Taking the Complexity Out of Life Safety Management

How fire alarm system remote monitoring informs and simplifies

Managing life safety systems can be challenging for a facilities manager, especially when overseeing multiple buildings across a campus or region. Every fire alarm control unit in an environment represents a discrete set of alarms, alerts and maintenance records.

Each one may require a different response process when there is a problem. When problems occur, on-site users may not know how to evaluate the situation and properly respond. With other security and building automation systems to manage, the challenges can compound quickly.

Fire alarm system remote monitoring helps address these challenges by providing greater visibility and control. Read on to discover the problems remote activity monitoring solves, how it solves them and what benefits you can expect.

The limitations of unconnected fire alarm control units

For decades, there was a notable lack of connectivity and remote monitoring capabilities with fire alarm systems. Even as life safety systems grew to capture and record more information from individual initiation and notification devices on the network, facilities management has been difficult:

• Endless trips for simple answers

Every time an issue occurred with a fire control unit or timely information about a particular life safety system was needed, it required a physical trip to the building in question to get answers.

With multiple control units spread across several locations, facilities teams spent a significant amount of time traveling between buildings.

• No backup for on-site expertise shortages

There might not be a trained life safety operator on site when an issue occurs, so it is hard to know if it is urgent or can wait. Trying to troubleshoot over the phone with an untrained person is often frustrating.

• Unnecessary site visits

When a problem occurs and information is limited, an on-site visit is often required just to be sure. Many of these trips turn out to be for minor issues that never needed immediate attention, wasting time and disrupting lives.

• Greater difficulty managing maintenance and service

All life safety systems require regular maintenance and service. The more fire alarm systems in an environment, the harder it is to track and manage each system’s maintenance history, making it more challenging to schedule maintenance efficiently and avoid disruption.

Fire alarm system remote monitoring can eliminate these difficulties, providing greater visibility and control while simplifying job duties.

What is fire alarm system remote monitoring?

Fire alarm system remote monitoring is an internet protocol (IP)-based system that accesses information from each fire control unit and sends it to a secure cloud storage system.

From there, the information can be sent to a central monitoring station and made available to users via a web browser or mobile device. This gives users access to nearly all system information, including alarms, troubles, maintenance alerts and system logs, anytime and anywhere.

How does fire alarm system remote monitoring work?

Typical solutions include several components working in concert:

• A gateway that sends system data to the cloud through a LAN or cellular network
• A secure cloud database with multi-layer access control
• A web-based dashboard that shows real-time events and historical logs
• A mobile app with the same capabilities for on-the-go access

How can facilities managers benefit from fire alarm system remote monitoring?

1. Easily monitor and manage multiple locations

With a remote activity monitoring solution, information from all life safety control units in every building, across campuses and multiple locations, is always within easy reach. Total visibility is finally within reach, with the ability to grant access to service providers as well.

2. Improve service efficiency and quality

With visibility into what is happening in each system and logs, planning maintenance to minimize disruption and maximize efficiency is easier than ever. Remote access also allows remote engineers to view data and help on-site technicians correct problems.

3. Enjoy better safety

Through a mobile app and push notifications, a remote activity monitoring solution gets critical information anywhere, enabling a faster, more appropriate response.

4. Get easy access to information and reports

At any time, connect to each fire alarm control unit’s data via the web user interface to see exactly what is happening and review system logs.

5. Save time and improve productivity

With detailed information always available whenever, wherever, wasting time traveling to each building when an event occurs is drastically reduced, and it is quick and easy to review system logs.

6. Gain peace of mind

With improved visibility and control, all the “what-ifs” become a worry of the past.

Who can benefit most from remote activity monitoring?

• Facilities managers with campus or multi-campus sites
• School districts with multiple buildings
• Hospitality management chains operating multiple hotels
• Commercial real estate management firms