors in most cases. In larger homes, our surveyors may advise the installation of a dedicated fire alarm system.
Fire Extinguishers & Signage
As part of the GMSE fire alarm survey, our surveyors will advise on class type, supply and maintenance of fire extinguishers as well as signage throughout the property.
What would you expect from a Fire Alarm service or maintenance?
Fire alarm testing need to be carried out by a competent person with specialised knowledge of detection and alarm systems which would include knowledge of preventing false alarms, adequate access to spare and know how the system works.
Inspections on fire alarms need to be based on a risk assessment but inspections tend not to exceed six months. If the six-month recommendation is not followed the system is considered to no longer be BS5839 compliant.
We would check battery backup supply are tested, in a 6 monthly periodic basis, which will include current draw tests to check the batteries would last minimum 24 hours plus 30 minutes of full sounder mode when mains power is removed. Battery life doesn’t exceed 4 years.
A visual check of the site, no changes to the site that may have changed how the detectors may work. 500mm clear space exists around detector and storage doesn’t encroach 300mm below a detector. The changes wouldn’t cause false alarms.
Call points checked for mechanism and are clear and unobstructed and are at all exits and escape routes.
Check logs for false alarms and record.
Ensure all devices are checked and operating within a year and at least one device from each zone periodically. Cleaned
All control and visual checks have correct operation.
Cause and effects (relays, outputs, switches)
Radio signal strengths checked if applicable.
Fault checks throughout, smoke detector removal, simulation of the fault.
Sounder check allowed by responsible person.
Checks for cable fixings to be secure and fire resistant.
Check schematic zone chart.