Commercial fire alarms in Cambridge
Early warning of a fire, and a system you can rely on when it matters. We design, install, service and maintain commercial fire alarm systems for business premises across Cambridgeshire and East Anglia.
- 24-hour emergency call-out
- Local engineers
- Free site visit and quotation
At a glance
- Based in
- Huntingdon
- Covering
- Cambridgeshire and East Anglia
- Systems
- Conventional and addressable
- Designed to
- BS 5839
- Services
- Design, installation, commissioning, servicing and maintenance
- Support
- 24-hour emergency call-out, 365 days a year


Overview
Commercial fire alarm installers covering Cambridgeshire and East Anglia
BDi Advance designs, installs, commissions, services and maintains commercial fire alarm systems for businesses across Cambridgeshire and East Anglia, from Huntingdon, Cambridge and Peterborough to Ely. We fit conventional and addressable fire alarms designed in line with BS 5839, and we look after systems installed by other companies as well as our own.
- Local engineers based in Huntingdon, covering Cambridgeshire and East Anglia
- Conventional and addressable systems designed in line with BS 5839
- Installation, commissioning and user training
- Fire alarm servicing, testing and maintenance
- Takeover of systems installed by other companies
- 24-hour emergency call-out, 365 days a year
- One supplier for fire and security rather than two to chase
Quotations start with a free site visit. Call 01223 566 599 or send us your details and we will get one booked.

Costs
What affects the cost of a commercial fire alarm system?
No two buildings cost the same to protect, which is why we survey before we quote. These are the things that move the price.
Size and layout of the building
Biggest factor
Every area that needs detection adds detectors, call points and sounders, and more floors and zones add cabling and commissioning time.
Conventional or addressable
Varies
Conventional systems cost less and suit smaller or lower-risk buildings. Addressable systems cost more but identify the exact device that has activated, which suits larger or more complex premises.
Your fire risk assessment
Sets the scope
The outcome of your fire risk assessment should show where fire alarms are needed in your premises, and that shapes the design.
New system or existing
Site specific
Extending, repairing or upgrading an existing system can cost less than replacing it. We look at what is already installed before we quote.
Working around your business
Site specific
Work in occupied buildings is planned around how the site operates, which can mean phased or out-of-hours working.
Maintenance
Ongoing
A fire alarm needs regular inspection and testing once it is installed. We recommend a professional service at least once a year, and our maintenance contracts include a full check twice a year as standard.


Commercial fire alarms
Fire alarm systems for business
A commercial fire alarm system uses smoke detectors, heat detectors and manual call points to identify a fire early, then sounders warn everyone in the building so they can evacuate safely. The control panel shows where the alarm has come from, so staff and the fire service know where to go.
We design and install conventional and addressable systems in line with BS 5839, the British Standard for fire detection and alarm systems in non-domestic buildings, and size each system around the layout of your building and the findings of your fire risk assessment.

Detection and warning
A fire alarm is only as good as its design, so we plan what goes where, and how the system will tell you what has happened, before any cable is run.
Detectors and call points
Smoke or heat detection is chosen for each area, so offices, kitchens, plant rooms and warehouses each get the type that suits them, with manual call points and sounders placed so everyone is warned.
Zones or exact devices
Conventional systems divide a building into zones and show which zone has activated. Addressable systems give each detector and call point its own address, so the panel shows the exact device.
Not sure where alarms are needed? The outcome of your fire risk assessment should show where fire alarms are needed in your premises. Fire risk assessments
Fire alarm servicing and maintenance
Once a commercial fire alarm is installed, it should be inspected and tested regularly by a competent engineer so it stays reliable and compliant with fire safety legislation. We service and maintain the fire alarms we install and systems fitted by other companies.
What a service visit covers
Detectors, call points, sounders, the control panel and communication links are tested, batteries are checked, and faults and false alarms logged on the panel are investigated, so the system will operate properly in an emergency.
Takeovers and upgrades
We take over fire alarm systems installed by other companies, including neglected systems that need repairs and remedial work, and plan upgrades in stages so a busy site can be modernised around its day-to-day operation.
Our maintenance contracts include a full check twice a year as standard, backed by a 24-hour manned service line and a 24-hour emergency technician call-out, 365 days a year, with remote support and diagnostics. More about maintenance
Fire alarm installation
Fire alarm installation for businesses
We install fire alarms in commercial premises, from single offices to large multi-zone sites. Each system is commissioned, tested and handed over with user training, so your team knows how to use it.
We plan the work around your business to keep disruption down, and in occupied buildings such as shopping centres we coordinate each stage with site management.
Conventional systems
Smaller or lower-risk buildings
Conventional fire alarms divide a building into zones and show which area has been triggered when the alarm activates.
Addressable systems
Larger or more complex premises
Each detector and call point has a unique address, so the exact location of a fire can be identified quickly.
Fire alarm testing
Ready when it is needed
Testing checks that detectors, sounders, control panels and communication links work correctly, so the system operates properly in an emergency.
Fire safety services
More fire safety services
A fire alarm is one part of keeping a building and the people in it safe.
We also supply and service fire extinguishers, and arrange fire risk assessments, fire doors and fire stopping through our sister companies, Pyro Fire and Aran Fire Protection.
Fire extinguishers
The right extinguishers for the risks in each area of your building, installed and serviced.
Best for: every commercial premises, alongside the fire alarm.
Fire risk assessments
Identifies the fire hazards in your premises and the measures needed, including where fire alarms are needed. Arranged through our sister company, Pyro Fire.
Best for: new premises, changes of use and regular reviews.
Fire doors
Fire doors hold back fire and smoke so people have time to escape, and need to be correctly fitted and maintained. Delivered by our sister company, Aran Fire Protection.
Best for: escape routes, stairwells and higher-risk rooms.
Fire stopping
Seals the gaps where pipes and cables pass through walls and floors, so fire and smoke cannot spread through them. Delivered by our sister company, Aran Fire Protection.
Best for: refurbishments and buildings where services have been added.
Fire alarm design and installation
How an installation works
Quotations start with a free site visit. We look at the building, how it is used and your fire risk assessment, then design the system to suit the site and the budget rather than quoting blind.
Site visit
Free site visit and quotation
Design
Detector, call point and sounder positions planned around your building, your fire risk assessment and BS 5839
Installation
Installed by our engineers, with the work planned around your business
Commissioning and handover
The system tested and commissioned, and your team shown how to use the panel
Ongoing support
Planned maintenance, with a full check twice a year as standard, and a 24-hour emergency call-out
Fire Industry Association and CHAS
BDi Advance is a member of the Fire Industry Association (FIA). We are also an accredited CHAS contractor. If your insurer, landlord or fire risk assessor sets conditions on your fire alarm, tell us at the survey stage so the design can take them into account, rather than leaving you to discover a shortfall later.
Commercial fire alarms across Cambridgeshire and East Anglia
Our fire alarm engineers are local to Cambridgeshire, so the fire alarms we install, and systems installed by other companies that we take over, get responsive servicing and long-term support from people who know them.
Areas we cover
We install and maintain commercial fire alarms across Cambridgeshire and East Anglia, including Cambridge, Huntingdon, Peterborough, St Ives, St Neots, Ely, Wisbech, March, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds.
Our engineers are local to the region, and we also work with national clients across the UK.
Sectors we work in
We install and maintain fire alarms for premises including offices, retail premises, schools, warehouses, healthcare facilities, pharmaceutical sites and industrial buildings.
- Offices
- Retail
- Schools
- Warehouses
- Healthcare
- Pharmaceutical
- Industrial
Recent work includes a phased fire alarm takeover at a Cambridge shopping centre and bringing neglected fire systems back into service for a pharmaceutical client.
“During the past 17 years we have called on Advance Security on a regular basis. They are our first port of call for the installation of security systems in our office fit-out projects. Whether they have been asked to install fire alarms, CCTV surveillance, or the latest in access control technology, they are always responsive to our needs. Advance Security delivers a first class, reliable service.”
Director, COEL
Next step
Free site visit and quotation
Every fire alarm quotation starts with a visit. We walk the building, see how it is used and check what your fire risk assessment says, then design the detection and warning to suit the site and the budget. The survey visit is free.
Talk to us about your fire alarm requirements
Book a free site surveyCall 01223 566 599No charge for the visit
Frequently asked questions
Commercial fire alarms are fire detection systems designed for business premises such as offices, warehouses, schools, healthcare facilities and industrial buildings. They use devices such as smoke detectors and heat detectors to identify fire risks early and trigger alerts for evacuation and response.
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