FIA

Fire Detection systems that can advise a Key holder, manned guarding company or even call the fire services automatically significantly enhance the protection of people, property and assets of the community against fire. Long established British and European standards recommend a dedicated Telephone connection for communication of alarm information. These standards have been recently updated with the addition of EN54-21. These well established standards have required a dedicated telephone Line or a 3rd party approved signaling system such as BT RedCare. The interesting question in our modern communications era is “what constitutes a dedicated telephone line”  

Many fire alarm installers connect either directly to  an “Alarm Receiving Centre” (ARC). These are 24/7 manned centres that specialize in the operation of monitoring systems and reacting rapidly to an alarm of whatever type – calmly, rapidly and efficiently alerting the appropriate emergency services and key holder if required.  Fire and security system attached to such signaling systems are a vital element in property and life protection.

However with the increasing diversity of telecommunication systems and service providers, set along side the variety of services that they now offer over the telecommunications network, the operational environment of the “telephone” is now very different from the services offered only a few years ago.

It is often not made clear that many changes in the provision of a telephone system such as introducing VoIP,  (Voice over Internet Protocol),  low cost network calls, call waiting,  internal phones and IP  telephones  may  have an impact  or cause conflict with existing systems such as a fire alarm or security signaling, system. 

Until recently alarm links worked without any difficulty when connected via a “clean phone line” i.e. a dedicated connection which if correctly installed bypassed any local switch board and was powered directly from the local exchange circuit.    One should not assume that in the future this happy state will continue now that Telecoms companies are introducing additional services in an attempt enhance the services they provide. In doing this many different services sit alongside each other without a problem. The trouble may occur at the customer end where telephone service suppliers may connect equipment and change system configurations that collectively interfere adversely with the alarm signaling system.

Hidden potential for failures
Have we been lulled into a false sense of security?  Is the current method of testing providing us with all the information that is needed?
In fact there may be hidden failures. Fire alarm engineers may  test a system to ensure it communicates with the ARC and not see any problem. Asking more questions is essential.
When testing an alarm system are the correct signals being  received?

• Fire Alert and Fault Signals
• Site details and Contact or key holder details

If alarm filtering has been set up is the responsible person aware of this and appreciates the correct procedures to follow?  Failure to do so could result in an unwanted call to the Fire Service which may prompt the fire services to request a review of the fire risk assessment for the site.

Installers are therefore advised to ensure that they have made it very clear that 'faults' of this nature can occur as a result of a change in the customers telephone system. Such faults can happen when changes to the infrastructure or programming of the telephone system take place. Testing is therefore required to establish that any such changes have no material impact on the planned operation of the system.

Making new and possibly cost effective changes to your phone arrangements are a material change. As such clients should discuss them with their alarm system maintainer.  We would comment that the installer/maintainer may impose a charge for additional service and maintenance visits if the telecoms system is later identified to be the cause of the fault as these are occurrences over which maintainers of the fire alarm equipment  have no control.

Installers are therefore encouraged to bring this to client’s attention in their Terms & Conditions. The end user may not be aware that changes such as BT’s Twenty First Century Network, low cost call routing and many new entertainment services MAY have a negative or  intermittent effect on the reliability of systems.

One final thought as the man at the vehicle test station said to me on completion of the MOT test.
Your test certificate  indicates that on the date printed your car was serviceable for use – it’s your responsibility to make sure it stays that way!