We are a fairly small village hall and have recently had our Fire Risk Assessment updated by a professional company. Whilst we currently have a basic fire detection system it is an intruder alarm with some smoke detectors connected. It's generally effective when someone burns something in the kitchen but far from a BS5839 system. As expected the assessment report calls for a full BS5839 system.

We therefore need to go out to tender for a new fire alarm system. However to be confident in determining what is necessary and not be oversold a solution when quotes come back, I would appreciate some basic advice.

The building is all single storey with the original building consisting of the original main hall plus kitchen and a new "annex" built in 2010 to current building regs. see attached layout plan

My questions are:-

1) How many zones?

• I was thinking the main hall and stage as a distinct fire compartment as 1 zone.
• The kitchen as a second zone.
• The GP consulting room as a third zone and
• The remainder of the annex a 4th zone.

2) Location of detectors?

• Two in the main hall one above the hall and a second above the stage (there is a lightweight proscenium wall between the two which might impede detection times for just one).
• One in the kitchen.
• One in the GP consultation room
• One in each of the store rooms
• One in the meeting room
• two in the access corridor.

3) Call Points

• One adjacent the front door designated and marked as an exit route
• One adjacent the first set of doors in the annex leading to the garden. (also designated exit route)
• One adjacent to the final exit door leading from the kitchen to open air. (This is not a designated exit but could be used by engineers servicing the boiler or kitchen appliances).

4) Sounders

• One in the main hall near the kitchen door to cover the hall and kitchen
• One in the annex corridor to cover the meeting room and GP consulting room

5) Alarm panel in the main hall adjacent the door where existing spur and battery backup is located

I am not looking for anyone to design a system for us, as that's down to the installation engineers. I am just looking for a reality check to see if the above is wide of the mark.

Many thanks

Why did your professional FRA not give you the category of system required? It's not really very good to just say "you need a BS5839-1 fire alarm system" they should if competent be giving you more than that.

A small to medium place of assembly only requires manual call points (Category M) to final exits and high risk areas unless there is an aspect of the layout requiring specific detection (e.g. for an inner room situation) making it Category M/L5.

The healthcare usage could in theory bump it up to Category L3 (detection to escape corridors, routes and any room opening into it other than toilets) but it's ancillary to the main usage so a pragmatic approach could be possible.

If you want property protection then you'd need lots more detection (such as any room where there is a fire risk, but not necessarily escape routes) and remote monitoring of the system (M/P2 when also including call points and sounders)

You may need more sounders as you need to achieve a minimum sound pressure level throughout the building (65dB, with some specific areas 60dB). You may also require Visual Alarm Devices depending on the usage of the premises, which your FRA should have told you.

Zoning doesn't work the way you think, leave that to the designer, if small enough the whole building could in theory be one zone, especially if Category M.

Your plan isn't showing or I could give some better advice by marking on it.

Cheapest option that should comply if nothing unusual is present is to keep your intruder alarm linked smokes for property protection out of hours and a Category M fire alarm system to meet the minimum legal requirement for the premises.

Many thanks for the reply @anthonyB

To be fair he did as follows:

"Upgrade the fire alarm system to a Category M and L3 system in accordance with BS 5839-1,
including manual call points at final exits and automatic detection to escape routes and rooms
opening onto them.
This will provide an appropriate means of raising the alarm for all occupants, including those
unfamiliar with the premises."

Unfortunately as a new member of the forum my posts are moderated and it will not allow me to upload the plan. Once I am allowed to upload an attachment it would give a better understanding of the layout and complexity of the building.

John