Fire alarm system failed: what operators must do now

In short: Without a working fire alarm system, automatic fire detection is missing. Operators must compensate for the risk – usually with a fire watch that checks the building regularly until the system is working again.

The first steps

1. Document the failure: time, affected areas, cause if known.
2. Notify the installer or maintenance company and commission the repair.
3. Report it: to the fire brigade, building control authority and insurer, depending on the licence conditions.
4. Arrange a compensatory measure: a fire watch with fixed patrol rounds.
5. Inform users: employees, tenants, security staff.

What the fire watch does

• Patrols at set intervals through all affected areas
• Detecting smoke, the smell of burning and sources of danger
• Extinguishing incipient fires, raising the alarm via 112, briefing the fire brigade
• Complete documentation of the rounds

Why speed matters

Without a compensatory measure, use of the building can be prohibited in the worst case – with serious consequences for hotels, assembly venues or care facilities. So call immediately; we can often provide the fire watch on the same day.

Why systems fail

• technical fault in the control panel, detectors or cabling
• conversion and refurbishment work that requires areas to be switched off
• maintenance and replacement of old equipment
• water damage, lightning strike or power failure
• fault in the transmission to the fire brigade

For the compensatory measure, it makes no difference whether the outage is planned or unplanned. For planned shutdowns, however, the fire watch can be scheduled in good time.

Partial or total failure?

If only one detector zone or one floor is affected, it is usually enough to monitor that area. If the control panel or the connection to the fire brigade fails, the whole building is without automatic alarm. In that case the watch must not only patrol but, in the event of a fire, also place the emergency call itself and trigger the evacuation.

How often are checks made?

There is no single figure that applies to all buildings. The intervals result from the fire safety concept, the use of the building and the requirements of the authority or insurer. In buildings where people sleep – hotels, clinics, care homes – the rounds are much closer together than in an office building that is empty at night. We agree the round schedule with you and record it in writing.

What we need for the briefing

• Fire brigade plans and escape and rescue plans
• Keys or access cards for all affected areas
• Locations of fire extinguishers, wall hydrants and manual call points
• Telephone numbers of the operator, building services and maintenance company
• Information on particular hazards: storage, plant rooms, kitchens, construction work in the building

Documentation protects the operator

Every round is logged with the time, route and findings. If damage occurs later or the insurer asks questions, the log proves that the operator fulfilled their duty. Keep it together with the fault report and the proof of repair.

If the repair takes longer

Spare parts for older systems are not always available immediately. In that case we provide the watch in shifts around the clock, or only during the times when the building is in use. When a watch is required in general, see the guide Fire watch: when is it mandatory? For urgent cases there is our express service.

Frequently asked questions

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