Imagine having the capability to monitor multiple rooms or areas for signs of fire simultaneously and have the ability to deploy the emergency services to an exact location if there was a problem. This is actually all possible with a central station alarm. Today we will tell you how this system works and who can benefit.
How Does a Central Station Alarm Work?
Central station fire alarms are made up of a few basic components. A network of sensors installed in a property or building forms a normal part of your fire protection system locally.
These alarms are all fed into a central control box. This can either be computer-controlled or manually configured. If a fire is detected, this unit will trigger the alarm and also indicate where the fire is taking place.
With central station fire alarms, the clue is in the name. The control box will be connected to a central control center to monitor each alarm system.
If a fire breaks out or an alarm is triggered, the center will be notified immediately and will quickly contact the nearest emergency service department.
What Are the Benefits of a Central Station Alarm?
There are plenty of reasons why you might want to consider using a central station alarm. This offers a greater degree of fire protection for most properties. Here are some reasons why you might want to use one.
24/7 Coverage
The truth is that fire can break out at any given time, regardless of whether a building or property is occupied or not. During the day, while the premises are occupied, you could find that fire is quickly located, identified, and suppressed.
Outside of open hours, this won’t happen anywhere near as quickly.
A central alarm system is an ideal solution. There doesn’t need to be anyone on the site to sound the alarm. It happens automatically. Because of how a central alarm system works, the emergency services will also be notified. This happens immediately.
Faster Emergency Response
It should be obvious, but the longer a fire burns, the worse the damage will be. The sooner the emergency services arrive, the quicker the fire can be brought under control!
Because central alarm systems notify the emergency services as soon as a problem is detected, they can be at the source of a blaze much quicker, thus minimizing any damage.
System Monitoring
Any fire protection system has to work 24/7. If it doesn’t, it simply isn’t doing its job.
When using a central monitoring system, the good news is that many centers can often see and diagnose faults. This could be things such as: –
- Unserviceable sensors
- Disrupted connections
- False alarms
However, you can’t rely on someone else telling you whether your system is working or not. It is always better that you check firsthand for complete peace of mind.
Who Could Benefit from a Central Station Alarm?
There is often a misconception that only certain types of premises are suitable for a central station alarm. The truth is that almost every type of premises could benefit. Here are some more examples of who needs a central station alarm and why it is so important.
Lone Workers
Lone workers don’t have the luxury of being in many places at once. This is particularly pertinent for those who work relatively remotely on larger sites. As described above, central station alarms and monitoring don’t require a human presence on-site to work or alert the emergency services.
This makes them ideal for people who work purely in their own company or with a small team over a wide area.
Large Businesses
Large businesses and those occupying bigger buildings could also benefit. Often a fire alarm system can span many floors or levels. Aside from giving users the luxury of keeping an eye on the entire business, a central alarm system can also allow a quick diagnosis of where the fire actually is.
This will save time when the emergency services do arrive as they can proceed directly to the exact location of the fire without having to stop for details.
High Commercial Value Properties
Fire is always damaged, but even more so if it occurs in a place of high net value. As we said above, faster response times mean significantly less damage. If you have lots of valuable stock in your business, a central alarm station for fire should be a strong consideration.
The Importance of Central Alarm Station Testing and Maintenance
A fire protection system is only effective when it works 100% of the time. If the connections to the central station aren’t working, or there is a degradation in your system, then it is not providing the coverage that you need. It defeats the object of having the system in the first place.
If the system isn’t working, you aren’t getting all of the advantages that we discussed above.
When was the last time you had your system checked? Are you aware of what your system provides? Many who have inherited their central alarm station system from previous owners may be shocked to discover that it doesn’t provide the cover they need.
So, what’s the solution? It is actually a surprisingly easy fix. Contact a professional fire protection company, which is well skilled in repairing, testing, and maintaining a central alarm station.
Operatives will check:
- The alarm itself
- The control panel
- That the signal gets through to the central station
- The central station is capable of taking the correct action
Fraker Fire Protection Inc., Based in California, can provide servicing, testing, and maintenance on central station alarms. We also offer consultation services and fitting of brand new systems if you have decided it is time to get full protection.
You can see our services on our website, or contact us for further information.