General

This Standard provides requirements and recommendations for the planning, design, installation, commissioning, servicing and maintenance of fire detection and alarm systems in premises including those used for residential/domestic purposes. The Standard does not recommend whether or not a fire alarm system should be installed in any given building (see Building Regulations, Technical Guidance Document B). When it has been determined that a Fire Detection and Alarm System (FDAS) is required, this standard is suitable.
The systems covered in this Standard are referred to as Fire Detection and Alarm Systems (FDAS). The Standard covers systems ranging from simple installations with one or two manual call points, up to complex installations with automatic detectors, manual call points, control and indicating equipment, communication with the public fire service, etc. It also covers the provision of signals to initiate, in the event of a fire, the operation of ancillary services (see 6.16) and other precautions and actions, but it does not cover the ancillary services themselves.
Consultation with the appropriate Fire Authority is advised before undertaking the design or installation. This Standard does not cover systems combining fire alarm functions with other non-fire related functions, although some guidance on such integrated systems is given in Annex G. This Standard does not cover systems whose primary function is to extinguish or control the fire, such as sprinkler or automatic extinguishing systems, even though they might have a secondary alarm function. It does, however, cover the use of a signal from an automatic extinguishing system as one initiating element of a fire alarm system.
Recommendations for fire protection for electronic equipment installations are given in BS 6266.