Fire Detection and Alarm

Fire detection differs from other security systems in one respect: what is protected is life, not property. Detector placement and evacuation guidance are therefore not arbitrary — they follow the size of the space and the ceiling height.

Addressable or conventional

Conventional panels monitor detectors by zone: the panel says "alarm in zone 3" but not which detector in that zone triggered. For small and medium spaces this is usually enough.

Addressable panels identify each detector individually: which detector, in which room, on which floor, can be read at the panel. They are preferred in large facilities, multi-storey buildings and wherever response time is critical. Addressable systems also report detector contamination, which makes maintenance predictable.

Detector type and placement

Optical smoke detectors give early warning in slow, smouldering fires; they are standard in offices, corridors and bedrooms. Heat detectors are used where smoke or steam is normal — kitchens, boiler rooms, car parks — because optical detectors would produce constant false alarms there. Call points are placed along escape routes and near exit doors.

Detector count is determined by floor area and ceiling height. In high-ceilinged warehouses, smoke thins before reaching the ceiling, so placement is assessed separately.

Alerting and evacuation

Sirens with strobes provide a visual warning where sound is insufficient, such as noisy production areas. Where the installation is integrated with an emergency announcement system, the panel can trigger different evacuation messages depending on the fire zone, preventing a crowd from converging on a single exit.

After installation

A fire system is not considered working until it is verified as working. Periodic testing triggers detectors, checks call points, measures siren sound level and tests the panel's battery endurance. All operations are reported.