Fire Alarm Articles | Queen Security Systems

Your complete guide to fire alarm systems: types, components and prices in Egypt.

Fire alarm systems: components, requirements and what to know before buying

A fire alarm system is neither a luxury nor a purely commercial choice; it is legally required for many licences in Egypt and is subject to Civil Defence approval. So the first question, before price, is whether the system and its design will pass inspection.

Conventional or addressable?

A conventional system divides the building into zones, so the panel knows the fire is on the second floor but not which detector triggered. It is the economical choice for shops, villas and small buildings. An addressable system gives every detector a unique address so the panel names the actual room, supports far more devices on one loop, and saves a great deal of cabling in large buildings. The practical rule: the larger the area and the more floors, the more the choice leans addressable — not for luxury, but because pinpointing the fire saves decisive minutes.

Detectors: a different one for each space

• Optical smoke detector: the most common, suited to offices, corridors and bedrooms.
• Heat detector: for kitchens, garages and boiler rooms, where fumes and exhaust would trigger a smoke detector needlessly.
• Beam detector: for halls and warehouses with high ceilings that point detectors cannot cover.
• Aspirating detector: for server rooms and sensitive assets; it detects fire before visible smoke appears.

Components the system is not complete without

The control panel, detectors, manual call points at exits and staircases, and sounders or bells with strobes — and the strobe is not decoration; it is essential in high-noise environments such as factories where a bell simply is not heard. Add batteries that carry the system through a long standby period plus a full alarm period afterwards, because fire is usually accompanied by a power cut.

Cabling: the one item you cannot economise on

Fire alarm cable must be fire-rated and keep working while the fire burns. Ordinary cable means the system goes silent at the exact moment you need it, and it is the single most common reason installations fail inspection after the work is done.

Testing and maintenance

A system that is never tested cannot be relied on. Periodic testing means triggering a sample of detectors with test gas, testing manual call points, measuring the batteries and reviewing the panel log. Most systems that fail during an incident did not fail suddenly — they had been faulty for months and nobody noticed.

What this section covers

The articles here explain the difference between system types in detail, pricing by area and number of points, Civil Defence requirements, and how to read a quotation to see whether cabling, batteries and commissioning are actually included.