Fire Alarm Systems

Photo of fire engine responding to an emergency

Fire Alarm Systems

EDS offers a comprehensive range of fire detection systems. We can provide either networked or stand alone systems for small, large, single or multi-site systems.

EDS can design, install, commission, maintain, service and monitor your fire alarm systems using the latest technologies and employing our many years of expertise in the field. Fire alarm monitoring is provided through our secure monitoring centre, ensuring rapid response to any alarm activation 24 hours a day, giving instant response to emergency services, police, fire & ambulance authorities, security guards and keyholders.

EDS offers the highest standard of routine maintenance and service backup. Even if you have systems from different suppliers, regardless of the manufacturer, we are able to integrate these systems into one aggregated system with one maintenance company: EDS. Fire extinguishing systems can be integrated with fire detection and alarm systems to ensure fast flooding of the area with the appropriate agents and gases.

• Insurance Approved Systems
• Peace of Mind Protection
• Dependable Technology
• Fire Brigade Response Systems
• Cost Effective Security Solutions
• Property & Life Protection

A System Designed To Meet Your Requirments

The EDS range of fire control panels are compatible with all types of detection devices, covering multiple zones of detection, each incorporating a unique way of controlling sounders, detectors and manual call points on the cable. This method of operation provides greater flexibility in the system design, reduces wiring costs and installation time significantly.

As the system is extended in the future, additional detection devices and sounders can be installed anywhere in the system. Designed to offer high standards of build quality and performance, the EDS range of equipment meets and exceeds the current UK and EU standards.

The range is ideally suited to any organisation or environment. It is a fully featured alarm control panel with an extensive array of features for ease of operation. Its modular construction and design allows expansion to meet your future requirements.

By its very nature the system is a high security data network linked to the detection equipment. Utilising the very latest in cabling technology, reducing installation time and false alarms and ensuring high system integrity, the system can be individually configured to the user’s exact requirements. Re-programming is simple, with the operation carried out at the keypad or from a remote location to suit your needs. The occurrence of false alarms is greatly reduced by using digital signal processing.

The system benefits from text displayed keypads, which are extremely user friendly with menu driven on-screen information and a prominent display incorporating full on-board diagnostics. This provides the user with clear zonal fire and fault indications, giving early signs of any potential situations.

Plenty of standby power is provided by the onboard battery backup units and on-line power supplies, offering redundancy in the event of a power failure.

Photo of Honeywell fire control panel
Smoke & Fire Detection Warning Devices Door Retainers Interface Devices BT RedCare

Smoke & Fire Detection Equipment

A suitable range of detection equipment is employed to protect your premises; smoke and heat detectors, point to point beams, infra-red beams, flame detectors, particle sensors with very high sensitivity, air monitoring detection equipment as well as the usual break glass call points for manual operation. All of these are engineered to summon instant response in the event of an emergency situation.

The range has been carefully researched and has undergone rigorous testing to ensure that it meets not only UK, European and other standards but also the demands of today’s high technology environments.

Each detection device responds to interrogation and commands from the fire control panel. Information on status, message checking, device type and location is communicated digitally, with fault alerts being raised when the device itself is not being interrogated.

The detectors provide great flexibility in system design, with the control equipment determining the characteristics of the system. The digital communications protocol provides a high level of data integrity, which overcomes the potential for unwanted alarms due to data corruption.

Time related sensitivity detectors can be incorporated into the system to further reduce false alarms. They are particularly useful for installations where it is desirable to set different response characteristics at different times of the day due to changes in the environment. For example, if an industrial process generates smoke or fumes during working hours and the area is clean at other times, the optimum response sensitivity will vary accordingly.

Outside working hours the sensitivity can be switched automatically by the fire control panel to a higher level to maintain maximum protection.

Remote detection indication can be added to any detection device, which will mimic the fire LEDs on the detector heads. This is particularly useful when the detectors are mounted in false ceilings or floors.

Photo of emergency break glass fire alarm

Warning Devices & Sounders

The fire alarm sounders and warning devices play a crucial part in alerting the occupants of a building of an impending emergency situation.

A large array of devices are available from basic bells to electronic sounders and high powered site wide evacuation sounders. All of these can be supplied with powerful flashing xenon strobe beacons to provide visual indication of an alarm event, which is ideal for areas of high noise levels such as factories and to aid the hard of hearing.

The beacons emit a powerful light and can be simply connected to supplementary sounders.

The conventional bell is suitable for any internal and external applications, is highly reliable and provides a loud, penetrating warning. It is constructed of high quality steel.

A low profile electronic sounder provides improved aesthetic appearance, which can be installed to blend with the building’s interior. A choice of easily selected sounder tones are available including buzz, fast & slow sweep and continuous. This allows the system to differentiate between several different types of alarms within one building, for example to indicate a bomb alert. The rugged casing houses the electronics and provides a high degree of protection against environmental conditions.

A range of sounders is available with a mounting platform which will fit underneath a smoke or heat detector, reducing the overall cost and visual impact.

Photo of red fire warning light

Door Retainers Magnets Holders

The EDS range of door retainers offers the broadest choice of mounting styles, holding power and installation accessories.

Mounted onto a fixed surface, these door retainers ensure retention of the fire door by means of a smart metallic keeper plate. Interfaced with the fire alarm system, the door retainers are de-energised as soon as a fire is detected, thus releasing the door without the potentially harmful delay suffered by other types of devices.

All door retainers feature metal enclosures to guard against heat fatigue. Each magnet has an individually calibrated ejector pin which ensures that residual magnetism does not affect performance. Our door retainers conform to BS EN1155 Building Hardware guidelines for electrically powered hold-open devices for swing doors.

We provide a choice of holding power, from 200-400N, various mounting methods including extension boxes, keeper plate options and floor brackets. Standard units feature a reinforced aluminium back box, and all units feature a powerful ejector pin and integrated release button as standard.

Photo of magnetic door holders

Interface Devices & Plant Shutdown

A range of interface devices are available to link the fire alarm system to external plant or machinery. This could include connecting to the building’s main incoming gas supply to switch the gas off in the event of an alarm condition, therefore preventing any further danger.

Other types of interfaces can be added to the fire alarm system, such as plant shutdown or startup to either remove smoke from the environment or to provide automatic lift control to bring all lifts down to the ground floor.

Interface devices can be tailored to your individual needs and requirements.

Photo of fire alarm interface device

Speech Dialler, Digital Communicator, DualCom, RedCare

Digital Communicator, DualCom, RedCare
BT Redcare continuously monitors the telephone line integrity, detecting line cuts and faults within seconds. It therefore represents a major security enhancement, which is fully endorsed by leading UK insurers. BT Redcare also reduces your signalling costs because it does not generate call charges, nor does it require a dedicated telephone line.

BT Redcare uses non-dialling technology, which is not interrupted by normal telephone usage, nor is it dependent on the line number, and is completely unaffected by any future telephone code changes.

The Redcare network is continuously in contact with your premises to ensure telephone line integrity is maintained. Redcare equipment, located in the BT exchange, immediately detects any loss of signal. If there is a line fault or the line is cut, Redcare checks to confirm that communication has genuinely failed, thereby reducing the risk of false alarms. If a response is not received, then the EDS alarm receiving centre is immediately alerted.

In the event of a genuine alarm signal, Redcare identifies which alarm signal is affected. The alarm signals are then transmitted to the EDS alarm receiving centre, where operators follow an agreed action plan by contacting the relevant emergency services and the specified keyholders. Redcare GSM is a Redcare connection with a GSM radio back-up path similar to that of a mobile phone, enabling your alarm system to be monitored by radio as well as via an existing BT line. By adding the GSM network your premises are monitored through two completely separate signalling paths. If one path fails, or is interrupted, then the other informs the EDS alarm receiving centre immediately, and continues to monitor any subsequent alarms.

If the GSM interface device loses contact with the GSM network, an alarm is transmitted to the EDS alarm receiving centre using the BT line. This means that with Redcare GSM, alarms can be signalled via both BT line and radio paths. Some burglars, vandals or arsonists first cut your telephone lines to try and prevent the intruder or fire alarm signal reaching the EDS alarm receiving centre. Redcare has a wide range of applications including commercial, industrial, government and residential. Redcare provides maximum protection against intruders, fire and monitoring of critical plant and machinery systems.

Digital Communicator
The digital communicator is securely located within the protected premises and connected to a standard telephone that links the alarm system with the control centre. The connection is made by dialling a dedicated number and transmitting a high speed coded message. This data provides specific details of the alarm type, location and identity of the premises. A communicator has up to eight independent signalling channels with an additional channel for reporting a test message or a low battery condition. The transmitted message enables the alarm receiving centre to identify the type of alarm condition, whether it’s a personal attack, intruder, fire or medical alert.

Once the message has been clearly displayed at the control centre, an acknowledgement signal is generated to inform the digital communicator of successful transmission. If the signal is not received at the alarm receiving centre the communicator will re-dial the number.

The presence of the telephone line is monitored continuously, providing an early indication of line faults on the control unit at the customer’s premises. EDS provides a monitoring service covering a wide variety of applications including fire alarms, personal attack alarms, intruder alarms, opening and closing of premises, and the malfunctions of equipment such as refrigeration plants and air conditioning systems.

Photo of BT Redcare alarm device

Existing Systems

EDS can maintain any type of existing system, providing on-site and workshop repairs to any make of systems. With a large stockholding of spare parts we can turn around repairs rapidly.

Routine Maintenance

Regular maintenance is fundamental to ensure your systems operate as effectively as when they were first installed, we are able to provide competitive quotation for maintenance of new and any type of existing system.