Fire Alarm Maintenance

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

Key facts

BS 5839-1 Compliant Servicing Across the UK
BAFE SP203-1 Certified

Professional Fire Alarm Maintenance in London and Kent

At Smartec Fire Safety, we provide professional fire alarm maintenance services to help ensure your fire detection and alarm systems remain reliable, compliant and ready to perform when they are needed most. Our experienced engineers carry out regular inspections, testing and servicing to identify potential faults and ensure your system continues to operate effectively. Whether you require routine maintenance, fault finding or ongoing servicing, we provide a dependable service tailored to the needs of your premises, helping to protect your people, property and business.

At a glance

What is fire alarm maintenance?

Fire alarm maintenance is the regular inspection, testing and servicing of fire detection and alarm systems to ensure they work correctly when needed. It covers detectors, control panels, call points, sounders and backup power, carried out by a competent engineer at intervals set by British Standards.

Is it a legal requirement?

Yes. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places a duty on the Responsible Person to ensure fire safety systems are maintained in efficient working order. BS 5839-1 is the British Standard your maintenance regime is judged against, setting a minimum service interval of six months for most systems. Poorly maintained systems risk false alarms, unnecessary disruption and, in the event of a real incident, a system that fails when it matters most.

How Smartec does this

Our BAFE SP203-1 certified engineers service all major system types, including conventional, addressable, wireless and hybrid fire alarms, in line with BS 5839-1 and current best practice. Maintenance schedules are tailored to occupancy, system complexity and risk level, with detailed reports issued after every visit.

Faults do not wait for office hours. If your system develops a problem overnight or a call point sticks at 9pm, our responsive engineering team provides emergency fault-finding to restore protection as quickly as possible, with guaranteed under-4-hour dispatch for contract clients. Routine maintenance also catches small issues before they escalate: degraded batteries, contaminated detectors and ageing components are identified and addressed before they cause a false alarm or, worse, a genuine failure.

What does a maintenance visit include?

Visual inspection of the control panel and all connected devices

Testing of detectors, call points and sounders

Battery and backup power checks

Fault diagnostics and review of fault history

Digital certificate and service report issued via the Smartec Client Portal

Reducing false alarms

Frequent false activations disrupt business, interrupt learning environments and, over time, breed complacency toward genuine emergencies. Common causes include faulty or contaminated detectors, environmental conditions such as steam or cooking fumes, incorrect system configuration, and general wear as equipment ages. Regular maintenance identifies these root causes early, improving reliability and cutting unnecessary disruption.

Who needs this?

Different buildings place different demands on a maintenance schedule, and we tailor ours accordingly.

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Offices & retail

Any commercial premises with a fire alarm system, regardless of size

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Schools

Flexible scheduling during term breaks and quieter periods to avoid disrupting staff and students

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Landlords & HMOs

A legal responsibility under the Fire Safety Order — non-compliance risks enforcement action and invalidated insurance

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Warehouses & industrial

Larger systems with higher device counts, serviced on a schedule matched to risk

Every test and visit is recorded in tamper-proof Digital Logbooks on the Smartec Client Portal — live asset tracking, photo-verified defects, instant certificate downloads.

PROJECT

University of Roehampton

Alongside fire alarm maintenance, Smartec also maintains the emergency lighting system across the University of Roehampton campus, with both systems tracked through the same Digital Logbook and inspected on coordinated visits.

FAQs

How often should a fire alarm system be serviced?: BS EN 62676-4:2015 covers the selection, planning, installation, commissioning and maintenance of video surveillance systems.
Is CCTV footage covered by GDPR?: At least every 6 months under BS 5839-1. Higher-risk premises may require more frequent visits.
Are weekly fire alarm tests required?: Yes. A different manual call point should be tested each week, rotating through the system, with results recorded in the log book.
Is fire alarm maintenance a legal requirement?: Yes, under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. BS 5839-1 sets the standard your maintenance is judged against.
What happens during a fire alarm service?: Testing of detectors and call points, battery checks, control panel inspection, sounder testing, a review of fault history, and a maintenance certificate.
Do landlords need fire alarm servicing?: Yes. Landlords, HMOs, offices, shops and schools are all required to keep their fire alarm system properly maintained.
What is BS 5839-1?: The British Standard covering the design, installation, testing and maintenance of fire alarm systems in the UK.
Can a fire alarm be serviced once a year?: No. A minimum of two service visits per year is required for most non-domestic systems.
What types of buildings require fire alarm maintenance?: Any commercial or non-domestic building with a fire alarm system â€” offices, schools, warehouses, restaurants, hotels, HMOs and industrial sites among them.
What information needs to go in a fire alarm log book?: Every test, fault and service visit, with dates and outcomes recorded. Digital logbooks capture this automatically as each visit is completed.
What if my fire alarm system has faults?: Get it checked by a competent engineer immediately. Ignoring faults can invalidate insurance and increase fire risk.