We Design, Supply, Install, Commission & Maintain A Comprehensive Range Of Fire Systems In And Around Essex & London.

As the person in charge of a home you are no doubt aware of the regulations with regard to fire safety. We are experts in the field and can advise on all fire systems requirements. You might need fire extinguishers servicing, a fire sprinkler system or fire extinguishing system, a fire detection system for your premises? Or maybe you need a wireless fire alarm system or emergency lighting installed? Whatever you need, we will be able to design the system, install and maintain it. We offer a FREE site survey so that we can provide a bespoke quote, and also offer a fire risk assessment service to help make sure you are fulfilling all safety requirements for your property.

Fire Detection Alarm System

If you wish to protect your premises from the worst effects of fire, you will need to have the right arrangements in place to quickly detect any outbreak.

Our professional-grade fire detection alarm systems are designed to provide effective protection and peace of mind for homes in London and Essex. With our solutions, you can rest easy knowing that your property is equipped with the right tools to promptly detect and respond to fire incidents.

You can trust Firstford to safeguard your premises and ensure your home security!

What Are The Different Types of Fire Detection Systems?

As you might expect, given our reputation as a provider of fire detection systems, we offer various options.

Fire alarms are our primary focus, with conventional, addressable, and aspirating systems all available.

An addressable fire alarm system differs from a conventional one in providing individual location reporting with information from individual detectors. By contrast, a traditional fire detection system only tells you what broad area of the property a fire alarm has been activated in.

Meanwhile, an aspirating fire detection system is sometimes called an air sampling detection (ASD) system. This type of system is particularly effective at detecting a fire very early, often before the typical visual signs of a fire have become apparent.

How can you determine which system would be suitable for your home?

Contact Firstford Ltd, and we can arrange for an engineer to visit your property and conduct a fire risk assessment. This will allow you to determine the most suitable fire detection system for your home.

Insurance requirements may dictate that a particular fire detection system is fitted at your site. With insurance being a legal requirement for most properties, this underlines the importance of ensuring your fire detection system satisfies practical, budgetary, and legal needs.

What else can be provided alongside your fire detection system?

Having a fire detection system set up at your home premises is one thing, but it’s quite another thing to get the best out of it. This is why, for those who choose our fire detection systems in Essex, we provide both technical support and training as part of our service.

You might also be conscious to ensure you’re doing everything possible to protect your premises from the threat of fire even when you and your personnel are not on-site – in which case, the ability to have your system externally monitored via a monitoring station could be attractive.

Do you need any supplementary services?

Organisations that purchase and use a fire detection system are legally bound to have some kind of service agreement accompanying it, so it is important to carefully consider your options here.

Maintenance needs to be carried out on a fire detection system at least twice a year, but beyond this, you have a certain amount of freedom with regard to which supplementary services you invest in. You might prefer to simply have your system monitored, or you may be interested in the complete yearly subscription.

We can also provide basic fire and fire marshal training to help make sure you and your family are prepared for any fire risk that could arise on-site.

How does the fire response work?

If you have one of our fire detection systems installed, and the alarm sounds, an alert will be issued to any professionals who are remotely monitoring your system, so that they can take appropriate action. You could also arrange to have a system fitted at your site that alerts the fire brigade or keyholder, depending on your preferences and requirements.

How does having fire detection affect home insurance?

It is legally required that you have a service agreement accompanying any fire detection system you have fitted at your home. Beyond this, it is also important to be aware that a would-be home insurer might expect you to invest in such a system in order to minimise the risk your premises represent.

The sad reality is that a fire can be catastrophic to even healthy homes, often posing a risk to the given company’s very survival. So, if you are currently approaching home insurance companies for quotes, you are likelier to get an offer of coverage – at a more competitive price – if you have effective fire safety measures put in place such as a fire detection system.

Insurers can greatly differ in their criteria, however. So, we would urge you to discuss with your insurer what might, and might not, impact on your premiums either positively or negatively when it comes to fire safety equipment at your home.

What type of homes could benefit?

Whether you are seeking a relatively conventional fire alarm installation for your shop unit, communal fire alarm systems for houses in multiple occupations (HMO), or a specialised multi-panel networked arrangement, we can provide everything you require from a fire alarm installation service. Our expertise covers a diverse range of locations and property types, ensuring that your fire alarm system is tailored to meet the specific needs of your premises in Essex.

Testimonials

What Do Our Clients Think

Matt Garwood

Nick called round this morning to sort out a tricky issue we had with a very old alarm system we inherited (very fast response). Fantastic 5 star service, and a great price. Really nice guy as well, and very knowledgeable. Much appreciated, and highly recommend your service

Firstford offer an unparallelled service when it comes to looking after our fire and security systems. We have several industrial premises around London and they take care of it all.

Free site survey to become fire safety compliant

Got A Question?

Frequently Asked Questions

A Fire Alarm System is a number of devices that work together to warn the occupants of a building that carbon monoxide, fire and smoke are present and to evacuate immediately. The alarm system will typically combine auditory and visual warnings to bring attention to the emergency.

You should test your fire alarm once a week at a set time. Before you test you alarm, you must warn people inside the building that this is a regular test and that no evacuation is required. You must also advise your Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) that you are about to initiate the test so they do not alert the Emergency Services.

A Fire alarm certificate is a mandatory inspection and should be carried out in accordance with BS5839. These regulations are part of the fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings; they cover design installation commissioning and maintenance.

One fire drill you should carry out at least one fire drill per year and record the results. You must keep the results as part of your fire safety and evacuation plan.

The smoke detectors in a fire alarm system often cannot tell the difference between smoke and steam. This can be annoying. Therefore, careful planning is needed for fire alarm installation to ensure they are not placed immediately next to the bathroom or cooking equipment in the kitchen.

You should look at the appropriate guide for your type of business premises and judge the appropriate type of extinguisher based upon the risks. In general, though you should provide one fire extinguisher for every 200m2 with at least 2 per floor. Guidance should be sought from one of our surveyors or a fire risk assessment should be carried out.

Yes. You must protect yourself and anyone else in the vicinity of your business from fire. To do this you must assess the risks and make general fire precautions.

Water - for use on wood, paper, textiles, etc. Dry Powder - for use on wood, paper, textiles, flammable liquids, gaseous fires and electrical fires Foam - for use on wood, paper, textiles and flammable liquids Carbon Dioxide - for use on wood, paper, textiles and electrical fires Wet Chemical - for use on wood, paper, textiles and cooking oil fires

Fire extinguishers must be serviced every 12 months or after each use by a BAFE SP101 certified service provider. If an extinguisher is found to be leaking, it should be serviced immediately.

In an average sized rental property, it is advisable for a landlord to provide the tenant with a fire blanket for the kitchen and a small portable fire extinguisher such as a 2 Litre Foam or 3 Litre Water with additive to cover the rest of the property.

Yes it should be tested once per month to ensure that it is working and the findings of the test recorded in a fire log book. It should also be tested once a year by a competent person.

There are three main ways to tell if your emergency lighting is working or not: 1. A green indicator LED, installed on or beside each emergency light fitting, will be illuminated. This means that the emergency fitting is connected and its batteries are charging. 2. If the fitting is disconnected from mains the green LED indicator will switch off and the fixture will illuminate using its battery power. This is another sign of correct function. 3. Emergency lighting should be tested briefly every month and should undergo a full duration test (normally 3 hours) at least once every year. This should be carried out by a “Competent Person” (as defined in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. If it does not pass the test it should either be repaired or the “Responsible Person” should be informed.

A maintained emergency light is always on and will stay illuminated in the event of a power failure. These lights are usually installed in communal areas such as corridors and stair wells. A non-maintained emergency light only comes on in the event of a power failure. These lights will usually be installed in areas that don't need a permanent light source

This will depend on the type of emergency lighting setup you have. If your lights are part of the main lighting system then they will need to be turned off while the engineer carries out checks. However, our engineers are flexible and will always keep disruption to a minimum

There are certain premises where it’s legally required to install emergency lighting. This includes public places such as schools, hospitals, offices, and shops, and also covers places where people will be sleeping over such as hotels, nursing homes, and blocks of flats. Emergency lighting in these premises must meet strict British Safety standards and needs to provide a certain level of illumination, and have clearly marked signs showing people where to exit. Even if a new build doesn’t require emergency lighting by law, it’s still something you should consider installing, as it provides reassurance in an emergency situation.

Fire Detection System Installation in London