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Best Commercial Fire Alarm Systems Compared

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We spent an entire week researching the most capable commercial fire alarm systems on the planet. Our research indicates that the Honeywell Notifier system is the best for most people. It is cost-effective, covers various project sizes, and can be easily managed from one place.

The Best Commercial Fire Alarm System for Most

Honeywell logo

Honeywell Notifier

Best for Most

The Honeywell Notifier has everything most people need in a commercial fire alarm system. Keep track of the entire system straight from your desktop. In case of emergency, the Notifier has strobe lights, horn sounds, and voice messaging to ensure you know to evacuate.

The Honeywell Notifier is the best commercial fire alarm system for most people. The entire system can be managed from one computer and it is flexible enough to fit different room sizes and number of buildings. The system alerts people in three different ways, and its devices include four different mounting bases. It can protect everything from residential homes to hotels.

The Best Commercial Fire Alarm Options to Consider

  1. Honeywell Notifier – Best for Most
  2. Siemens Desigo Mass Notification – Best for Multiple Buildings
  3. Bosch Fire Alarm Systems – Best for Precise Detection
  4. Kidde VS-Series – Best for Lots of Smaller Rooms
  5. Honeywell HS-81 Industrial Fire and Gas Controller – Best for Detecting Gas Incidents
  6. Honeywell Predictive Fire Monitoring System – Best for Electrical Fire Monitoring

When It Makes Sense to Invest In a Commercial Fire Alarm System

Even if you think you don’t need one, it’s required by law in most places.

A better question to ask is, “When do I need to upgrade my current system?” Product ineffectiveness, office expansion, or added hazards are all solid reasons to upgrade. 

If your current commercial fire alarm system shows any indication it’s not ready to handle the task at hand, you should upgrade as soon as possible.

This includes a failed test, product recall, or failed inspection that a professional can’t resolve.

There are also false alarms to consider, instances where your fire alarm can sound for no reason.

This causes wasted time and fire department resources, plus it can desensitize people to the alarms and dull their responsivity–which could cost lives in a real emergency.

Finally, if your current system fails to alert you of an actual emergency, that’s a huge red flag.

If these issues can’t be resolved in your current system, you need to upgrade immediately. 

also if you need to expand the office space you’re currently in, it may also be time to upgrade. Commercial fire alarm systems can have unit limits or room size specializations, making them inadequate to cover expanded space.

If your current system has a 50-unit limit but you need to double the amount of office space covered, you’ll need to purchase a more capable system.

If your product only covers small rooms and you build a large conference room, it’s time to look into a product that suits the larger room size. 

Additional buildings rented or purchased nearby can also present a need to upgrade, especially if your current system doesn’t have the capacity to cover more than one building at a time. 

Finally, adding hazards like new electrical equipment or dangerous gas lines is a big reason to upgrade.

This especially applies to warehouses and factories, where traditional fire alarm systems can have trouble keeping up with the variety of hazards.

If you are ever in question about the need for added safety, it’s better to be cautious and make the investment. 

#1 – Honeywell Notifier — The Best for Most

Honeywell logo

Honeywell Notifier

Best for Most

The Honeywell Notifier has everything most people need in a commercial fire alarm system. Keep track of the entire system straight from your desktop. In case of emergency, the Notifier has strobe lights, horn sounds, and voice messaging to ensure you know to evacuate.

If you need a commercial fire alarm system, there’s a great chance that Honeywell Notifier is for you. They keep cash in your pocket while giving you an effective solution to protect your one or many buildings. The Notifier devices are compliant with all industry standards, react to danger quickly, and use advanced technology. It has everything needed to ensure your building is ready for a fire emergency.

Notifier devices offered include fire protection panels, flexible modules, intelligent detectors, a next-generation fire safety interface, versatile notification devices, and voice and telephone talkback emergency communication systems (ECS).

The three different Notifier panels are easy to install, maintain, and use. The NFS-320E panel is built for smaller environments and has a quick installation process. The NFS2-640E panel is for mid-size environments and has nine levels of intelligent sensitivity. For medium and large environments, the NFS2-3030D panel gets the job done. 

Across these three panels, there are 17 different control modules to choose from. The Notifier’s smoke, heat, and multi-sensor detectors have a sleek look and identify danger rapidly. The detectors also include four different mounting bases to choose from. Its notification devices include horn sounds, strobe lights, ceiling speakers, wall speakers, and a directional sounder with voice messaging.

Honeywell Notifier can be installed in buildings like commercial, residential, malls, banks, and hotels. Its software tools can be used to maintain and monitor the entire system from a desktop. Since Honeywell Notifier can be customized to fit the specific needs of each building, Honeywell must be contacted through the website for specific pricing information.

Request your free quote here.

#2 – Siemens Desigo Mass Notification — The Best for Multiple Buildings

Siemens logo

Siemens Desigo Mass Notification

Best for Multiple Buildings

Protect your people with Siemens Desigo Mass Notification system. Perfect for compounds, multi-building businesses, and college campuses, this system alerts people of more than just fire danger.

Siemens Desigo Mass Notification is the best-integrated solution for warning a large audience across multiple buildings. It solves the issue of human error that occurs when communicating between different systems. Desigo Mass Notification integrates systems automatically, making emergency response faster and more effective. 

It integrates building control systems and sends messages to a mass audience. Not only is it useful as a fire alert system, but it also warns of hostile events, severe weather, and gives daily routine communication. In addition to sounding alarms, it can also be set up to send mobile and desktop notifications to everyone involved. 

This product provides building automation, fire safety, mass notification, lighting, and security. In the event of a fire, this system has strobe lights, sirens, horns, and voice automation. It has panic buttons, central monitoring, access control, and video surveillance for added safety. 

Desigo Mass Notification has building automation features like elevator control, lighting control, comfort control, predictive maintenance, room control, and third-party weather service. It can communicate with desktops, mobile phones, social media, landlines, ADA compliant devices, visual signage, and internet messaging services. 

Operators can view the entire area from a dashboard and zoom in on specific buildings. This is a great system for a business with multiple buildings in the same area or a college campus. Since the scope of this product’s use will depend on your specific needs, you need to contact Siemens directly for pricing information. 

Request a quote today!

#3 – Bosch Fire Alarm Systems — The Best for Precise Detection

Bosch logo

Bosch Fire Alarm Systems

Best for Precise Detection

Bosch Fire Alarm Systems aren’t your traditional fire alarm products. Its advanced AVIOTEC camera pinpoints exactly where a fire starts. For a taste of the fastest and most accurate alarm technology in the business, try a product demo.

Bosch Fire Alarm Systems is a unique detection system that can pinpoint exactly where a fire begins. The company has been developing fire alarm systems for 80 years and is continuously innovating with new technology. It believes that a great fire detection system must detect fires early and accurately. 

This system uses an intelligent signal processing (ISP) algorithm to determine where a fire starts and can tell the difference between false alarms and real emergencies. For additional fire detection accuracy, it uses new dual-ray technology. It also detects dangerous electromagnetic pollution through its eSmog feature on its AVENAR 4000 detector. 

It also has an AVIOTEC camera detection system that spots fires using video. This technology uses an algorithm to point out smoke and flames exactly where they begin. It does this by picking up on colors, shape, illuminance rate, and flickering. It also spots smoke by analyzing the upward motion of transparent or more visible objects and how quickly they are moving. 

This system is suitable for museums, theatres, homes for the elderly, hostels, hotels, healthcare, conferencing, entertainment, colleges, hospitals, churches, metro lines, bus stations, train stations, commercial buildings, airports, government buildings, transportation, banking, and retail. 

Bosch’s technology is faster and more accurate than traditional fire detectors. Its ISP algorithm, dual-ray technology, and AVIOTEC cameras are the reason why this system is the best for precise fire detection. Contact Bosch if you need pricing information or would like a product demo. 

Request a free demo here

#4 – Kidde VS-Series — The Best for Lots of Smaller Rooms

Kidde logo

Kidde VS-Series

Best for Lots of Smaller Rooms

Kidde VS-Series is a fire alarm that was built for small and medium-sized rooms. It works with most wiring systems, so switching from your old fire alarm system is easy. If you need to expand, no problem - this system supports up to 1,000 devices.

The Kidde VS-Series is a smart fire alarm system best suited for small and medium-sized buildings. Kidde stresses the importance of keeping buildings protected regardless of size. This product is versatile enough to fit small buildings, and it is cost-effective enough for small building budgets. 

The system is easy to install and typically works with existing wiring from previous systems. It can also be easily maintained through ethernet connectivity for programming and diagnostic purposes. It uses Optica to detect carbon monoxide gas and smoke. Devices are backwards compatible, have replacement covers, and have a low current draw. 

These products have a clean look that doesn’t sacrifice a building’s visual appeal. This system supports up to 1,000 devices, making it easy to expand if needed. It allows for faster responses by pinpointing the exact location of the alarm when it goes off. Alarm sensitivity levels can also be adjusted, cutting down on the number of wasted resources and disruptions. 

The panel supports 64 different devices and eight remote annunciators. If you only need protection for a small building, this system is a great option. For pricing information, you’ll need to contact Kidde directly. 

Visit Kidde to get started here.

#5 – Honeywell HS-81 Industrial Fire and Gas Controller — The Best for Detecting Gas Incidents

Honeywell logo

Honeywell HS-81 Industrial Fire and Gas Controller

Best For Detecting Gas Incidents

Honeywell HS-81 Industrial Fire and Gas Controller is the best system for buildings with gas hazards. If a fire does break out, this system has automatic fire extinguishing ready for an instant counter-attack. People are alerted via sirens, beacons, and public addresses.

If gas leaks are a big risk at your commercial site, Honeywell HS-81 Industrial Fire and Gas Controller is the best system for you. It detects gas, smoke, and flames and notifies personnel if a dangerous situation arises. It includes extinguishing capability, networking equipment, and logic control. 

The system has safety features like beacons, sirens, and public addresses when something goes wrong. It includes an automatic fire extinguishing system, diagnostics and monitoring, and specific commands for each unit. The HS-81 panel is discrete and can fit into tight spaces. 

For smoke detection, this system includes fault monitoring, addressable analog detection, alarm verification, and multiple protocols. Its gas and flame detection features include SIL2 sensors, programmable thresholds, numerical displays, and remote reporting. 

Contact Honeywell for more information on pricing options. 

#6 – Honeywell Predictive Fire Monitoring System — The Best for Electrical Fire Monitoring

Honeywell logo

Honeywell Predictive Fire Monitoring System

Best for Electrical Fire Monitoring

Electrical fires make up over 40% of all fire incidents. Protect your building from electrical fires with the Honeywell Predictive Fire Monitoring System. This all-in-one system is dedicated to stopping electrical fires before they occur.

Honeywell Predictive Fire Monitoring System is the best system for protecting against electrical fires. It prevents fires caused by short circuits, current leakages, and temperature variations. It helps protect your building’s electrical setup so these fires are prevented. This product is an all-in-one high-tech fire-preventing joint control system focused on electrical specifically. 

Many people don’t realize the dangers and frequency of electrical fires. For example, non-standard electrical products and faulty electrical equipment short circuits cause over 40% of all fire incidents. Electrical malfunctions account for 8% of all factory deaths. 

There are several different causes of these electrical fires that Honeywell provides protection from. A large cause of electrical fires can be attributed to bad earthing and connections. Electrical network overheating can be caused by non-linear electrical loads and computers. Voltage surges can rapidly heat up equipment and cables. 

By using its low voltage equipment and safety warnings, this system lowers the probability of these fires, and it is always monitoring potential electrical equipment hazards. For pricing information, contact Honeywell directly. 

Methodology for Choosing the Best Commercial Fire Alarm Systems

When determining which commercial fire alarm system best suits you, consider protection type, project scale, and alert actions.

Type of Protection

Different commercial fire alarm systems monitor various types of threats. A basic fire alarm system detects smoke. It includes traditional fire alarm detectors attached to the ceiling. While this is a great starting point, there are other hazards to look out for. 

Carbon monoxide detection is essential for all buildings. You should find a system that detects smoke and carbon monoxide, or you can pair your current fire alarm system with third-party carbon monoxide detectors. 

You should also be aware of the specific hazards of your building. If you have a high presence of electrical equipment, invest in a system that specializes in preventing electrical fires. If you work in a factory with dangerous gas lines, it’s important to purchase a system that is capable of handling these. Some systems can also protect you from weather and hostile attacks. 

Project Scale

When choosing a system, the size of the building or buildings that need protection should be considered. Some commercial fire alarm systems specialize in smaller rooms, while others cover larger ones. If you have more than one building to cover, invest in a system that was built for multi-building protection. 

Alert Actions

When danger is present, commercial fire alarm systems alert people in a variety of ways. Common alert signals include strobe lights, horn sounds, and voice messaging. Some advanced systems send text, call, and email alerts. Make sure the system you choose has at least three ways of alerting people. 

Honeywell logo

Honeywell Notifier

Best for Most

The Honeywell Notifier has everything most people need in a commercial fire alarm system. Keep track of the entire system straight from your desktop. In case of emergency, the Notifier has strobe lights, horn sounds, and voice messaging to ensure you know to evacuate.

Summary

As you can see, Honeywell does an excellent job of providing top-notch commercial fire alarm products. Its Notifier, HS-81, and Predictive systems are all great options depending on what you’re looking for. Other suitable providers include Siemens, Bosch, and Kidde

When it’s time to upgrade your fire alarm system, make sure it includes three alert types, fits your project size, and protects against all potential threats to your building.


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