Door Entry Systems

BAFE-certified engineers with over three decades of combined experience. London and Kent. Updated September 2026

Key facts

Secured by Design & Approved Document M Compliant
NSI Gold Accredited

Professional door entry systems in London and Kent

At a glance

Two systems, two purposes

Fire and intruder alarm monitoring both route a signal to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC), but they exist for different reasons and answer to different standards.

Is it a legal requirement?

Yes, for residential buildings above 18 metres. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require evacuation alert systems in higher-risk residential buildings, following a direct recommendation from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. The requirement sits within the Building Safety Act 2022, and the system must be designed, installed and maintained to BS 8629.

How does it differ from a fire alarm?

A fire alarm warns everyone to evacuate. An evacuation alert system gives the fire and rescue service a tool to manage evacuation deliberately, alerting specific floors as the incident develops. The two systems are independent, and a building cannot meet its evacuation alert duty with a fire alarm alone.

How Smartec delivers this

Smartec Integrated Systems is BAFE SP207 registered, covering the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of evacuation alert systems to BS 8629. Every test and visit is recorded in tamper-proof Digital Logbooks on the Smartec Client Portal, alongside any fire alarm or emergency lighting system we maintain in the same building.

What does installation involve?

Site survey to assess the building layout, escape routes and refuge point locations

System design, setting the number and position of outstations and the EACIE panel location

Installation of the panel, outstations and fire-resistant cabling

Commissioning, with a full system test and sign-off documentation

Handover, with certification and the system added to the Smartec Client Portal

Who needs this?

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Mandatory under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

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Housing associations & councils

Managing high-rise residential stock across multiple sites

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Developers

New-build high-rise residential schemes, designed in from the outset

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Accountable Persons

Under the Building Safety Act 2022 higher-risk building regime

PROJECT

Wembley NE03

Smartec delivered the evacuation alert system as part of the wider life safety installation at Wembley NE03, working alongside the Honeywell Gent fire detection system already in place at the development.

FAQs

How high should a door entry call point be mounted?: Between 900mm and 1000mm above ground level, set back at least 300mm from any external corner, per Approved Document M.
Does Secured by Design apply to my development?: Requirements scale by the number of flats sharing a communal entrance, from basic access control at 4-9 dwellings up to full image recording at 25 or more.
Why can't communal doors use green breakglass emergency exits?: Secured by Design prohibits them due to constant abuse, requiring vandal-resistant, self-resetting stainless steel devices instead.
How often is a door entry system maintained?: A minimum of two inspections a year, per Secured by Design guidance.
What accreditation does Secured by Design require of the installer?: An NSI (or equivalent) certificate of compliance for the resident access control installation. Smartec Integrated Systems holds NSI Gold.
Can door entry be linked to a wider access control system?: Yes. See our Access Control page for full system integration across a building.