Fire Alarms

Fire alarms consist of a Fire Alarm Panel (FACP), a fire alarm control unit (FACU), power supply and backup power supply. They are a detection system which uses visual or audio appliances to warn residents of the presence of smoke, fire or carbon monoxide. The alarm is activated by either a smoke or heat detector which is often installed on the ceiling.Visual warnings could be a flashing strobe light while audio warnings are sounded by bells or horns preset at specific frequencies or tones or a voice evacuation message. A variety of fire alarms are available, some of which are ionisation, optical (or photo electronic), heat or combined.The choice of which to install would depend on the size of the area to be covered and the type of room.Heat-activated alarms would be more suitable in kitchens to prevent false alarms from the smoke of cooking whilst manually-activated alarms are more common in public buildings. Safety regulations mean that it is compulsory to install fire alarms in all buildings frequented by the public as well as commercial and industrial premises.They are also becoming increasingly popular for domestic use to ensure an early warning of a fire.