In the year ending September 2025, there were a total of 642,170 incidents in the UK. This has steadily increased, with fluctuations from Gov UK records dating back to 2015. Sadly, of those incidents last year, 273 fatalities were recorded from 252 fatal fires, also an increase from the previous year. As these statistics show, fire alarms should not just stop at the installation stage. Regular maintenance, with monitoring, by an approved and accredited business, should reduce incidents and could potentially save lives.
Whether you are looking into fire safety for the first time or evaluating an existing setup, commercial safety requires a proactive approach. However, many businesses fall into the trap of using separate, independent contractors for different elements of their security—or hiring a company that installs a fire alarm system and leaves it at that. To truly protect your premises, remain legally compliant, and streamline your operations, the most effective route is a unified, one-stop shop commercial partner that handles the entire lifecycle under one roof: from initial install to twice-a-year maintenance and 24/7 remote monitoring.
The Pitfalls of a “Set and Forget” Fire Alarm
It is a common assumption that once a fire alarm system is installed, it will remain reliable and compliant for the lifetime of the building without major changes.
- Surely, once set up, they will be reliable and compliant with my insurance?
- Why do we have to fork out hundreds of pounds or even thousands on updating my alarm system?
These are some of the key questions businesses across the UK frequently ask in board meetings.
Once you set the alarm, this doesn’t guarantee permanent protection. Updates are required to industry standards on an annual basis. BS 5839-1 is the standard set by the Fire Industry Association (FIA) specifically for commercial and non-domestic properties. In 2025, the FIA announced BS 5839:1 2025, the first major upgrade to the standards since 2017. From that, it was highlighted that:
| Category | Type of Protection | Target Focus |
| Category L (L1 to L5) | Life Protection | Designed specifically to protect human life, ranging from full automatic detection (L1) to localised protection for specific hazards (L5). |
| Category P (P1 to P2) | Property Protection | Designed to protect the building fabric and physical assets, whether covering the whole building (P1) or specific rooms (P2). |
| Category M | Manual System | Relies purely on manual call points (break-glass units) and does not include automatic smoke or heat detectors. |
As a business owner or facility manager, if it hasn’t been completed already, you need to consider a comprehensive fire alarm system review to determine any necessary upgrades to BS 5839:1 2025. This is vital to remain compliant with health and safety frameworks, insurance policies and above all, protect staff and public members entering the owned premises where responsibility falls.
The Legal Reality: The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, having a recorded Fire Risk Assessment is a strict legal requirement for all non-domestic premises. Recent legislative updates mean that every business, regardless of size or employee count, must fully document their fire safety arrangements.
The law states that there must be ‘regular’ reviews to ensure the safety and well-being of commercial or public premises. A prompt review is expected for safety and business liability protection purposes if:
- An incident occurs.
- There is a structural layout change.
- There is a change in building use.
- An insurance policy change or request is made.
What is an Unmaintained Panel Really Costing You?
The statistics mentioned earlier demonstrate the number of false alarms raised. To tackle this spike, BS 5839-1: 2025 provides a host of welcome updates. For example, the new standard now recommends that a sign be placed directly next to all fire alarm panels. This will indicate to all near the panel that the fire signal goes to the fire services or a dedicated Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC), which should be accredited to BAFE standards.
Gaps in the Paperwork: The Danger of Outdated Logbooks and C&E Variations
Another consideration of the latest standards is keeping that important logbook up to date. Any changes to business fire safety, from evacuation points to completing equipment maintenance inspections, need to be documented.
‘Cause and Effect’, also recognised as CE variations in the security industry, is the requirement of documentation to detail a custom design, demonstrating an input corresponding to an output.
An example of this is:
- Input: A detector activating or a manual call point being pressed.
- Output: All warning devices throughout a building sounding or flashing.
Step 1: 24/7 Monitoring (Keeping You Safe)
Now that the installation is complete, it is important that a level of monitoring is in place, particularly outside of business hours on the premises. Operated by an ARC 24/7, this will reduce false alerts and comply with many insurance policies.
Why a Loud Siren in an Empty Building Isn’t Enough
In workplaces like factories, warehouses, manufacturing facilities and logistics centres, they operate at high intensities with various vehicles and machinery in operation day and night.
This naturally creates a very loud environment, where even the loudest siren isn’t heard. If the business shuts down for the night, it may only be neighbours that hear the alarms, or even not that fortunate if the facility is in a remote location!
For this reason, ‘dual-path’ signalling and alarms that are remotely monitored are more important than ever.
The Power of Dual-Path DP4 Signalling
Worried that your alarm, which you have paid good money for, will not signal a detection? Now, with Dual-Path DP4 signalling, the latest and highest-level industry standard in alarm signalling, two independent transmission routes (often 4G cellular and LAN broadband) ensure encrypted alarm signals are transmitted to an ARC.
- Primary Route: LAN broadband transfers the encrypted data.
- Backup Route: Should the broadband route fail, the signal then immediately reverts to the backup cellular network for an added layer of security.
Direct Dispatch: What Happens When Your System Talks Back to Us
From a custom-built ARC, SIA-approved operators respond within seconds to any fire alarm that triggers an alert. Keyholders supplied by the client are notified immediately and emergency services are contacted if required.
Step 2 – Proactive Maintenance (Keeping You Compliant)
Picture for a moment a large fire breaks out at a warehouse. Worst-case scenario, it takes lives. Best-case scenario, no loss of life, but critical damage to the premises. Installs, maintenance and monitoring can be costly, but the potential risk is far greater.
If a fire occurs without proactive maintenance, the knock-on business costs are massive:
- Insurance premiums increase significantly for a new policy.
- Complex plans will need to be discussed for repairs or a new building.
- Day-to-day operations could shut down entirely.
- Failure to adhere to the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 could damage the business’s reputation and create highly negative publicity.
The 6-Month Servicing Rule: Why It’s Non-Negotiable
Businesses often need to adapt to survive and thrive. Six months may seem very soon for a maintenance check, but as a minimum legal requirement, for public safety and no doubt to comply with your insurance policy, a review twice a year of your system should be booked with an accredited fire alarm installer who knows your product and layout.
The best time to schedule this will depend on the type of business you have, outside of peak hours or months when the business can accommodate on-site visits.
For example, school, college and university fire alarm systems are best reviewed in the summer months, once term time has concluded.
If there have been any changes to the layout, this can be evaluated in a professional review and a quote offered to make alterations to the plan, which must comply with the law and legal insurance.
Ensuring Certification and Protecting Your Insurance
One way to build trust and give your insurer peace of mind that there will be less chance of a claim is with certifications. These can be issued upon installation of the completed works, and act as a great piece of marketing in the customer reception for all partners, suppliers or visitors to the business, who can see forward thinking and duty of care.
Unifying Your Protection Under One Trusted Partner
Now that you know the importance of annual maintenance on fire alarm systems by law and the benefits of remotely monitored alerts, dealt with by a third party, who do you go with?
For coordinated engineer visits, which reduces fuss and admin hassle, a unified security partner that can handle it all is the winning ticket.
At GBSG, we provide and manage end-to-end security solutions under one roof and have done so for more than 40 years. We design, install, maintain and monitor fire alarm systems for a wide range of businesses across Lincolnshire and nationwide.
Each quote is bespoke to the client and can be monitored via our NACOSS Gold ARC. Responding to alerts in moments, this mitigates the risk of an unaware keyholder who has mentally switched off after a long shift.
The importance of continuing to review your systems as part of BS5839 standards in line with your insurance policy can not be underestimated. It will save the business money by being proactive and ensuring safety for all on-site in the process.
Take the Next Step with GBSG
- New to GBSG? Based in Lincolnshire, we exclusively serve premises within a four-hour response radius to guarantee rapid, dependable support. Within this area, we provide comprehensive, accredited fire safety management. Book a Fire Alarm System Review to verify your compliance with the latest BS 5839-1:2025 updates.
- Already a GBSG Fire Maintenance Customer? Don’t wait for your next insurance audit. Speak to your account manager about adding a formal BS 5839-1:2025 compliance review to your next contracted 6-month engineer maintenance visit.
- Trust us already for Intruder or CCTV, but not fire yet? Streamline your operations by bringing your safety systems under one roof. Let our team review your existing setup to unify your maintenance, installation, and 24/7 remote monitoring into a seamless, cost-effective solution.
Contact GBSG Today to Book Your Commercial Fire Alarm System Review
