How to Vet a Fire Alarm Company: 5 Important Questions to Ask
Looking for a fire alarm company to protect your business? Perhaps it’s time to switch contractors because you’re not happy with the service? Choosing the right provider is a big decision, and in this article, we’ll help you make the right choice.
Think of your fire alarm company as your most important business partner. They’ll help protect your property and staff, keep you compliant with safety regulations, and allow you to concentrate on building a long-standing and thriving business.
That’s why it’s important that you choose an experienced and professional fire alarm company that you can be sure won’t let you down. From your fire alarm installation to fire alarm system maintenance, they should be able to handle it all, offering expert advice and support throughout. If your contractor isn’t competent, you could risk insurance voids and hefty fines for non-compliance, and worse, your system could be unsafe or fail.
5 Important Questions to Ask
To help you make the right choice, we’ve put together a list of five handy questions to ask before hiring your new fire safety company:
1. Is the fire alarm company third-party certified?
Top of the list of things to check is certification, or more specifically, UKAS accredited third-party certification, for example BAFE. Choosing a BAFE-registered fire security company, like Midland Fire, will mean you can be confident the company is fully competent and will help you meet your obligations under national fire legislation.
2. Do they have experience working with businesses like mine?
An easy way to assess a fire alarm company’s level of experience is simply to find out how long they’ve been in business. The longer they’ve been around, the more experience they’ll have had working with different kinds of businesses and life safety systems. You can ask them how experienced their engineers are, and look for a list of case studies with examples of previously completed projects.
3. What are their emergency response times?
This is an important consideration so you can gauge how long it will take their fire alarm engineers to get to you in the event of a system failure. Long waiting times can mean that you lose money due to extended downtime, and that your property remains unsafe for longer. Ask the company what their standard callout times are and if they offer 24/7 support.
4. Do they offer planned preventative maintenance?
On top of their emergency response service, find out what they offer in terms of long-term maintenance plans. As a business owner, you’re legally obliged to keep your fire alarm systems in good working order, so choosing a fire alarm company that will handle this for you will ensure you remain compliant with UK regulations.
5. Can they install fully integrated systems?
Lastly, we’d recommend that you find out what other services they offer in addition to fire safety. Choosing a fire alarm company that also specialises in commercial security systems and electrical contracting services means just one point of contact, streamlined installation and maintenance schedules, and bespoke systems that work seamlessly together.
Red Flags to Watch Out For When Choosing a Fire Alarm Company
Let’s round things off with a list of all the things you don’t want to find when researching your fire alarm company:
- No accreditations.
- Little or basic knowledge of fire safety regulations.
- Lack of case studies of verifiable experience.
- No formal quote or unclear pricing.
- Vague or generic proposals.
- Pushy sales approach without offering a site survey.
- Using cheap, low-quality equipment with no brand transparency.
- No clear warranty or guarantee on equipment and installation.
- Ongoing maintenance plans aren’t on offer.
- Bad reviews!
Why Hire Midland Fire As Your Fire Alarm Company?
In answer to the five questions above, we are a BAFE-accredited fire safety contractor with over 25 years’ experience working with companies of all shapes and sizes. Our friendly team of qualified fire alarm engineers can carry out bespoke system design, installation and maintenance, and we offer a range of security and electrical services too. Explore our full range of services here.
25 years of experience
We’ve been protecting people and businesses since 1999.
Expert engineers
Each of our 30 engineers is a time served electrician and a fully qualified fire alarm engineer.
Full support from start to finish
We’ll effectively manage each stage of your project from consultation and design to installation, certification and maintenance.
Quality products
Midland Fire only supplies products from reputable brands that we know will future proof your business.
Protect your business, employees and property by hiring a reliable fire alarm company. Contact Midland Fire today for expert fire protection services, compliance support and a free consultation.
Your Burning Questions Answered
What services does Midland Fire Security Services Ltd provide?
Midland Fire designs, installs, commissions and maintains fire alarms, fire suppression systems, fire extinguishers, emergency lighting, emergency voice call systems, disabled refuge setups and voice alarms. We also install security systems (CCTV, intruder alarms, access control, intercoms) and offer electrical contracting services. We carry out fire risk assessments and provide planned preventative maintenance too.
Is Midland Fire BAFE-accredited?
Yes we are. Midland Fire is BAFE-registered for fire alarm installation, servicing and more, meaning we’re fully competent to install fire safety systems that meet the national standards.
Does Midland Fire provide planned preventative maintenance?
Yes, we offer planned maintenance services for fire alarms and emergency lighting systems, with a variety of package levels to suit your needs. To keep your property and staff safe, you should test your fire alarms weekly and carry out a full system inspection at least twice a year as per the BS 5839 standards.
How much experience does Midland Fire have?
We’ve been operating since 1999. That’s over 25 years’ experience providing fire safety services for businesses throughout the Midlands and the UK. Our fire alarm engineers are fully qualified electricians, with extensive knowledge of how to install bespoke fire alarm systems in a wide range of commercial settings, and we ensure that our staff are always up to date with the current safety regulations.
