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You have had a Fire Detection and Alarm System installed in order to ensure the safety of life and property within your enterprise. You work with a maintenance company for ensuring the sustainability and efficiency of the system. Well, but how could you understand whether that maintenance company does its work perfectly?

First of all, you must make sure that you receive maintenance service that complies with the standards and regulations in order to ensure that your Fire Detection and Alarm Systems will be active when necessary. All steps to be taken in the maintenance work are described under the standards and regulations.

Otherwise, your system which you hope that it will function when necessary may not function due to a deficiency within the maintenance process and you may notice this in the middle of fire.

When receiving maintenance service, the points that you should consider are as follows:

1. Compliance with the Regulations and Standards
2. Stages of Maintenance
3. Annual Maintenance
4. Emergency and Performance Testing
5. Report Records and Certificates of Specialization

1. Regulations and Standards: They describe the maintenance needs that ensure the functionality of your system and establish the framework of your legal and administrative obligations that you are liable for. TS-EN 54 is a series of European standards which include the product standards and application guidelines. In our country, however, it is required to perform maintenance in accordance with the requirements of the “Regulation on the Protection of Buildings from Fire” by a decree.

2. Stages of Maintenance of the Fire Detection System: The maintenance processes are divided into periodical control, intermediate maintenance and emergency testing. Within these processes, visual and physical controls must be ensured. The functional tests must be performed and the software and hardware controls must be ensured.

• The Maintenance Periods must be continued on a daily, monthly and yearly basis.
  • During the Daily Controls, the system indicators and the alarm signals must be checked. Apart from your authorized company with which you have a maintenance contract, the team of your facility must ensure visual check and event memory check and enter these checks in a fire log on a daily and monthly basis.
  • During the Monthly Controls, it must be checked whether each device connected to the system functions.
  • During the Yearly (Periodical) Control, however, the general control, functional testing and calibration of all end units and the maintenance process of all components must be included. The emergency scenarios must be implemented.

Visual and Physical Control

• Device Cleaning: The detectors must be periodically cleaned in order to prevent the buildup of dust, dirt and soilage on them in order them to be capable of detecting smoke or heat. Furthermore, the locations of the detectors must also be periodically checked. If there are any potential points hindered due to the changing architecture inside the building, the locations of the detectors must also be changed.
• Cable and Connection Control: All cables within the system must be examined for the detection of potential short circuit or ruptures. It must be made sure that all cables are properly isolated in order to prevent them from being exposed to any damage at the time of fire.
• Panel Testing: The panel must be subjected to testing in order to make sure that it properly functions.
• Signalling Control: It must be checked that the devices connected to the siren, light indicator and audio alarm system function in a timely and complete manner.

Functional Testing

• Sensor Precision: The detection precision of the sensors must be checked in order to make sure that they react properly and timely. Particularly, the environmental conditions (temperature, moisture, air current) must be taken into account in order the precision sensors such as smoke and heat detectors to be capable of detecting properly.
• Alarm Control: It must be made sure that the alarm depending on detection is sound timely and properly. Any delay, false alarm or silence conditions must be detected.
• Control Panels and Power Supply Testing: The functionality of the main control panel and the power supply of the system must be subjected to testing and the charging levels and capacity tests must be checked.
• Control of the Auxiliary Power Supply: It must be tested whether the uninterrupted power supply (UPS) and generators function properly.

Software and Hardware Control

• Software Updates: For the system to remain active, its software must also be regularly checked in terms of updates and upgraded to new versions, if any. Furthermore, the software settings and configurations must be backed up. If the software is to be updated, planning must be made before starting to the maintenance work for the system not to be disrupted.
• Hardware Control: The hardware functionality of the devices connected to the system must be checked. The version controls of the hardware must be ensured and the hardware must be upgraded to new versions, if any.

3. Annual Maintenance

• System Report: The results of the testing and controls indicating the condition of the system must be put into a report form and submitted to the responsible parties within the scope of the maintenance contract.

4. Emergency and Performance Testing

• Emergency Scenarios: It must be inspected that the detection and alarm system functions properly and timely according to the fire scenario by sounding a true alarm. Furthermore, the control of the other systems by the fire panel (fans, elevator etc.) and the accuracy of the information which the fire panel transmits must be confirmed.
• o Response Time Testing: The detection rate of the system and the activation time of the alarm must be tested and it must be reported whether they comply with the standards.

5. Documents and Records

• Maintenance and Testing Reports: All stages of the maintenance works and tests performed must be recorded. The reports and testing results of the previous maintenance works must be reviewed at the time of next maintenance. They must comply with the legal obligations and kept in an easily accessible manner.
• Specialist Personnel Certificates: The personnel maintaining the fire detection systems must be trained and certified in this field. Furthermore, the compliance of the company providing the maintenance service to you with the fire safety standards and regulations is important for you.

Yangından korunma hayati bir konudur. Algılama sistemi kurdurup önlem almış ve hatta periyodik bakımını yapFire protection is a vital issue. Even the fact that you have had a fire detection system installed, you have taken measures and you have the periodical maintenance performed may not be sufficient in preventing your risks. You must make sure that the maintenance of your system is carried out by a company which is approved by the manufacturing company and has a service competency certificate.