We believe fire alarm monitoring is essential and so should you. The UK Home Office reported 180 fire-related fatalities in homes in England in the last year, highlighting the critical need for constant vigilance. A fire that is not caught early can lead to tremendous damage and above all, loss of life.
Luckily, fire alarm monitoring can result in the quick identification of fire and an immediate response from the emergency services.
What is fire alarm monitoring?
Fire alarm monitoring is when you use a third-party company to provide full-time monitoring of a site’s fire safety system. They will be monitoring for system faults that may compromise the effectiveness of the system in the event of a fire, as well as alarm, smoke and heat detectors that would suggest a fire has broken out. If it is thought that a fire is present, the monitoring team will confirm it is not a false alarm, either by contacting the account key holder or via the site’s CCTV system, if possible. If there is a confirmed fire then the monitoring team can instantly action an emergency response from the fire brigade and emergency services.
Modern fire alarm monitoring goes beyond simply listening for a beep; it’s a sophisticated, 24/7 security service delivered from a high-tech Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC). At RMS, our service ensures continuous supervision of your premises, which is a vital part of your overall risk management strategy. This is especially important given the ongoing changes in fire safety legislation in the UK, such as the implementation of Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022, which places greater responsibility on building owners and managers. Effective fire alarm monitoring is essential for businesses across all sectors, from offices and restaurants to manufacturing and waste recycling facilities, each of which presents unique fire risks.
Who monitors the fire alarms?
A monitoring team at your chosen alarm monitoring centre will monitor the site’s fire alarms.
At RMS, our monitoring operatives are highly skills and hold years of industry experience in monitoring all types of alarms across multiple industries. They are trained to a high standard to respond quickly and efficiently to all alarms and provide the most appropriate rapid response to each situation, such as the fire brigade. We pride ourselves on our customer service and we make sure all operatives are highly skilled in this area, to provide a friendly, calm and approachable service during times that have the potential to be quite stressful for the client.
Our Alarm Receiving Centre operates to the highest industry standards, and is a key part of why clients choose us. When considering a monitoring partner, it is crucial to check for certifications that prove their competence and reliability, ensuring you are partnering with an organisation that meets stringent operational standards. Our operators are trained not just in emergency response, but also in advanced verification techniques, often utilising AI and video analytics to assess the situation before escalating to the emergency services. This process of verification is vital to reduce unnecessary call-outs.
Beyond fire, our centre is equipped to handle a wide range of alerts, offering comprehensive security monitoring that includes intruder alarms, lone worker monitoring, and environmental issues. This holistic approach means you have one trusted partner managing all your remote site needs, which is often a requirement from major insurers.
Why is fire alarm monitoring beneficial for the end-user?
Fire alarm monitoring provides various benefits for the end-user across multiple areas both financially and emotionally. Our top 6 benefits of fire alarm monitoring are:
Complete protection
Fire alarm monitoring protects a site from the devastating effects of fire. By automatically identifying and responding to a fire breaking out, it means there is an increased likelihood that the fire will be dealt with as quickly as possible with minimal damage to the site, no matter the time of day.
This enhanced protection can also have a tangible impact on business insurance. Many insurers now advocate for professionally managed fire protection systems and may offer reduced premiums for businesses with monitored alarms, viewing it as a clear commitment to risk mitigation. We encourage clients to speak to their broker to fully understand how professional monitoring can reduce their overall risk profile.
Improved employee safety
Because the responsibility of alarm monitoring sits with the third-party monitoring team, employees are at a reduced amount of risk from fire, as they will not need to attend any alarm activations.
At RMS, all our monitoring is carried out remotely, which means there is a reduced risk to all individuals when dealing with fire alarm activations. Furthermore, for sites with vulnerable residents, such as those in the care home sector, immediate, professional monitoring is absolutely non-negotiable for resident safety and regulatory compliance.
Reduce false alarms
False alarms can have serious costs to the end-user, as well as wasting the emergency services time. With fire alarm monitoring, operatives will always confirm whether the activated alarm is false or because a real fire has broken out, before they action an emergency response.
The use of advanced verification, including integration with CCTV and video analytics, allows our operatives to quickly dismiss alarms caused by non-threats like cooking smoke or dust, which significantly reduces the burden on the fire service and avoids costly fines for excessive false call-outs. This systematic approach to alarm validation is one of the most significant benefits of using a professional monitoring service.
Reduce business downtime
Without professional fire alarm monitoring, it can take a significant amount of time for the business to be up and running again after a triggered fire alarm. This can lead to downtime that will end up costing the business valuable time and money, something that is particularly frustrating when it ends up being a false alarm! With fire alarm monitoring in place, the operatives can identify false alarms and prevent any potential downtime.
Minimising business interruption is a core focus. A faster, verified response to a genuine fire means less damage and a quicker return to operation. Even in the event of a system fault, our non-security monitoring services, such as SNMP monitoring, can alert a maintenance engineer immediately, often before the client is even aware of the issue. This proactive fault resolution reduces the likelihood of the fire system being compromised when it is most needed, directly protecting your business continuity.
Immediate response
Monitoring operatives are specifically trained in providing the most appropriate response to a situation and as quickly as possible. Although you may think that you would be able to respond quickly yourself, you could waste valuable minutes deciding what to do and who to contact, especially with the emotional stress of a site being at serious risk. Not to mention that a monitoring team will be able to provide a rapid response, no matter the time of day. Even at 4 am on Christmas morning, they’ll be able to provide a quick and efficient response.
The critical importance of an immediate response cannot be overstated, particularly when considering the speed at which a fire can take hold. Furthermore, our 24/7/365 operational capability is maintained through robust, redundant systems and clear backup protocols, ensuring there is no single point of failure. This level of reliability is paramount for life safety and property protection.
Peace of mind
There is nothing more valuable than peace of mind. By taking the stress and responsibility of alarm monitoring off of employees and transferring it to a professional monitoring team, you can guarantee that no alarm will be missed and will always be dealt with immediately, therefore providing the very best protection for a site.
This peace of mind extends beyond just fire. Our integrated approach allows for the centralised management of all your site monitoring needs, from security to environmental alerts like flood and water monitoring. Knowing that a dedicated team is constantly watching over every critical aspect of your premises, as detailed in our comprehensive guide to combining fire, security, and environmental monitoring, allows business owners to focus on their core operations. The complexity of modern fire detection systems, including the importance of compliance with the latest British Standards for fire alarms, is expertly managed by our team, reducing the compliance burden on your business.
Get Started With Fire Alarm Monitoring
There are therefore many benefits of fire alarm monitoring and it can provide immense value to a site in terms of the increased protection and prevention against fire.
If you are considering fire alarm monitoring for your clients or are looking for a new monitoring contract, get in touch with us on 0330 002 1149 for a FREE, no-obligation quotation.
Discover the full range of benefits and how our services can be tailored to your specific needs by downloading The Complete Guide to Fire Alarm Monitoring.
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