4 Components of a Successful Fire Alarm Monitoring System for Schools and Businesses

Whether you’re protecting your employees in a large corporation or young children attending school in Houston, TX, the four components of a successful fire alarm monitoring system remain the same. At ASAP Security Services, we treat every situation with the comprehensive, customized approach it deserves. We know how important these systems are and that someone’s life could depend on them working efficiently and without failures. 

Let’s uncover the four critical pieces inherent in a secure fire monitoring system. 

SEE ALSO: Why Integrated Systems Are the Next Big Thing in Building Security

Detection

It’s easy to think that the unthinkable will never happen to your business or school. But one look at the Houston Fire Department Log, and you realize the unthinkable happens all too often. In November 2020, the department responded to 36 fires, from a fire at a manufacturing facility warehouse in Northwest Houston to a school laundry room fire in the Memorial Park area.

The detection element of a fire alarm system makes sure that the fire is detected before any injuries and property damage occurs. It ensures a safe evacuation while also helping to protect first responders and firefighters. 

We partner with the top monitoring brands like Honeywell, ensuring optimum support in a life-threatening situation. The company’s Advanced Detection system provides high-sensitivity smoke detection and features continuous air sampling. This system is so advanced that it can alert you before smoke is even visible, giving you and your team the time you need to investigate an early warning and respond before damage occurs.

These systems also gather and analyze data to determine when an alarm notification is necessary, limiting false alarms.

Notification

In addition to linking to the central fire alarm, which sets off audible and visual notification, mass notification systems alert everyone to potential danger, no matter where they are. 

All-in-one PA systems and commercial intercoms create a comprehensive notification system. Emergency notifications can reach a single location, multiple zones, or the entire campus or building. When combined with automated technology, alerting people to an emergency should be automatic and not require the right person to be in the right room at the right time. 

Honeywell’s Instant Alert Plus sends mass notifications and emergency messages through emails, text messages, or phone calls. These systems can save lives in multiple emergency situations, including fires, severe weather, and active shooter events. 

Response

When smoke or heat is detected, a sprinkler head engages, or someone pulls the emergency alarm, a signal is automatically sent to a remote monitoring station. ASAP Security Services certified monitoring professionals then alert the fire department. No time is wasted, and in minutes, emergency responders are on their way. This quick response ensures the best possible outcome in a fire-related incident.

Maintenance

Professional monitoring services, maintenance, and testing are required to ensure your system works as it should in an emergency. ASAP Security Services offers ongoing maintenance and performs annual inspections to ensure your business or school is safe and in compliance. 

As one of the largest privately-held systems integration companies that has been serving Texans since 1947, we are committed to ensuring the businesses and schools in our great state are secure and protected. For more information or a complimentary consultation, contact ASAP Security Services today.