our service
Fire Alarm Installation
Fire alarm installation and upgrades, commissioning and handover for occupied housing, hotels and commercial buildings in London.
Our engineers plan installation around occupied buildings, keeping the existing system live until the new one is commissioned.
Fire Systems Ltd installs and commissions fire alarm systems for housing associations, local authorities, hotels, heritage buildings and commercial clients across London and the South East. Almost all of it happens in occupied buildings, so we plan every project around the residents, guests and staff who are still there.
We phase the work and keep the existing system live until the new one is commissioned. Risk assessments, method statements and a Construction Phase Plan support a programme that keeps the building protected and disruption to a minimum.
For surveys, categories, drawings and cause and effect, see Fire Alarm Design
Certified Fire Alarm Installation and Commissioning
Fire Systems Ltd holds BAFE SP203-1 third-party certification for the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire detection and alarm systems, audited by SSAIB, a UKAS-accredited body. We are NICEIC registered for the electrical work involved and members of the Fire Industry Association.
Our design and commissioning engineers hold FIA qualifications in fire detection design and advanced fire alarm commissioning, and our Technical Manager, Dax Patel, signs off every design. On larger projects we act as Principal Designer and Principal Contractor under CDM 2015, and everyone on site holds non-licensed asbestos training.
Planning, Installation and Commissioning
Planning. Risk assessments and method statements, a Construction Phase Plan and a programme that keeps the building protected and disruption to a minimum.
Resident communication. Letters and reminders before each visit, a named project manager acting as resident liaison officer and, on larger schemes, drop-in sessions where residents can meet the team and ask questions.
Installation. Strip-out of redundant equipment, cabling and containment, new devices and panel, then fire stopping and making good, with the old system kept live until the new one is commissioned.
Commissioning. Every device tested, sound levels measured and recorded, and the cause and effect proven, usually with your consultant present.
When a Fire Alarm Needs Replacing or Upgrading
These are the situations where we are most often asked to design and install a new fire alarm.
Fire risk assessment actions: The assessor has found areas without detection, the wrong category of cover, or a system that no longer matches the building or its evacuation strategy.
Ageing or failing systems: Panels and devices that keep going into fault, parts that are no longer made, or a conventional system that cannot tell you which device has operated.
Too many false alarms: Detectors in the wrong place or of the wrong type cause repeated false alarms, and residents start to ignore the alarm.
Refurbishment and change of use: New layouts, partitions or a change of use change the fire risk, and the alarm has to change with it.
Higher-risk buildings: Blocks of 18m and over need fire alarm records that form part of the golden thread, and a design that works with the building’s evacuation strategy.
Not sure what your building needs? We survey it, review the fire risk assessment and fire strategy, and give you a clear, costed recommendation.
How We Deliver a Fire Alarm Installation
The installation programme follows the agreed design and is planned around the people who remain in the building.
Planning. Risk assessments and method statements, a Construction Phase Plan and a programme that keeps the building protected and disruption to a minimum.
Resident communication. Letters and reminders before each visit, a named project manager acting as resident liaison officer and, on larger schemes, drop-in sessions where residents can meet the team and ask questions.
Installation. Strip-out of redundant equipment, cabling and containment, new devices and panel, then fire stopping and making good, with the old system kept live until the new one is commissioned.
Commissioning. Every device tested, sound levels measured and recorded, and the cause and effect proven, usually with your consultant present.
Handover. Design, installation and commissioning certificates, as-fitted drawings, a zone chart at the panel, the logbook, O&M manuals and training for your staff.
Once the system is in, our engineers can look after it: see fire alarm servicing and maintenance.
For the survey and agreed design, see Fire Alarm Design
Working in occupied homes
Most of our installations happen with residents at home, in sheltered schemes where people may be older or less mobile, and in hotels that cannot close. That shapes how we work:
Asbestos management surveys are used to plan where cabling, containment and equipment can go before anyone drills a hole.
Work is phased so the existing system stays live and every part of the building stays protected.
Access to flats is booked with residents and scheme managers, with appointments between 7am and 8pm and at weekends.
Every engineer is DBS checked, wears identification and leaves each area clean at the end of the day.
On a programme for one London housing association, the client’s health and safety consultants visited our sites at various stages to check quality, progress and safety, and reported that the works were on schedule and every safety check had been passed.
“New fire alarm systems designed, installed and commissioned across 16 occupied properties, with residents at home throughout.”
Fire Systems Ltd delivered this automatic fire detection programme for a London housing association between 2021 and 2023.
Case Study: New Fire Alarm Systems in 16 Occupied Housing Properties
Between 2021 and 2023 we designed, installed and commissioned new automatic fire detection systems in 16 properties for a London housing association, across several different property types. Residents stayed in their homes throughout.
Scope. Initial site inspections, stripping out and disposing of the redundant systems, new fire alarm systems with cabling and containment, fire stopping and restoration, testing and commissioning, staff demonstrations and training, and recorded drawings and O&M manuals for every building.
Safety. We acted as Principal Designer and Principal Contractor, with a Construction Phase Plan for each site. The client’s asbestos management surveys were used to decide where cabling and equipment could safely go, and every operative held non-licensed asbestos training.
Residents. Our project manager acted as resident liaison officer, supported by a dedicated site person in charge. We held coffee mornings so residents could meet the team, explained what would happen and what precautions to take, and sent reminder letters before each visit.
Handover. A final inspection and test was carried out jointly with the client’s consultants. Once compliance was confirmed, each system was handed over with full documentation.
We are now delivering a larger fire alarm upgrade programme for another housing association, working with its appointed consultants from survey and design through to commissioning and handover, alongside routine maintenance across the same portfolio.
Fire Alarm Installation Questions We Are Often Asked
Can a new fire alarm be installed while residents stay in the building?
Yes. Almost all our installations are in occupied homes, sheltered schemes and hotels. We phase the work, keep the old system live until the new one is commissioned, and book access around residents.
How long does a fire alarm installation take?
It depends on the size of the building and how easy access is. A small block can take a few days; a large or complex building is phased over several weeks. We give you a programme before work starts and keep to it.
Should we choose a conventional or addressable system?
A conventional system tells you which zone has operated; an addressable system tells you exactly which device. Addressable systems make it much quicker to find the cause of an alarm or fault, so we usually recommend them for anything beyond a small building.
Do you design the system as well as install it?
Yes. We hold BAFE SP203-1 certification for design, installation, commissioning and maintenance. Our designs go to your consultant or fire engineer for acceptance before work starts.
What will we receive at handover?
Design, installation and commissioning certificates, as-fitted drawings, a zone chart beside the panel, the system logbook and O&M manuals. We also show your staff or scheme managers how the system works and how to carry out the weekly test.
