A fire alarm system does more than promote safety in the workplace and protect your assets. It lets you stay compliant with national and local fire codes, avoiding costly fines and immeasurable reputational damage.
This worthwhile investment is also an effective bargaining chip for negotiating a lower insurance rate, and purchasing a complete fire alarm system online is easier than ever. Learn how to compare vendors and your safest bets on the market.
Factors to consider when comparing and buying complete fire alarm systems online
Consider the following when selecting safety equipment for your workspace:
- Property use: A system optimized for industrial properties like car battery manufacturing plants may not be suitable for hotels, medical research facilities or trade schools. Ensure your chosen product matches your building’s occupancy type for proper hazard detection and notification.
- Building design: The higher your property’s square footage, the larger the fire alarm equipment you require. Your building’s layout can also complicate the setup. Buy a system that aligns with your space’s specifications.
- System components: Conventional systems have simpler anatomies, divide buildings into zones and identify areas when communicating fire events. On the other hand, addressable systems have more sophisticated components and provide more precise information when pinpointing fires and faults. Choose between the two based on your building’s size and layout complexity.
- Compliance: Mandatory fire codes vary by location. Local jurisdictions decide which codes established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to adopt and enforce. Select a system that meets all relevant regulations to avoid costly penalties for noncompliance.
- Installation: Vendors sell fire alarm systems as kits or turnkey equipment. The former is perfect for localized fire protection needs, while the latter provides more expansive coverage. Think about the level of expertise required to install your chosen system.
- Ease of use: Only some control panels are straightforward for everyone. Accessible systems promote inclusivity, as they consider the needs of people with disabilities. Purchase equipment with user-friendly features for all your team members.
- Remote monitoring: Advanced systems log performance data and enable real-time diagnostics from anywhere. Knowing the status of every component matters to address ailing ones proactively and ensure everything works as intended. Explore your prospective product’s remote monitoring capabilities.
- Maintenance: Some safety systems are more convenient to maintain than others. Vendors who offer regular inspections, do emergency repairs and maintain high inventory levels of replacement parts. Determine a system’s upkeep requirements and what services its seller provides to keep it in good shape.
- Integration: Connecting your fire alarm system to your building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), emergency lighting, access control, elevator control, and mass notification systems is crucial for enhancing security, safety and evacuation efficiency. Find out how interoperable your prospective equipment is.
- Warranty: Buying a system guaranteed to be free of manufacturing and craft defects minimizes repair costs. The more comprehensive a product’s warranty protection, the more confidence it inspires. Read the fine print to evaluate how much a manufacturer believes in its system’s quality.
- Manufacturer reputation: Longevity speaks volumes about a company’s credibility. Staying in business for many decades requires consistency and innovation. Check the extensiveness of a vendor’s track record and its accreditations and certifications.
- Service area: Most vendors selling safety equipment online can ship products anywhere. However, proximity limits the services they offer. Confirm whether your chosen seller ships to your location and what after-sales services you can receive.
- Cost: Systems with high initial price tags usually have low long-term costs, whereas affordable ones may be prone to wear and tear more quickly. Quantifying a product’s value can be challenging, but you typically get what you pay for. Order a system that fits your budget without sacrificing the essential features you need.
4 online places where you can buy complete fire alarm systems
Finding a reliable vendor requires research. Consider these four established companies to begin your search.
- National Time & Signal
National Time & Signal (NATSCO) is a leader in life safety systems. The company has been improving fire alarm technology since 1920, although its foundation goes back to 1870. This Michigan-based firm is state-certified and offers direct services to local property owners. Technicians are factory-trained and certified to meet the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies’ standards.
NATSCO’s integrated system consists of DigiComm™ addressable devices, graphic annunciators, synchronized notification appliances, intelligent notification appliance control panels, fire alarm control panels, color graphic workstations and touch-screen interactive graphic displays. Many of these components are available in many varieties. The accessories include pull station covers and fire alarm document cabinets that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
This vendor supports remote monitoring. Its 902 control panel series has a complete system configuration you can download or upload to any PC or a remote location via a modem. It also supports printers, Notification Appliance Circuit power supplies and PC monitoring stations.
With NATSCO’s 900 control panel series, you can create a multipurpose information portal useful for nonemergency situations via the On-Point Life Safety™ system. The platform’s On-Point™ Central provides a complete network management interface, allowing you to manage the content of interactive graphic displays throughout the building.
- Bosch building technologies
Bosch offers a wide array of fire safety solutions for various industries, including energy, health and logistics. It uses multicriteria detectors, sensing signs of fire through smoke, rapid temperature rise and carbon monoxide. Its beam smoke detectors have expansive coverage to pick up on smoke particles over large spaces.
Moreover, this established life safety brand uses video-based fire detection to recognize fire patterns early, send timely warnings to all relevant stakeholders and raise situational awareness. This technology combines cameras with analytical software, monitoring, and evaluating successive video frames for changes in color, shape, brightness, contrast and motion, which are reliable visual indicators of fire.
Bosch’s addressable fire alarm system integrates with more than 20 alarm automation solutions and can have Ethernet connectivity built into its control panels. It supports Internet-Protocol-based communication for web-browser-based programming.
The provider stands out as a global leader in fire safety systems and consistently develops new products through research and development. Bosch has an extensive network of service technicians and offers lengthy warranties with comprehensive material and quality coverage. It charges premium pricing for its systems and offers scalability to match budget constraints.
- Simplex
Simplex offers various conventional and addressable systems with advanced detection and notification technologies to fit the fire safety needs of small, midsize, and large buildings with basic or complex layouts. It customizes solutions for individual facilities to ensure ample coverage and timely fire detection. You can mix and match elements from its diverse systems, creating a hybrid solution that meets NFPA 72 requirements.
As a Johnson Controls brand, Simplex’s fire alarm equipment natively integrates with its parent company’s building automation solutions. The systems are compatible with third-party communication protocols like BACnet and Modbus and can support a network of up to 63 panels.
Simplex’s major products carry Underwriters Laboratories certifications and are ADA-compliant. They also meet the Factory Mutual Approval certification’s stringent safety and property loss prevention standards. Simplex systems bear the CE marking, demonstrating adherence to Europe’s high standards for health, safety, performance and environmental protection.
The entity offers professional system configuration and conducts remote and in-person training to advance your staff’s product knowledge. It takes advantage of Johnson Controls’ 24/7 service network. Regarding pricing, Simplex charges more up front than many of its competitors, but its solid track record promises lower life-cycle costs due to product reliability.
- Alarm System Store
Alarm System Store is a one-stop shop for property safety and security equipment. This e-tailer carries products from multiple brands at varying prices, including DSC, ELK, Honeywell and System Sensor.
It offers components a la carte, allowing you to build a conventional fire alarm system from the ground up and have complete control over installation. Shopping for individual items is convenient and cost-effective if you have a small property with a simple layout.
AlarmSystemStore.com sells collections from trusted manufacturers. The fire alarm system kits guarantee compatibility and reduce guesswork. Each item has standard manufacturer warranty protection and a programming guide to simplify configuration and setup.
This dealer takes pride in offering transparent, competitive pricing. The provider charges no hidden fees and requires no long-term contracts. It also gives free shipping to customers within the contiguous United States. Alarm System Store has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau – a badge of excellence it has earned for conducting ethical practices since 1997.
Comparing the top complete fire alarm system sellers online
Here’s a glimpse of leading online sources of complete fire alarm systems.
Frequently asked questions
Here are the answers to the most common questions about fire alarm systems.
Q: What is a full fire alarm system?
A: A complete fire alarm system consists of initiating devices or detectors, a control panel, indicating devices or notification appliances, a power supply, communication modules, and auxiliary devices. An initiating device looks for signs of fire and sends a signal to the fire alarm control panel when it detects something.
The control panel monitors the system’s status and activates the notification appliances when it receives a signal from an initiating device. Notification appliances like horns, bells, sirens, and strobe lights alert building occupants about a detected fire through visual and audible means.
The power supply ensures everything operates. The communication modules transmit system status information or alarm signals to an external monitoring station or emergency services. Annunciators, emergency phones and other auxiliary devices control different aspects of the building to promote fire protection by displaying the alarm signal’s location and shutting down the HVAC equipment’s ventilation system.
Q: Can you buy a complete fire alarm system online?
A: Most manufacturers accept orders online and ship worldwide. Some maintain networks of technicians in their service areas to offer installation and maintenance services directly to property owners.
Online vendors are reachable through various channels. You can contact them via phone, fax and email. Some even share directions to their headquarters and satellite offices and may accommodate potential customers who want to see products firsthand.
Third-party dealers offer fire safety solutions to property owners internationally through the internet. These sellers curate products from different brands, allowing you to set up a basic system and add more components over time.
Q: How much does it cost for a fire alarm system?
A: The cost of fire alarm systems for commercial properties depends on sophistication, customization and brand. Basic systems typically have four-digit price tags, while advanced ones cost five to six figures.
The most affordable options on the market are sold individually or as kits. Turnkey systems cost more because they have more powerful features but may cost less than those customized to fit more demanding fire safety requirements.
Q: Can anyone install a fire alarm system?
A: Anyone can install basic, battery-operated devices. Do-it-yourselfers should still familiarize themselves with relevant regulations and standards, though. However, complex systems with wired components require professional expertise.
Licensed electricians can install fire alarm systems, but factory-trained technicians authorized by manufacturers are generally more qualified.
Yes: You can buy a complete fire alarm system online
Choosing the right system for your commercial property can be challenging. You want the best product available without wasting resources on features your building doesn’t need.
Thankfully, these four brands have a reasonable solution for every entrepreneur. Learn more about each one’s offering to find a perfect fit.
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