SERVICE · COMMERCIAL

Commercial fire & security alarms.

Compliant, monitored, properly maintained.

Installation and maintenance of commercial fire alarm systems to BS 5839, intruder alarms, CCTV systems and access control for premises across East Lancashire. Designed, installed, commissioned and serviced.

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

Why fire and security isn't a side job.

Fire alarms and security systems sit at the intersection of electrical work, life safety, and insurance compliance. They’re regulated by different standards (BS 5839 for fire, BS 8243 for intruder, IEC 62676 for CCTV), inspected by different parties (fire risk assessors, insurers, security accreditors), and tend to be the systems that fail their next inspection if the install wasn’t done right in the first place.

We see plenty of commercial premises where the fire alarm was installed by a general electrician years ago, never properly commissioned to BS 5839, and is now flagging false alarms that no one trusts. Or a CCTV system put in by the lowest bidder that doesn’t actually meet the insurance requirement for monitored coverage. Or an intruder alarm with a battery that’s been flat for two years.

Compliant, monitored, properly maintained. The fire and security alarm systems done right is the fire and security alarm systems that doesn’t come back as a problem in two years.

We do this work to BS standards from the beginning. Fire alarms designed by category to BS 5839 (L1, L2, L3 etc), commissioned properly, with certification a fire risk assessor will accept. Intruder alarms to BS 8243 grades 2 or 3 as required by your insurance. CCTV designed for the actual coverage needed, with retention and access compliant with GDPR.

We also do the boring but critical part: annual maintenance. Fire alarms need a quarterly visual inspection and annual full service. Intruder alarms need annual maintenance for insurance compliance. CCTV needs periodic verification. Routine work, but the work that determines whether the system actually does its job five years in.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Every fire and security alarm systems job includes all of this, as standard.

01

Fire alarm design to BS 5839.

System designed by category (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, M) for life safety or property protection per your fire risk assessment. Zoning, detector placement and sounder coverage all to standard.

02

Intruder alarms to BS 8243.

Grade 2 or Grade 3 systems per your insurance requirement. Designed, installed, commissioned and certified for monitoring or local-only operation.

03

CCTV with GDPR-compliant retention.

IP camera systems with recording retention and access controls compliant with current GDPR guidance. Coverage designed to actual need, not over-spec.

04

Access control integration.

Door entry systems, fob access, integration with fire alarm fail-safe release. Audit logs and remote-management options.

05

Annual maintenance contracts.

Quarterly visual inspections and annual full-service on fire alarms. Annual maintenance on intruder alarms. CCTV verification on schedule.

06

Certification and log books.

BS 5839 certificate of installation, intruder alarm certificate for insurance, CCTV system documentation. Log books left on site for inspection visits.

THE PROCESS

How a typical install actually works.

DAY 1 · SURVEY
Site visit and risk-based design.

We walk the building with your fire risk assessment, the insurance requirements and the operational needs in mind. Detector placement, camera coverage and access points all mapped.

01
DAY 1 · SURVEY
DAYS 2-5 · DESIGN
System design and quote.

Full system design produced - schematics, equipment list, cable routes, commissioning plan. Quote covers install, commissioning, certification and first-year maintenance.

02
DAYS 2-5 · DESIGN
PRE-INSTALL · SCHEDULING
Phased install plan agreed.

For occupied buildings we phase the install so any existing alarm coverage stays in place until the new system is commissioned and tested. No coverage gaps.

03
PRE-INSTALL · SCHEDULING
INSTALL · 2-5 DAYS
Cabling, devices and commissioning.

Cable runs first, then device installation, panel installation, programming, walk-test of every device, commissioning to standard.

04
INSTALL · 2-5 DAYS
SIGN-OFF · SAME DAY
Certification and handover.

BS 5839 certificate (fire), intruder alarm certificate, CCTV documentation, user training, log book left on site. Maintenance schedule diarised.

05
SIGN-OFF · SAME DAY

TYPICAL FIGURES

What an average commercial fire install typically involves.

Figures from fire and security installations across East Lancashire commercial premises over the past twelve months.
 

DETECTORS TYPICAL

42 dev

Average detector count on a small commercial fire alarm

INSTALL DURATION

3 day

Typical install for a small commercial premises

MAINTENANCE VISITS

4 /yr

Quarterly visual plus annual full-service standard

SYSTEM LIFESPAN

15 yr

BS 5839 recommended replacement window for fire panels

TYPICAL FIGURES

Questions we get a lot.

Determined by your fire risk assessment and use of building. L1 (full life safety) is highest coverage. L2-L5 are progressively lower. M (manual call points only) is minimum for some smaller premises. We work from your FRA.

Yes – all our installs are certified BS 5839 compliant. We can liaise with your FRA directly to confirm the design meets the assessment’s recommendations.

Yes – all our installs come with first-year maintenance included and ongoing maintenance contracts thereafter. Quarterly visuals plus annual full-service for fire, annual maintenance for intruder.

Sometimes yes – if the existing cabling is compliant (fire-rated cable, correct topology) we can replace just the panel and detectors. Often the cabling is the issue and needs replacing too. We assess at survey stage.

Yes – commercial CCTV recording of identifiable people is a data processing activity under GDPR. We design systems with appropriate retention periods, access controls and signage to make compliance straightforward.

Yes – magnetic door holders, electric strikes and similar door hardware can be wired to release on fire alarm activation, ensuring escape routes are clear. Common on larger commercial premises.

GET IN TOUCH

Got a fire job to look at?

Free site survey. Quote and payback figures within forty-eight hours. No pressure, no follow-up calls if it’s not for you.