Fire alarms for offices.

What matters in this kind of building

Offices are often rearranged: partitions go up, tenants change, a floor is let to someone new. A fire alarm designed for the original layout can drift out of step with the building without anyone noticing.

• Coverage that still matches the layout after refits and partitioning
• Clear information at the panel in multi-floor or multi-tenant buildings
• Shared responsibility between landlord and tenants for common areas versus demised space
• Planned evacuation, including visitors and out-of-hours workers
• Servicing records that can be shown to an insurer or enforcing authority

Systems that tend to suit

A small single-floor office is often well served by a conventional system. Larger or multi-tenant offices usually benefit from addressable, which shows exactly which device has activated. Where cabling would disrupt tenants, wireless is an option.

Practical points

• Agree who is responsible for the common-area system and who for each tenant’s space
• Re-check coverage whenever a floor is refitted
• Keep the logbook and zone plan beside the panel
• Plan false-alarm causes out: kitchenettes, printing rooms and plant rooms