Important Guidance for Fire & Rescue Services

SMOKE ALARMS WITH 10 YEARS GUARANTEED LIFE

 

There is some confusion about what to look for when choosing smoke alarms to make sure that they operate effectively and without trouble over their whole life expectancy. We hope this guide helps you.

In England, Firebuy acts as a central procurement body for fire and rescue authorities, removing the need for individual services having to deal with complex EU procedures for orders over £6,000. Scotland, Wales & Eire have different arrangements.
Firebuy recognises that it does not have the expertise to validate smoke alarm manufacturers’ performance and test claims. This is the province of UKAS accredited independent certification bodies, such as the BRE Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) and BSi via its Kitemark scheme. The framework is now managed by the Consortium based in Wiltshire.

So, it is important to look for the appropriate certification mark on the back of a smoke alarm – such as LPCB or the Kitemark – not just the CE mark.

The Firebuy contract clearly requires smoke alarms where “the product and battery offered have a 10-year guaranteed life expectancy” - an important requirement reflecting the need to replace any unit after that time. The Framework specifies Ionisation or Optical Smoke Alarms, Kitemarked to the European Smoke Alarm Standard (EN 14604).
Kidde offer both, at exceptional value for money.

Usability for elderly/disabled:

Our 10 Year alarms, have buttons to make operation easier for the elderly & disabled. 

Clearly, it is essential to have written confirmation from manufacturers that both smoke alarms and batteries have a full 10-year life guarantee and ours are designed with generous tolerances to perform after that time ie plus 10%.
Kidde has 91 years of experience in fire suppression & detection, and designs products to a standard, not down to a price, as personal safety is not an area to compromise in.

After Care:

If the occupier has problems with the smoke alarm in use, Kidde encourage homeowners/tenants to call us and not you.

Direct customer contact can be made with Kidde via telephone helplines and guidance is on our websites 24/7.
We supply comprehensive user manuals,to help keep smoke alarms fully operational throughout their 10-year life - a regular vacuum is recommended on optical alarms, to prevent dust build up, as illustrated in our manual.

We arrange swift direct replacement under the guarantee, if the occupier cannot resolve the issue. Kidde even provides its fire and rescue authority clients with a toll-free number for UK and Eire householders to use.

Nuisance Alarms:

Often caused by battery issues of one sort of the other, and Kidde's Ten4 alarm's silent low battery warning has engineered
the "low battery beep" problem out.

As Brigades such as Cambridgeshire have found alarms can attract small insects (thrips) especially around harvest time; this can then cause nuisance alarms for the householder, and unnecessary call outs on Brigades; see this story:

Kidde is the only supplier of Optical smoke alarms on the Firebuy arrangement currently who have gone to the expense
of engineering their alarm with an insect mesh fitted.
This makes passing Kitemark tests and continuously manufacturing to the Standard more complex than alarms with no mesh fitted.
However, we felt essential as we know know nuisance alarms are a worrying & time consuing diversion for Brigades.

Kidde's mesh has a diameter of 0.030in, as can be seen in this image.
Ensure you specify alarms with an insect mesh on Optical alarms.

The image also indicates the high quality lithium batteries we specify, made by Japanese Industrial Giant Fuji.
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Ensure the alarms you specify use a known & trusted battery brand, not an unknown name, or even an anonymous one.
That way you can validate the batteries integrity to perform over the lifetime of the alarm from the battery manufacturer's
www.

Details of Kidde Fire and Rescue Service initiatives and other ranges of smoke & CO Alarms (Click links to left)
www.smoke-alarms.co.uk.