Alarms for Commercial Premises - Responsible Person
If you are the ‘responsible person’ and have a legal responsibility to manage the fire protection measures in a building, and failure to do so competently can lead to prosecution under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Where necessary, this includes making sure that the appropriate fire-fighting equipment, detectors and alarms are fitted and that the premises, facilities, equipment and devices are maintained in an efficient state, of working order and good repair in order to safeguard the safety of people on the premises. The responsible person must also, where necessary, nominate a competent person to implement these measures.
If you are not sure where to start, read our information about Risk Assessments.
Finding the Right Company to Design your Fire Alarm
We recommend you use companies which have recognised accreditation, professional membership or Third Party Certification
You will find advice and support on the following sites. Please note we are not responsible for the content of these websites.
Trade organisations include:
- British Security Industry Association (BSIA)
- Electrical Contractors Association (ECA)
- Fire Protection Association (FPA)
- The Fire Industry Association (FIA)
- The Fire Industry Association can also provide information about Third Party Certification
Help and further reading
Testing and Servicing
Before testing or doing any maintenance work your alarms you must, if your system is monitored, inform your alarm centre that the testing and maintenance is taking place and inform them when it is completed.
If you have an automatic alarm system, make sure it is installed properly, that you know how it works and it is serviced regularly by a competent person.
Arrange a visit to confirm that the system is still suitable for the premises and that any changes in the use of rooms have not had a detrimental effect on the type of detectors installed.
Training Your Team
Your Risk Assessment should make clear how you will train any staff you employ on fire safety measures, ensuring they know what to do if an alarm sounds.
Ask you Monitoring Company and Alarm Manufacturer for information in order to create a safe system of work which everyone is aware of and can follow.
Resetting Alarms
UK Fire & Rescue Services do not re-set fire alarm systems, resetting the alarm system without proper investigation could also reduce the effectiveness of the subsequent investigation into the cause of the false alarm by a competent engineer.
It is your responsibility to reset, or employ a third party company to do this for you.
False Alarms Prevention
Many false alarms result from activities carried out near to fire detectors, particularly smoke detectors.
The GOV.UK website has the following information
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: explanatory booklet for landlords
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: explanatory booklet for local authorities
Contact us
If it’s likely to set your alarm off and you can't reach the alarm monitoring company, the responsible person should contact Fire Control on 01737 499050 before starting any works or testing.
This will help us decide what course of action to take if we receive any emergency calls.
If you know that something has been done that has set off your alarm, like an accidental knock by builder, or steam from a shower, call us on 999 and let us know.