Fire alarm monitoring has the ability to prevent the devastating effects of fire on a business, its site, employees and visitors. By identifying fires and providing a rapid response, as well as reducing false alarms, fire alarm monitoring can be a worthwhile investment that’s cost and time effective, whilst providing an increased level of safety to the end-user.
However, when choosing a fire alarm monitoring provider, it can be hard to know what to look out for. Certain regulations have been put in place to make sure providers are operating at a sufficient quality level. Keep reading to discover why they’re important and which regulations are there for fire alarm monitoring to look out for.
Importance of Regulation in Fire Alarm Monitoring
Regulations have an important role in fire alarm monitoring. They ensure that the service is being carried out to a high standard and that the end-user receives a safe and satisfactory service. Regulations in fire alarm monitoring hold specifications of the recommended procedures, quality of output, terminology and more, when delivering a fire alarm monitoring service.
Fire safety compliance is not just a matter of avoiding penalties; it’s a critical component of risk management. The latest UK government statistics reveal that while the total number of fires in England has seen a slight decline, the number of total incidents attended by fire and rescue services reached over 600,000 in the last year, highlighting the sustained operational demand on these essential services.
More importantly for businesses, the regulatory landscape is continually evolving, particularly following the Building Safety Act 2022 and subsequent amendments to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. These updates, which came into force in October 2023, place greater legal responsibility on ‘Responsible Persons’ to record their fire risk assessment in full and share vital fire safety information, particularly in multi-occupied premises. Non-compliance can lead to severe consequences, including significant fines and, crucially, a failure to protect your staff and assets. Professional monitoring ensures your system is always operating in line with these stringent, up-to-date requirements.
What are the Regulations?
BS 5979 Remote centres receiving signals from fire and security systems
The BS 5979 is a standard set out by the BSI which sets out the codes of practice and standards for remote centres receiving signals from fire and security systems, which covers fire alarm monitoring. The BSI is the UK’s national standards body (NSB). They aim to improve the quality and safety of products, services and systems by creating sets of standards and encouraging their use across various industries.
Compliance with the latest BS 5979 standards is crucial for an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC). This standard specifies the structural, security, and operational requirements necessary for maintaining continuous, reliable, and secure alarm monitoring. An ARC adhering to this benchmark provides assurance that all transmitted signals, whether for a fire or an intruder, are handled with the highest level of professionalism and efficiency. The ability to manage signals from disparate systems, such as integrating security monitoring and fire systems, is a key component of this operational excellence, ensuring a coordinated and swift response to any event.
NSI (National Security Inspectorate)
The NSI is a regulation body for security and fire safety industries. Fire alarm monitoring providers which are NSI accredited have proved that they are of a high standard as set by the NSI, who work alongside insurance companies and the emergency services. Having an NSI accreditation is a well-known hallmark of excellence in the industry and therefore it is advised to seek a monitoring provider that has this certification to ensure you receive a high-quality service in line with the latest standards.
NSI approval is categorised into Silver and Gold schemes, with NSI Gold representing the highest standard of excellence, covering both the business and technical operations of a provider. Achieving this means the provider has demonstrated continuous quality management and adherence to all relevant British Standards, which is often a non-negotiable requirement for insurance providers, as detailed in our guide on how remote monitoring impacts insurance premiums.
For businesses, choosing an NSI Gold-approved ARC can often lead to a reduction in insurance liability and demonstrate a robust commitment to safety, which is essential for sectors like care homes and manufacturing where risks are elevated.
Did you know, at RMS we are NSI approved and certified!
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC)
The NFCC is the professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service. They provide advice and support for all those within the industry, including fire alarm monitoring providers. The NFCC work towards driving improvements and further developments within the fire safety industry. Their guidance is particularly important regarding the police and fire service response to alarms. For instance, the NFCC’s policy on Unwanted Fire Signals (UFS) drives the industry to adopt better procedures and technologies, such as AI-driven verification, to minimise false alarms which waste emergency resources. False alarms are a considerable drain on resources; recent statistics indicate that non-fire incidents and false alarms accounted for over 85% of the total incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services in 2024, underscoring the critical need for a reliable monitoring system that incorporates verification protocols before deploying an emergency response.
A provider with robust CCTV monitoring and verification capabilities, for example, is far more likely to comply with NFCC guidelines and ensure a swifter, more effective response when a genuine incident occurs.
Beyond Compliance: Other Key Fire Safety Standards
While BS 5979 and NSI accreditation focus on the monitoring centre, there are broader standards that professional providers must align with. The BS EN 50518 standard specifically addresses the construction and operation of Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs) across Europe, providing an even more granular level of detail regarding operational security and business continuity than older standards.
Furthermore, for those responsible for the building itself, the latest BS 9991:2024 Fire Safety Standard specifies fire safety requirements for the design, management, and use of residential buildings, including mandatory fire sprinkler systems in new care homes, reflecting an increasing focus on proactive fire protection measures.
As fire safety standards continue to evolve, particularly with the phased withdrawal of older British Standards like BS 476 in favour of the more comprehensive European classification system BS EN 13501, it is essential to partner with a provider like RMS that is not only compliant today but actively participates in future-proofing your systems. This dedication to forward-thinking safety and technical excellence is why we encourage businesses to find out more about who we are and how we maintain our high standards.
Fire Alarm Monitoring with RMS
In order for fire alarm monitoring providers to continuously provide the very best service and results, it’s important that the industry is regulated to a high level. At RMS, we follow all the latest fire safety guidelines and ensure we are delivering world-class service in line with the most stringent and latest industry standard. Our proactive approach to compliance and technology integration means that we are well-positioned to handle signals across a spectrum of systems, including intruder monitoring and non-security alerts such as air conditioning monitoring, offering a comprehensive safety and operations solution.
To learn more on how fire alarm monitoring works read our complete guide.
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