Wondering if your fire alarm needs to be monitored? The short answer is no – by law there is no requirement for your fire alarm system to be monitored.
However, by not monitoring your fire alarm, it means it is only purposeful if someone hears the alarm and takes action. When unmonitored, your fire alarm is not working to its full potential to save lives and could be putting the safety of your employees, visitors, assets and business at risk.
Let us explain exactly what a monitored fire alarm system is.
A monitored fire alarm is when a third party fire monitoring provider professionally monitors your fire alarm system for any alarm triggers. If an alarm does sound, the third party can quickly identify whether or not it is a false alarm and instantly alert the fire brigade and emergency services if needed.
A monitored fire alarm addresses the issue of a fire alarm going unnoticed. If a fire breaks out, out of working hours, who will hear the alarm and report the incident? When the fire alarm is being monitored, the responsibility is put on the third party and you can have peace of mind that if an alarm does sound, immediate action will be taken whether you are on-site or not.
Fire alarm monitoring holds multiple benefits that will improve the overall safety of your business.
The monitoring team can action an emergency response in a matter of minutes, much faster than an individual can in the stressful event of a fire. This, therefore, increases the chances of the fire brigade controlling the fire and reducing the damage to your site.
False alarms are not only frustrating and annoying, but they can also waste your and the emergency services’ time. When monitored, false alarms can be prevented as only confirmed alarms are acted upon.
If a fire is detected and acted upon quickly, which it will when being monitored, then this can help reduce any potential business disruption in the form of any damage to the site, equipment or stock, as well as panic from employees. With a monitored fire alarm, you will all be able to leave the site calmly and promptly knowing that the fire brigade is already on its way.
With a third-party monitoring your alarm system, this responsibility no longer sites with you or your employees. You will all be able to exit the site safely if a fire does break out, with no need for employees to attend to the alarm activation and potentially putting their lives at risk.
Fire alarm monitoring operates 24/7, 365 days of the year, meaning your site is constantly being monitored. You will therefore have increased potential from fire and better overall safety than if your system was unmonitored.
Having a monitored fire alarm system gives you complete peace of mind that someone is keeping a watch on your site for potential fires breaking out. You therefore don’t need to worry if no one is on-site, if it’s during a weekend or bank holiday, or about putting such responsibility on your staff.
A monitored fire alarm therefore acts as an additional investment that provides an extra layer of protection for your site and employees. Although not necessary, it provides peace of mind and confidence that if something did happen and a fire broke out, then the emergency services would always be on their way.
At BusinessWatch, we offer a professional and honest service, whilst monitoring your fire alarms 24/7, 365 days a year. Fully NSI Gold accredited, we always provide a 5* service.
Whether you want to set up a new monitoring contract for your fire alarm system or want to switch from your current monitoring supplier, we’ve got you covered. Get in touch on 0330 094 7404 today.
