It’s a reasonable question, and one that comes up more than you’d think often after someone has had a bad experience. A system that was never quite right from the start, a fire maintenance company that’s hard to reach, paperwork that hasn’t been touched in three years. Choosing the right company matters, and it’s not always obvious how to tell the good ones from the rest.
Here are ten questions worth asking before you commit to anyone.
1. Are you BAFE registered?
For fire safety work alarm installation, commissioning, maintenance, risk assessments BAFE registration is the benchmark. It means the company has been independently assessed and is regularly audited against British Standards. Without it, there’s no external check on whether the work is actually up to scratch. 24/7 Protection holds full BAFE accreditation.
2. Are you SSAIB accredited for security work?
SSAIB is the equivalent for security systems. If a company is installing or maintaining intruder alarms, CCTV, or access control, SSAIB accreditation means those installations are being independently verified. Police and insurers both recognise SSAIB-certified companies, which can directly affect your cover and the weight given to evidence from your system. 24/7 Protection is SSAIB accredited.
3. Are your engineers DBS checked?
If you’re a school, a care home, or a healthcare facility, this is non-negotiable. But frankly, most businesses should be asking it anyway. Our engineers all hold current DBS checks as standard.
4. Will you do a site survey before quoting?
Anyone quoting for a fire or security system without walking the site first is guessing. Camera positions, detector placements, cable routes, environmental conditions none of that can be assessed from a phone call. We carry out a free site survey for every project, because it’s the only way to design something that actually works.
5. Can you take over my existing system?
Yes, and this is worth asking because a lot of people assume they’re tied to whoever originally installed their system. You’re not. We take over fire alarms, CCTV, and security systems installed by other companies all the time. We’ll audit what you’ve got, sort out the documentation, and pick up the maintenance from there.
6. What British Standards do your installations comply with?
Fire alarm installations should comply with BS 5839. Intruder alarms should meet PD 6662. Any installer worth working with should be able to tell you, without hesitation, exactly which standards apply to your system and how their work meets them.
7. How quickly do you respond to faults?
A fire alarm showing a fault isn’t something you manage around for a few days. Neither is a CCTV system that’s gone down. Ask specifically what the guaranteed response time is for fault callouts under the maintenance contract. Vague answers are a red flag.
8. Do you offer remote monitoring?
For many businesses, having a system monitored by a remote centre that can alert the emergency services is a condition of their insurance. We can connect fire and intruder alarm systems to accredited monitoring centres and advise on what your policy actually requires.
9. Will you train us on the system?
A system your staff can’t use confidently is a liability. We include full training with every installation, so that whoever is responsible for the system on your side understands how to operate it, check it, and respond to alerts.
10. Are you part of any professional bodies?
Beyond the main accreditations, membership of organisations like the Fire Industry Association and LANPAC the Lancashire Partnership Against Crime reflects a broader commitment to professional standards and community safety. 24/7 Protection is a member of both. We’re also a Red Rose Awards finalist, which is Lancashire’s main business recognition programme. If you want a straight conversation about your fire and security setup, call us on 01254 416247
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