Care Home Fire Alarm Guide
Stay Compliant and Safe

A fire safety system is only as good as its last test. Routine maintenance, scheduled testing, and compliance checks ensure your alarm works when needed most. From checking escape routes to testing fire doors and extinguishers, proactive fire safety measures prevent small issues from becoming disasters.

Care homes must comply with strict fire safety regulations, including:

• The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
• Care Quality Commission (CQC) Standards
• British Standard BS 5839-1:2017
• The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
• New 2025 Legislation: Sprinklers and Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs)

UPDATE – BS 5839-1:2025 COMPLIANCE

Under BS 5839-1:2025, servicing intervals of 5–7 months are now acceptable, giving greater flexibility, but still requiring a minimum of two annual inspections. Additionally, all obsolete detectors or unused call points must be fully removed. Ensure your engineer checks and corrects the fire panel clock during every visit.

• Daily Checks: Verify that the fire alarm control panel shows ‘normal’ operation.
• Weekly Tests: Test the alarm from a different manual call point weekly.
• Monthly Checks: Test emergency lighting, inspect fire doors, and update fire log entries.
• Fire Drills: Each staff team conducts at least one drill per year with additional drills as needed (e.g.,after layout changes or fire risk assessment updates).
• 6-Monthly Servicing: A qualified technician must inspect and service the fire alarm system twice yearly.

• Daily Checks: Verify that the fire alarm control panel shows ‘normal’ operation.
• Weekly Tests: Test the alarm once a week.
• Monthly Tests: Fire drill (you could activate one manual call point and rotate the location weekly), test emergency lighting and inspect fire doors.
• Quarterly and Annual Servicing: A qualified technician should inspect the entire system.

Assess Your Current Set Up

• Review the latest fire risk assessment.
• Evaluate the age and condition of existing equipment.
• Consider any changes in building use or resident needs.

Steps for Upgrading

1. Consult with a competent fire safety professional (e.g. fire risk assessor, BAFE-registered designer, or fire alarm specialist).
2. Develop a phased upgrade plan if necessary.
3. Ensure minimal disruption to residents during installation.
4. Update all documentation and staff training.
5. Consider future-proofing with smart, addressable systems.

Technology helps save lives — trained staff put the plan into action. A well-maintained fire alarm system, emergency lighting, and detection equipment are vital, but their effectiveness relies on staff knowing exactly how to respond. Regular fire drills, clear evacuation plans (see PEEPs), and ongoing training ensure coordinated action in an emergency. Fire safety starts with knowledge — train your team to ACT.

A fire alarm system is only as effective as the people using it. Training ensures that all staff respond quickly and correctly in an emergency.

Fire Safety Training Must Include:

• Fire safety induction for all new staff.
• Regular refresher training (at least annually).
• Why signing in is critical.
• Specialised training for night staff and fire wardens.
• Live fire drills to reinforce evacuation procedures.
• Practised fire drills to reinforce evacuation procedures — adapted where necessary to minimise distress for residents, including those living with dementia.
• Night staff completing emergency scenarios monthly.
• Understanding designated safety locations and meeting points (should fire be affecting a designated area).
• Understanding the care home’s evacuation strategy, including progressive horizontal evacuation, movement to protected safe spaces, and full evacuation (only if required).

When Training, Key Topics Must Cover:

• System operation and interpretation of control panel signals.
• Evacuation procedures and use of fire-fighting equipment.
• Location and use of manual call points.
• Procedures for assisting residents with mobility issues (see PEEPs).
• Communication protocols during fire incidents.

Staff Responsibilities

• Care Home Manager: Overall responsibility for fire safety, risk assessments, and system maintenance.
• Fire Wardens: Coordinating evacuations and performing fire safety checks.
• All Staff: Familiarisation with evacuation procedures and assisting residents, vigilance of potential workplace fire hazards (e.g. blocked exits, overloaded sockets, and wedged doors).

Upon Hearing an Alarm

• Investigate the cause (if safe).
• When checking the area in which the fire alarm has rung, two staff members to check with a walkie-talkie to communicate if it is safe or if there is a fire.
• If a fire is confirmed, call 999 immediately; remember to request ambulance support when calling the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS), it is possible that:
  • Residents (or staff) may suffer smoke inhalation or need medical attention.
  • Some may need transport to hospital.
  • Evacuation stress could exacerbate existing conditions in frail or elderly residents.
  • Even minor fires can cause injury (burns, slips, stress-related issues).
  • Ambulance support ensures paramedics are on hand early, reducing response time if anyone’s health deteriorates.
• Begin evacuation, prioritising residents at risk.

Evacuation Strategies

• Horizontal evacuation: Move residents to the adjacent safe fire compartment, following the principle of progressive horizontal evacuation (PHE).
• Prioritisation: Evacuate residents nearest to the fire or most at risk, e.g., bed-bound or non-ambulant residents.
• Temporary stay put: In some cases, it may be safer for particular residents to (temporarily) remain in their rooms if the fire is remote and the compartment is protected. A suitable fire risk assessment and continuous staff supervision must support this. This is not a default strategy and must be actively managed.
• Use of evacuation aids: Employ equipment such as ski sheets, evacuation mats, or chairs to assist residents with limited mobility, particularly where stairs are involved.
• Account for all residents and staff: Conduct roll calls at assembly points and confirm zone sweeps have been completed.
• Lifts: Do not use. Fit and clearly display ‘No access’ belts or signs across lift entrances during fire evacuation.

Residents

• PEEPs: Residents have PEEPs (personal emergency evacuation plans).
• Each PEEP should specify: Medical/mobility needs, number of staff required, evacuation equipment.
• Review: Regularly review PEEPs and include them in fire drills.

Designated Staff Roles

• Designated staff to sweep assigned zones (e.g. bedrooms, lounges, toilets) if safe to do so.
• Ensure that all fire doors have shut as expected (not wedged open or left ajar).
• Guide emergency services upon arrival.

Communication

• Give clear, calm instructions: Use simple, reassuring language to guide residents during evacuation or sheltering.
• Use communication aids: Support residents with hearing loss, cognitive impairment, or language barriers by using flashcards, gestures, or familiar phrases as appropriate.

Post-Incident

• Only re-enter the building when authorised by fire services.
• Conduct a debrief and review of the incident.
• Update procedures if necessary.
• Activate your contingency plan if the premises cannot be immediately reoccupied.
  • In the event the care home cannot be reoccupied, activate your relocation plan and arrange alternative accommodation through care partners or the local authority.
  • Ensure resident care, medication, and records are transferred.
  • Inform families, GPs, and CQC where required.
  • Arrange safe transport and log all actions.

Our ACT protocol provides the essential framework for care homes to protect life, but cost is a crucial factor when implementing a Category L1 fire alarm system.

While safeguarding lives is priceless, the financial implications of installing and maintaining a care home fire alarm system that meets the highest safety standards must be considered.

Factors Affecting Costs:

• Size and layout of the care home.
• Level of integration with other systems.
• Choice of wired vs. wireless devices.
• Ongoing maintenance requirements.

Budgeting Tips

• Plan for both initial installation and long-term maintenance costs.
• Consider leasing options for expensive equipment.
• Explore government grants or funding for fire safety improvements.
• Factor in potential insurance premium reductions with improved systems.

• Local authority grants for care home improvements.
• Government schemes for building safety enhancements.

• ASSESS
• CHECK
• TRAIN

Act now to protect your care home, staff, and most critically, your vulnerable residents. Our expert team is here to help you update your fire risk assessments, ensure compliance, and improve overall fire safety.

Get in touch today and take the first step toward a safer care home.

BS5839-1:2025 highlights for care homes

• Mandatory smoke detection in all sleeping rooms
  Clause 22.3 gives clear preference to smoke detectors over heat detectors in bedrooms/sleeping
  areas. While not framed as “mandatory,” it is functionally expected for compliance in care homes.
• Detection at the top of lift shafts (for L4 systems)
  New requirement for L4 systems to include detection at the top of lift shafts to improve vertical
  escape route safety.
• Redundant components must be fully removed
  The standard requires all obsolete or disconnected components to be physically removed, not
  left in place (Clause 35.2)
• Clock on the control panel must be checked at every service
  The control panel clock must be checked and adjusted during every service visit to ensure
  accurate event logging (Clause 45.3)
• Interfaces (e.g. door closers) must be fully accessible
  Any interface with life safety impact (e.g. doors, lifts, ventilation) must be easily accessible for
  routine testing. Hidden or boxed-off units are not compliant.
• Logbook must record all deviations from the standard
  BS 5839-1:2025 introduces a stricter requirement to clearly record all exceptions or deviations
  in the site’s fire alarm logbook.
• Engineers must demonstrate ongoing CPD
  Clause 25 highlights that those working on systems must demonstrate ongoing
  competence, including Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
• Upgraded templates for all certificates and documentation
• Clearly displayed and updated zone plans
  Now required for all multi-zone systems to support safe evacuation and system identification.
• Fire alarm system automatic notification
  Residential care premises must automatically notify a monitoring centre when triggered (Clause 29.5).
  

Go deeper

Read our full BS5839-1:2025 update.