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FAQ’s

Q?
The difference between dry riser and wet riser systems

A.
The main difference between the dry riser and wet riser systems, is that one contains water at all times, whereas the other is an empty system that can be flooded with water when needed to get it to a specific place.

Dry Riser Systems are installed in buildings for fire fighting purposes by trained personnel and which are normally dry and are capable of being charged with water by pumping from Fire Service Appliances.
Dry Riser Systems are installed complete with an inlet breeching connector at Ground Floor or at Fire Service Access Level and with Landing Valves at specified points on each floor.
Dry Riser Systems are installed up to 50m above the Fire Service Access Level.
Wet Riser Systems are installed in a building for fire fighting purposes by trained personnel and which are permanently charged with water from a pumped source.
Wet Riser Systems are installed complete with Landing Valves at specified points on each floor.
Wet Riser Systems are installed up to and above 50m subject to the system being designed to provide adequate flow and pressure at the upper floors.

Q?
What about Maintenance and downtime?

A.
The manufacturer’s recommendations and standards state that the systems must be serviced every six months as a minimum. The service must be carried out by certificated Engineers. Quality servicing is essential to ensure system integrity is maintained and that systems will be fully effective in a fire situation. It is essential to ensure all equipment is correctly protected and that additional risk appliances have not been added or existing appliances relocated.
Following activation, systems can be rapidly recharged by the Artius Property Protection Team. The liquid agent is not stored under pressure and can therefore be recharged on site. Artius Property Protection provide call out times of 6 Hours to our maintenance clients meaning systems can be recharged and re-commissioned, agent can be cleaned away and the kitchen can be back up and running with a minimum of downtime.

Q?
Do I have to have a Kitchen Fire Suppression system by Law?

A.
Due to a change in legislation (Regulatory Reform Order – RRO), a Fire Certificate for a building is no longer issued by a fire officer. The responsibility now sits with the ‘responsible person’. A full risk assessment must be carried out on all aspects of a business with each process being evaluated.
A commercial kitchen will be identified as a significant fire risk in any risk assessment. The risk within a commercial kitchen clearly cannot be entirely removed as the food still needs to be cooked and so the responsible person must choose the most effective means of managing the risk.
Since the introduction of the Regulatory Reform Order (RRO) there have been several recorded cases of prison sentences being issued for failure to comply with the legislation.
It may also be a requirement of a buildings insurance policy to have a fire suppression system. Insurance companies are increasingly specifying fire suppression for their clients. There may also be benefits to policy terms if systems are installed.

Q?
What are Kitchen Fire Suppression Systems?

A.
Kitchen Fire Suppression Systems consist of a liquid wet chemical agent stored in stainless steel tanks and enclosures mounted adjacent to the kitchen extract canopy.
Fixed pipe work extends from the tanks into the extraction plenum areas and above the cooking appliances. Specific discharge nozzles are installed above each hazard appliance, behind the grease filters and up into the extract ductwork.
In the event of fire, the wet chemical agent is discharged from all nozzles. The wet chemical agent attacks the fire by rapidly knocking down the flame and reacting with the heat and cooking grease to produce a saponified foam layer, starving the fire of oxygen to prevent re-flash.

Q?
How long do the back-up batteries last for the Fire Alarm panel?

A.
It depends on the fire panel location, temperature, etc., but as a rule of thumb, typically 4/5 years before new units or batteries will be required.

Q?
Do I need a Fire Alarm service contract every year?

A.
Yes, under BS5839

Q?
What do I get at the end of the service contract?

A.
A certificate and report detailing our visit for you and your insurers and “Peace of mind”

Q?
Does the engineers visit, disrupt my business?

A.
This is possible, however it will depend on the type of system and location of equipment. Our engineers are flexible and normally work around any disruption issues including sound issues.

Q?
What does the engineer do when he visits?

A.
He will ensure every call point and sounder, plus a minimum of 50% of the detection devices are working and the fire system as a whole is in good condition, inc. battery backup, etc.

Q?
Why do I need a minimum of 2 visits per year?

A.
To comply with the minimum requirements of BS 5839 2 visits are scheduled to ensure the Fire system is operational inc. detection, sounders, internal batteries, etc.

Q?
What sort of organisation or business needs a fire alarm service contract?

A.
Every company, individual and/or organisation, no one is exempt, where a Fire Alarm System is fitted as a requirement of planning laws and thus must be maintained.

Q?
What benefit does the service contract give me?

A.
Full compliance to your legal obligation and insurance requirements; along with total “peace of mind”.

Q?
What is British Standard 5839?

A.
This is the British Standard that governs the service of a fire alarm system in the UK and forms part of English law.

Q?
Why do I need a Fire alarm service contract?

A.
This is a requirement of BS5839, the Fire Risk Assessment of your Premises and your legal requirements to your insurers.

Q?
Can I have a house alarm that is not monitored?

A.
YES. You have other options such as Bells-only alarm which makes loud audible noise to deter intruders or alert the neighbours of a break in. It is also possible for your house alarm to send messages to your mobile phone via an in-built or stand alone text dialler or Speech Dialler.

Q?
What happens to my alarm monitoring if my phone line is cut?

A.
A telephone line cut will prevent your alarm system from signaling to the ARC and in that circumstance, the ARC will not be able to monitor the alarm premises. A solution is to utilize dual path signaling such Redcare GSM or Dualcom GPRS for your alarm communication link with the ARC.

Q?
How does the monitored alarm work?

A.
Monitored alarm connects to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) which is a remote central station manned 24 hours a day 365 days a year, via a telephone line, radio or IP network. The monitored alarm sends signals to the ARC when the alarm is set or unset, if it detects intrusion or burglary, smoke or fire, when a personal attack button is manually activated and or there is a fault with the system such as electrical mains failure. The ARC verifies the alarm signals and takes appropriate course of action such as alerting the owner, key-holders and or Police or fire authorities.

Q?
Police do not respond to burglar alarms?

A.
In UK, Police may not respond to bells only alarms unless there is additional evidence of a crime taking place at the address. However, Police would response to monitored burglar alarms which have been allocated Unique Reference Numbers (URN) in accordance with ACPO Policy Documents DD243:2004.

Q?
Are Wireless burglar alarms unreliable?

A.
That may well be true in the past but technology has moved on from 15 years ago. Wireless alarms are increasingly reliable as their wired counterparts, in particular the top grade class 6 radio alarms which qualify for police response. The wireless burglar alarms of today enjoy the use of security only radio signals frequency which has drastically reduced the problems with interferences and improve their reliability. Insurance companies are increasingly accepting wireless alarms for home security.

Q?
Do Burglar alarms require maintenance contract?

A.
It is common for the insurance companies to require that burglar alarm owners should enlist the services of an approved company to carry out at least an annual service of their alarm systems. Maintenance contract however should not be a condition for the installation of a burglar alarm, which may work faultless without a service contract. Monitored systems requiring a Police Response require two preventive service visits per year or one preventive service and one remote service if the alarm control unit has remote servicing feature built in.

Q?
What types of alarms do you offer?

A.
Artius Property Protection offer a wide range of alarms such as wired house alarm, wireless burglar alarm, business alarm, bells-only alarm or monitored alarm, smoke alarm and fire alarm for domestic or commercial. All security system grades can be installed depending on your requirements.

Q?
How do I test the emergency lights?

A.
Emergency lights will provide a low level of lighting on escape routes if the main lighting fails. Every emergency light must be tested once a month to make sure it works. If the lights have been installed correctly they will have a test switch to enable tests to be carried out easily by using a test key. Emergency lighting should be serviced every six months by a competent technician.

Q?
How many fire detectors do I need in my building?

A.
The law requires there to be adequate means for detecting a fire which will usually involve installing a number of automatic detectors linked to the fire alarm system. The number of detectors required and the type of detector for different areas of the premises will be determined by your fire risk assessment. Your fire alarm service provider should also be competent in informing you of your requirements.

Q?
How many fire extinguishers should I have?

A.
The British Standard 5306-8:2000: Selection and Installation of Portable Fire Extinguishers will tell you how many fire extinguishers are required to protect your premises. You should also refer to your fire risk assessment to ensure that all the risks are covered.

Q?
What type of fire extinguisher do I need?

A.
The British Standard 5306-8:2000: Selection and Installation of Portable Fire Extinguishers will tell you the different types of fire extinguishers that you will need to protect your premises. You should also refer to your fire risk assessment to ensure that all the risks are covered.

Q?
How do I use a fire extinguisher?

A.
Fire extinguishers manufactured to modern standards require operating instructions to be displayed on the extinguisher body, in both text and pictograms so this will help you to operate it. However, there is a legal requirement that an adequate number of staff should be trained in how to use fire extinguishers and it is important for some of this training to be practical.

Q?
How do I test my fire alarm system?

A.
Your fire alarm system must be tested at least once a week to ensure it operates correctly. This is done by operating a manual fire alarm call point with a test key and checking that the alarm sounds in all parts of the premises. The fire alarm system should be serviced by a competent fire alarm technician once every six months. Always call your local fire brigade to let them know you’re about to perform a test so they don’t come out to investigate.

Q?
What test key do I need for my fire alarm system?

A.
Fire alarm test keys are usually made from black plastic, but the actual type of key you require will depend on the design of the manual call points that have been installed. Your service provider will supply you with the relevant key to carry out these tests.

Q?
How many fire detectors do I need in my building?

A.
The law requires there to be adequate means for detecting a fire which will usually involve installing a number of automatic detectors linked to the fire alarm system. The number of detectors required and the type of detector for different areas of the premises will be determined by your fire risk assessment. Your fire alarm service provider should also be competent in informing you of your requirements.

Q?
How do I silence my fire alarm if it goes off?

A.
Do not silence the fire alarm unless you are absolutely certain it is a false alarm. There are many different types of fire alarm panels in use and the method of resetting them varies. On some panels it is simply a case of pressing a RESET button while others may require you to type in a code number on a digital keyboard. Your service provider must provide instructions on how to use the fire alarm panel.

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