Fire Alarm Systems for The Office

One of the most important decisions you will have to make for your office is what type of fire alarm system you choose to have installed. There are many types of fire alarm systems, and each has its own advantages. It really comes down to which will work best for you and your office. Your choices may include weatherproof security camera, flame detectors, heat detectors, smoke detectors, and fire alarms. There are a variety of factors that may help to sway your decision but keep in mind that these are intended to save lives, and you should consider each type carefully.

 Each type of detector, including smoke, heat, and flame has specific capabilities to alarm people of a possible fire. A smoke detector is highly sensitive and will alert you if it senses smoke. Commercial smoke detectors are different than home detectors in that they will send a signal to the fire alarm system instead of an alarm from the detector itself. A fire detector works slightly different than a smoke detector in that it will detect light given off by the flames. This can help to prevent numerous false alarms that a smoke detector may produce. Heat detectors act like the previous two but will only send an alarm signal if it detects an extreme rise in temperature. A heat detector is actually recommended to be used in combination with a smoke detector.


Manual fire alarms are used to alert an entire building in the event of a fire. These systems include break glass stations, pull alarms, and button alarms. These systems count on someone discovering the fire and alerting the rest of the building by appropriately activating the alarm system. Automatic commercial alarm systems will use one of the detectors mentioned above to detect a fire and then will automatically be activated. Most automatic systems have the ability to notify the proper authorities in the event of a fire.


 Once a fire has been identified there must be some sort of notification system. In most instances this will include both an audio and visual alert system. The audible tone given off by a notification system will be loud and in a sort of pattern. The visual element of the notification will usually be a bright flashing light to help if a hearing-impaired person is nearby. Some of the more advanced notification systems will include a voice that will give instruction on the best way to evacuate the building.


Make sure to keep than some fire and building codes require fire alarm systems to follow specific rules. These must be followed so check the specifics of these before installing a system in your office. A good fire alarm system can be the difference between life, and death so make sure to take your time and do the proper research.