Faced with a range of potential fire and security threats, most businesses have introduced appropriate systems to reduce the risks. But it’s likely they’ve done so over the years in a piecemeal fashion, in response to ongoing risk assessments. Developments in technology now offer the opportunity to integrate fire and security systems to a much greater extent. That’s something that increasing numbers of companies are exploring, keen to make the most of the benefits integrated systems have to offer.
The benefits of integrated fire and security systems
An integrated fire and security solution is a multi-layered system that provides a more sophisticated level of protection. Essentially it works by using internet protocol technology to enable individual fire and security systems to communicate with one another and it can be adapted to meet your site’s specific requirements. Which provides you with the most fundamental benefit above all else: the ability to protect your people, property and premises more effectively.
You could, for instance, have a centralised system that combines intruder alarms, CCTV surveillance, access control and your fire alarm. As the systems are connected, an event registered by one component will trigger responses from other parts of the integrated system. The different components can be configured to work together to detect any problems, alerting people to the situation and taking appropriate action, like locking down an area or calling the emergency services. If there was a fire or security incident unfolding at your premises, it enables you (or whoever is monitoring the system) to make more effective and informed decisions based on a single source of real-time information. That enables quicker response times which can be critical in an emergency situation.
While having the ability to initiate a more effective response to an incident is without doubt the key benefit of an integrated fire and security system, there are other benefits too:
- An integrated system is more straightforward to manage and maintain
It can be time consuming managing a range of different fire and security systems as they all have to be dealt with separately. An integrated system makes it much simpler, with a single point of access giving you all the information and control you need. That applies to maintenance too with fault identification and servicing all being done from a central point. You also avoid the need for multiple visits to get the various systems serviced too which saves time.
- Highly flexible and adaptable
An integrated system offers a flexible solution that can be accessed remotely and monitored by several people if required. It can also be easier to change and update elements within it, and scale it up if necessary, adapting to changing business requirements as needed.
- It helps reduce the risk of false fire alarms
False fire alarms continue to be a problem. Integrated systems can help to address the issue by being configured to only trigger an alert once confirmation of the fire has been received from specified sources (such as CCTV and video surveillance systems).
- Integrated systems are a source of valuable business data
Another useful aspect of having an integrated system is the fact that it can provide some really powerful information. This might be information about who is accessing which parts of your premises or highlighting locations on your site that seem to be associated with specific risks. The ability to use this information to identify patterns can help you tighten up your safety management and minimise fire and security risks even further.
- It’s a more time- and cost-efficient way to manage fire and security
A single integrated fire and security system only needs one contract which is both time and cost efficient. With different systems, you might have several monitoring centres involved for instance, but an integrated system can streamline that. When it comes to servicing, you only need to call on one company. Not only is that more cost effective, but it reduces the disruption of several different providers coming on site to maintain different systems.
Have you considered using an integrated supplier?
Even if you don’t have an integrated system however it is still possible to benefit from a more integrated approach. Most providers typically specialise in one or two areas: fire risk assessments perhaps, or security systems. This limited expertise means that you need to find a few suppliers to provide everything that’s needed. It’s a lot easier to deal with a single company who you can depend on to meet all of your fire safety and security needs. Using an integrated fire and security supplier provides a simple, cost effective and reliable way to make sure you are meeting all of your obligations when it comes to managing fire safety and security risks. It negates the need to use multiple providers not only to install equipment but to maintain it too, providing a much more convenient solution.
If that sounds like something you could benefit from, then talk to us. As a leading fire and security company with an exceptional reputation, we will provide you with all of the support, knowledge and expertise needed to keep your business safe and secure.