Fire Alarm System components

The reliability of the fire alarm system to perform its functions on demand will, to a significant degree, be governed by the reliability of individual components. In general, it is advisable that all fire alarm components, such as manual call points, fire detection, fire panel and indicating equipment and fire alarm devices, comply with relevant
British Standards, and have undergone type testing to these standards. It is advisable to use components having fire alarm certification under a recognized product certification scheme (comprising third-party certification of product conformity against a relevant standard, based on testing and continuing surveillance, together with assessment of the manufacturer’s quality assurance systems against BS EN ISO 9000).
Where there is no relevant British, European or International Standard, it is advisable that care is taken to ensure, as far as possible, that the fire alarm components, fire alarm panel and fire detection,are fit for their purpose. Third-party approval against an appropriate test standard may provide assurance of this.
Compliance of an individual component with a recognized standard does not necessarily ensure that it will
operate satisfactorily in conjunction with another component that complies with the relevant standard for
that component. It is essential that compatibility between components is taken into account by the designer of the fire system.