Fires are responsible for destroying millions of dollars worth of property and taking people’s lives each year, with at least a thousand fire occurrences in Singapore alone. One way to protect yourself from these fires is by installing a fire detection system in your home.
Whether you’re a home or business owner, it’s essential to know the basics of fire detection and alarm systems. These systems can not only save lives, but they can also help reduce property damage.
There are many different types of fire detection and alarm systems, but all of them essentially serve the same purpose: to detect fire and alert people to danger as quickly as possible. Fire detection and alarm systems come in a wide range of styles and costs, so there’s bound to be one that fits your specific needs. In this post, we’ll look at the different types of fire alarms available and for what scenario each is best suited. So if you’re in the market for a new fire detection system, read on!
What Is A Fire Detection System?
A fire detection system is an active fire safety device that senses a fire and automatically triggers an alarm. Fire detection systems find developing fires before it gets too late for a safe evacuation. Early detection can also play a significant role in protecting the safety of those responding to emergencies. In addition, property loss may be reduced, and downtime for operations diminished because control efforts begin while the fire is still small and manageable.
In addition, alarm systems provide crucial information about where the fire is situated, allowing responders speedier access; this also helps them determine where they’ll need more resources – thus leading to early containment. An alarm system is designed to alert you of danger by emitting sound, light, or vibration.
What Should We Look For In A Fire Detection System?
When choosing a fire detection system for your home or business, there are several factors you’ll need to keep in mind. Most notably, you’ll want to consider what type of protection you need and whether or not you have any special needs. For example, are you renovating an older structure? Do employees with medical conditions rely on a certain level of disability access? What about pets—do you own dogs or other animals that might set off false alarms? If so, it’s essential to choose a system that can accommodate these considerations. The more careful you pay to these details upfront, the better off you’ll be later on.
Before choosing what type of fire detection and alarm system to use, take a look at certain factors. Every company has different needs depending on the size of its establishment, the amount at stake if there were a fire, and whether people would be able to escape without assistance.
A hospital, for example, needs a system that will notify its occupants sooner than others since many patients might need assistance evacuating. On the other hand, dormitories and other places where people sleep require systems with faster (and louder) notification procedures, so occupants do not sleep through a fire hazard situation.
Benefits And Limitations of A Fire Detection System
When you think of your family’s safety and security, you may think about getting home burglar alarms or setting up cameras at your house. But what about protecting them from the fire? Although many people know a smoke detector in their house is needed, they don’t realise just how important it is until there’s an emergency. Here are some of the benefits of having a fire alarm system in place:
- A fire alarm system CAN save lives.
- The sooner you detect fire in your home, the better the chances you can escape safely and even avoid smoke inhalation.
- Fire alarms can also alert others who might be sleeping or otherwise occupied to get out of the property before the situation worsens.
- Your property and people can be monitored and given protection 24//7.
Before choosing your fire detection system, it’s essential to understand its limitations. For example, while smoke detectors can detect smouldering or slow-burning fires, they may not be able to notice all types of fires.
In addition, the most common alarm system doesn’t come with automatic detection. A homeowner will have to find out about the fire first, which can take much longer. The faster you want to know about fires, the more expensive and complex your alarm system will be.
How To Choose A Fire Detection System
When it comes to choosing a suitable fire detection system, first and foremost, remember that your family’s safety is number one. However, it’s also important to consider how often you’re at home—whether you work from home or are gone for long periods—and if you live in a multi-family household, which might require more advanced protection than a typical family. For example, if you have a large house with an open floor plan, smoke detectors alone may not be enough to alert everyone quickly enough.
Here are some tips to help you choose the right one:
Assess The Risks and Threats
The first step in choosing the right system is identifying all the risks and what type of alarms would best work for each one. Note that a fire alarm system is only designed to detect fires and prompt people to evacuate, which means you’ll want an extensive list of other precautions, too – such as sprinklers, smoke detectors, and heat sensors.
Select the Right Device for Your Needs
The most crucial objective of a fire alarm system is to alert a building’s occupants of potential danger. There may be multiple scenarios depending on the nature of your building, so your fire alarm system must consider all of the possible requirements.
Assess the Size and Layout of your Property
The size and layout of your building are essential considerations when selecting the appropriate fire alarm system. A smaller facility will work best with a more traditional fire alarm system, which uses one wire to connect the control panel and every device installed. These are laid out in zones, so when a device sounds off, it will identify which zone it has been triggered in, helping the occupants pinpoint where the potential danger could be. However, extensive facilities may need more detail due to their spatial complexity.
Fire Alarm Systems And Their Initiating Devices
Fire alarm systems are the backbone of a company’s defence against hazards such as fires. These systems require a network of devices and control panels to perform essential fire-safety functions such as detection and monitoring.
The fire alarm system’s primary purpose is to simultaneously detect fires (from a centralised location) while quickly alerting building occupants and emergency services. If an organisation’s fire alarm initiating device malfunctions, the entire system will not be able to relay detection signals to the fire alarm control panel (FACP). As a result, it may fail to protect the organisation’s property or employees.
Automatic fire alarm-initiating devices are triggered by smoke, heat, or water flow. These devices include:
Fire and heat sensors play an integral role in ensuring safety. As the name implies, these devices measure the temperature of a given room or area to keep track of potential fires. Heat detectors operate by monitoring each location’s current temperature instead of relying on smoke to warn people about impending danger.
-
Supervisory Device
Your fire alarm is useless without a means of alerting you. That’s where your supervisory device comes in. The supervisory device—often an electrical signal box or battery-operated monitor—is your system’s nerve centre, relaying information about smoke and flames to a central station via telephone lines or radio transmission. It’s also responsible for monitoring all other components within your home. If one part malfunctions, it alerts the central station so that they can dispatch help as quickly as possible.
Manual fire alarm initiating devices can only be activated manually (when someone sees fire, for example). Therefore, these devices should also be clearly marked so people can easily find them when needed. The most common type of manual fire alarm device is the manual pull station which usually has a physical button to activate it.
-
Manual Pull Stations
Each alarm contains its separate battery backup in a manual pull station system, where stations are independent of one another. This type of system is best used in a home that doesn’t have fire detectors as part of an interconnected network or any other type of fire protection.
At Hart Engineering Pte Ltd, we believe that the best fire alarm system is tailored to suit every individual’s needs. With years of experience in fire detection system installation, we are confident we can find the perfect solution for you! So call us today or visit our website.