Most schools know they need their fire safety systems checked, but they are not always sure what that actually involves. It is not just a quick look around and a tick in a box.
For your fire alarm system, we need to test every single detector, every call point, every sounder. We check the control panel, test the backup batteries and make sure all the wiring is sound. If you have any faults, we need time to track them down properly and fix them.
If you are looking at new installations or upgrades, Summer is definitely the time to do it. Rewiring fire safety systems whilst schools are in session is basically impossible. You need clear access to ceiling voids, plant rooms and all the other awkward spaces where fire safety equipment lives.
Then there is the maintenance side of things. All those little issues that have been building up during term time – the detector that occasionally gives false alarms, the call point that is a bit sticky, the sounder that is not quite loud enough in the new extension… Summer is when we can actually address these problems properly.
Why We Get Booked Up
We are not trying to create artificial scarcity here. The simple fact is that most schools want their fire safety work done during the Summer holidays, for all the obvious reasons. But there are only so many qualified fire safety engineers in the area, and only so many working days in the Summer break.
Schools that book early get the best service. They get appointments that work around their other Summer maintenance. They get engineers who are not rushing between jobs. They get time to address any issues that come up during the inspection.
Schools that wait get whatever is left. Sometimes that is fine. Sometimes it means settling for appointments that do not quite work with your schedule. Sometimes it means paying extra for weekend or evening work. Sometimes it means taking a risk on whether you will get sorted before September.
The Sensible Approach
We know budgets are tight and planning ahead is not always easy, but fire safety is not optional. Your insurance requires it, the fire service expects it, and more importantly, your pupils and staff deserve it.
The schools that get this right are the ones that treat fire safety like any other essential maintenance. They do not wait until something breaks or your fire certificate expires. They plan ahead, book early and get it sorted whilst there’s time to do things properly.
If you are reading this and thinking “we should probably book something”, then you are already ahead of the game. The schools that wait until August to think about fire safety are the ones that end up stressed, rushed and often paying over the odds for an emergency service.
Get in touch now whilst we have still got Summer appointments available. Your September self will thank you for it.
Contact 247 Protection today – do not be one of the schools calling us in a panic come August.
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