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Security Systems Cumbria – PWS Systems, intruder alarms, fire alarms, CCTV installers Cumbria and Carlisle

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Fire Detection & Alarm Systems

Fire Alarm Systems are a vital part of our every day life which protect us and our properties! Having the right level of fire protection in your property and maintaining your fire system will give you confidence, reassurance and keep you on the right side of the law. Many business owners, property owners and landlords don’t realise that not actively maintaining a fire alarm by carrying out weekly fire test or having a system tested every 6 months with a maintenance agreement means that the installed system doesn’t comply with BS5839:1 and more seriously it could lead to a criminal offence should a fire occur and the system not operate correctly.

PWS Systems can help you with all fire alarm requirements anywhere in Cumbria, Northumberland and North Lancashire.

We provide professional design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of small conventional to large addressable fire alarm systems. From a small office building to a school or a hotel, we will be able to assist you find the right solution for you.

Fire Alarm Monitoring

Sometimes Fire Alarm system needs to be monitored to protect a property with Fire Brigade response. We can help you with this by connecting your fire alarm system to our designated Alarm Receiving Centre. 

For the most reliable connections we use market leading signalling products from CSL Dual Com. For more info on these products please visit our Maintenance & Monitoring Page.

Fire Risk Assessments

In 2005 businesses, organisations and landlords were given strict guidelines to follow with regards to fire safety in the from of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. It states that they must carry out Fire Risk Assessments and that the responsibility for fire safety now lies fully with the ‘responsible person’.

The responsible person can be a building proprietor, business owner, landlord or a dedicated member of an organisations staff. There is also the option to outsource the responsibility and employ the services of a professional fire risk assessor who will survey the premises and report back his findings.

If you need to have a new fire alarm system installed or you are planning an extension to an existing fire alarm then we always recommend that you seek a professional fire risk assessor to carry out an assessment of your property. The risk assessment will determine the right level of fire protection for your property by providing a category of system to be installed. We can then design you a system to meet the required category.

We can also provide contact details of professional fire risk assessors if required.

Fire Alarm System Categories

BS5839 Splits fire alarm systems into 3 categories.  These 3 categories are Category P Systems, Category L Systems and Category M Systems.  Please find following a description of these categories.

All the systems described below are expected to have manual call points on all final exits, entrances to stairwells and corridors where persons are not expected to walk more than 45 metres to operate a call point.

Category L Fire Alarm Systems

The main objective BS5839 Category L Fire Alarm System is life protection.  These systems are split into 5 classifications L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5.

BS5839 Classification L1 Explanation

A BS5839 L1 classification includes automatic fire detection in all rooms, on all escape routes and in all voids over 800mm in height.  Sounders positioned throughout the building to achieve a minimum of 65dB(A) throughout the building and 75dB(A) at bedhead where there is a sleeping risk.  In areas of high ambient noise sound levels the fire alarm sound levels should be 5dB(A) above the normal noise level although not exceeding 120dB(A).

BS5839 Classification L2 Explanation

A BS5839 Classification L2 System should include automatic fire detection on all escape routes and rooms leading onto escape routes.  An L2 system can also include additional areas deemed as a high risk not included in the escape routes and adjoining rooms, such as boiler houses.  The sounders in the building should be according to the description in the BS5839 Category L1 description as above.

BS5839 Classification L3 System Explanation

A BS5839 Classification L3 system is very similar to a category L2 system in that automatic fire detection should be positioned on escape routes and adjoining rooms, although it does not have to include for additional areas deemed to have a high fire risk.  The sounders in the building should be according to the description in the BS5839 Category L1 description as above.

BS5839 Classification L4 System Explanation

A BS5839 Classification L4 system includes automatic fire detection on escape routes only, and not in the adjoining rooms as per the L2 and L3 classifications.  The sounders in the building should be according to the description in the BS5839 Category L1 description as above.

BS5839 Classification L5 System Explanation

A BS5839 Classification L5 System is designed for buildings that have a particular fire risk identified which warrants some special attention.  For example if there is an area of high fire risk which is considered worthy of having some automatic detection but a manual system is also needed, then this will be termed as L5/M.  The sounders in the building should be according to the description in the BS5839 Category L1 description as above.

Category M Fire Alarm Systems

A BS5839 Category M Fire Alarm System is a manual operation only system which has call points on all exits as well as corridors where persons are not expected to walk any more than 45m to operate one.

Category P Fire Alarm Systems

BS5839 Category P Fire Alarm Systems are designed specifically for protection of property only.  Category P systems are split into 2 classifications P1 or P2.

The main objective of a Category P1 fire alarm system is to provide the earliest possible warning of a fire to minimise the time between ignition and the arrival of the fire fighters. 

The difference between a P1 and a P2 system is that a P1 system is designed to protect the whole building, whereas a P2 system is installed in defined parts of the building only.  These defined parts of the building may be areas with an extraordinary high fire risk or hazard.