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Wireless Fire Alarms
Wireless fire alarm specialists since 2007: radio-linked systems to BS EN 54-25 for listed buildings, hotels and occupied homes in London.
We have designed, installed and maintained radio-linked fire alarms since 2007, in listed buildings, hotels, museums and occupied homes where running cables would cause damage or disruption.
A wireless fire alarm works in the same way as a wired one. Detectors, call points and sounders are connected to a control panel and the alarm sounds throughout the building when a fire is detected. The difference is that the devices talk to the panel by radio instead of through cables.
That makes a big difference in the buildings we work in. There is no need to chase walls, lift floors, run containment across corridors or drill through decorative ceilings. Installation in each room takes far less time, and residents, guests and visitors are far less disturbed.
Fire Systems Ltd has specialised in wireless fire alarm installations since 2007. We have fitted radio-linked systems in Grade II and Grade II* listed buildings, in hotels that stayed open throughout, and in blocks of flats where access to individual homes is hard to get.
Wireless Fire Alarm Specialists Since 2007
Wireless fire alarms are held to the same standards as wired systems. We design, install, commission and maintain them under our BAFE SP203-1 certification, audited by SSAIB, a UKAS-accredited body.
Our Technical Manager, Dax Patel, holds manufacturer training in radio-linked fire detection alongside his FIA qualifications in fire alarm design, maintenance and advanced commissioning, and signs off every design.
The Standards Behind a Wireless Fire Alarm
BS EN 54-25. The product standard for radio-linked fire alarm components. It covers how reliably devices communicate with the panel, how they resist interference and how quickly a lost signal is reported.
BS 5839-1:2025. Applies to wireless systems exactly as it does to wired ones: the same categories of cover, detector spacing, sound levels and maintenance regime.
BS 5839-6:2019. Radio-interlinked smoke and heat alarms inside homes are recognised in the code for domestic fire detection.
How we make a wireless system reliable
A radio survey first. We measure signal strength through the real walls and floors before we design, so we know where each device can reliably talk to the panel.
Repeaters and redundant paths. In large or complex buildings, repeaters are placed so devices have more than one route back to the panel.
Constant monitoring. Every device reports its signal and battery status to the panel. A lost signal or low battery shows as a fault straight away, just as a broken cable would on a wired system.
Signal records. Signal strengths are recorded at commissioning and checked at every service, so any drop is spotted before it becomes a problem.
Where a Wireless Fire Alarm Makes Sense
Wireless is not the answer for every building, but in some it is clearly the best option.
Listed and heritage buildings: Detection without damage to historic plaster, panelling, cornices or decorative ceilings, and compact devices that sit discreetly in the interior.
Hotels and guest accommodation: Rooms can be done one at a time around bookings, so the hotel stays open and guests are barely aware of the work.
Occupied homes and sheltered housing: Shorter visits inside each flat, no dust from chasing, and far less disruption for older or vulnerable residents.
Temporary cover: When a panel fails or is damaged, interlinked wireless alarms can be put in quickly to keep people protected until the permanent system is restored.
Buildings that change: Devices can be added or moved when rooms are altered, without rewiring.
Not sure whether wireless suits your building? We carry out a survey and tell you plainly whether wired, wireless or a mix of the two is the better choice.
Looking After a Wireless System
A wireless system needs the same six-monthly maintenance as a wired one, under BS 5839-1. On top of the standard checks, at every service visit we:
Check and record the radio signal strength of every device
Check device battery status and replace batteries on a planned basis before they run low
Confirm every device is still reporting to the panel and that loss of signal is shown as a fault
Check for new walls, partitions or equipment that could affect the radio signal
Read more about our fire alarm servicing and maintenance.
Wireless in practice
A museum in a Grade II* listed church. We worked with the conservation officers and heritage consultants, and submitted detailed plans and mock-ups for approval before work began. The building's high ceilings, narrow passages and fragile fabric meant careful device placement, scaffold access to the high areas and lightweight, compact detectors. Repeaters were placed to give redundant signal paths, and the work was done during off-peak hours and closures so the museum stayed open.
A Grade II listed period house of nine flats. Built as a country house in 1912, the building needed an upgraded fire alarm without disturbing its historic features or its residents. We installed a wireless system in phases, keeping the old system working until the new one was live, and booked access to each flat with the residents and the housing provider.
450 wireless monitoring units in six weeks. On a group of sheltered schemes where engineers could not always get into individual flats, we fitted 450 wireless remote monitoring units so critical alarm points are watched around the clock. Follow-up visits fell and the housing provider gained continuous assurance for its residents.
“Detection in every guest bedroom of a Grade II listed Victorian hotel, without chasing a single cable into its walls.”
Fire Systems Ltd replaced this hotel's fire alarm with a wireless system in 2013 while it stayed open, and has serviced it for over 20 years.
Case Study: Wireless Fire Alarm for a Grade II Listed Hotel
We have serviced the fire alarm at a Victorian Grade II listed hotel in south-east London for more than 20 years. By 2013 the original wired system was breaking down repeatedly, and the guest bedrooms had no detection at all. The hotel's management asked us to replace the system and extend detection into every bedroom, without closing the hotel.
Design. Running new cables through a listed Victorian building would have meant chasing walls, lifting floors and disturbing historic features. We designed a wireless fire alarm instead, using compact detectors chosen to sit discreetly within the interior.
Installation. The hotel stayed open throughout. We worked in phases, keeping the old system live until the new one was fully commissioned, so there was never a gap in protection. Bedroom access was booked with the hotel's management around guest stays, work was planned for quieter periods, and every area was left clean.
Sleeping guests. Every bedroom now has automatic detection, so a fire in a guest room is detected and the alarm raised while it is still small, rather than when smoke reaches the corridor.
Aftercare. We continue to service the system, so the hotel has the same team that designed and installed it looking after it every visit.
Wireless Fire Alarm Questions We Are Often Asked
Are wireless fire alarms as reliable as wired systems?
Yes, when they are properly designed and maintained. Wireless devices are made to BS EN 54-25 and are monitored constantly by the panel, which reports any loss of signal or low battery as a fault. We survey the radio signal before we design and check it at every service.
Do wireless fire alarms meet BS 5839?
Yes. BS 5839-1 applies to wireless systems in the same way as wired ones, with the same categories of cover, detector spacing, sound levels and maintenance. The radio components themselves are made to BS EN 54-25.
What happens when a device battery runs low?
The device reports a low battery to the panel well before it stops working, and the panel shows a fault. We record battery status at every service and replace batteries on a planned basis so they rarely reach that point.
Is a wireless fire alarm more expensive?
Wireless devices cost more than wired ones, but installation is much quicker and there is far less making good, decorating or disruption. Where both are practical, we price both options so you can compare.
Can wireless devices be added to our existing wired system?
Often, yes. Many panels can take wireless devices alongside wired ones, which is useful for extending detection into areas that are hard to cable. We check compatibility at survey.
