Will My Fire Detection System Automatically Call the Fire Brigade? A Guide for Strata Buildings

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

One of the most common questions strata committees, building managers and owners corporations ask is:

“If our fire alarm goes off, does the fire brigade automatically get called?”

The short answer is: not necessarily. A fire detection system can detect and display an alarm, and may operate occupant warning equipment within the building, without automatically notifying Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW).

Automatic brigade notification is a separate function. It depends on whether the building has an active monitored connection, which signals are transmitted and what response is assigned to those signals.

Key Takeaways

✔ A smoke detector does not call the fire brigade itself; it reports an alarm condition to the fire indicator panel (FIP).

✔ Automatic external monitoring requires Alarm Signalling Equipment (ASE) and an active monitoring service.

✔ In NSW, monitored connections associated with FRNSW response are provided through an approved Automatic Fire Alarm Service Provider (AFASP).

✔ A fire alarm signal can initiate FRNSW response, while faults, isolations or communication failures may instead notify nominated contacts.

✔ The important question is not simply whether the building is monitored, but what response is assigned to each transmitted signal.

Not familiar with some of the terminology used in this article? Visit our Fire Detection & Alarm Systems Glossary for plain-English explanations of common terms.

Feature	Unmonitored system	Active external monitoring
Fire indicator panel can detect and display an alarm	✔	✔
Occupant warning can operate within the building	✔	✔
ASE and active monitoring service provide an external connection	✘	✔
Configured alarm signals can be transmitted outside the building	✘	✔
Automatic FRNSW response can form part of the alarm arrangement	✘	✔

The table shows the broad distinction only. The actual response to each alarm, fault or other monitored condition depends on the building’s configuration and monitoring arrangements.

The key difference

The FIP can receive and display alarms and operate programmed functions such as occupant warning or building-service controls without any external monitoring. Automatic brigade notification is a separate function.

For a signal to be transmitted outside the building automatically, the site needs ASE and an active monitoring connection through an approved AFASP. What happens next depends on the type of signal and the response configured for it.

What Is Alarm Signalling Equipment (ASE)?

Alarm Signalling Equipment is the on-site communications equipment used to transmit configured signals from the FIP to an external automatic fire alarm monitoring service.

In NSW, a monitored Automatic Fire Alarm (AFA) connection associated with FRNSW response is provided through an approved Automatic Fire Alarm Service Provider (AFASP). The AFASP receives signals from the building and provides the connection to FRNSW.

Detector or other alarm input  →  FIP  →  ASE  →  AFASP  →  FRNSW response

This simplified path applies to a fire alarm configured for automatic FRNSW response. Fault, isolate and communication signals can be handled differently.

ASE is usually a separate communications device installed at, near or associated with the FIP. It may be housed in its own enclosure or incorporated into the overall panel arrangement. The example below shows a typical ASE; equipment varies by provider and installation.

What Is the Role of the Monitoring Service?

The AFASP receives the signals configured to be transmitted from the building and applies the required response to each signal type.

A fire alarm configured for brigade response is transmitted through the AFASP to FRNSW. Other monitored conditions — such as faults, isolations or communication failures — may instead generate a notification to nominated contacts or another agreed action without brigade attendance.

The exact response depends on the building’s monitoring arrangement. This is why it is important to know not just whether the building is monitored, but what happens when each type of signal is received.

ASE hardware alone is not enough. The building also needs an active monitoring service. If that service is cancelled or becomes inactive, the ASE may still be physically installed but the building may no longer have an active monitored connection. Nominated contacts and response instructions should also be kept current.

Does every building have automatic fire alarm monitoring?

No. Some buildings have smoke alarms only, some have a FIP without external monitoring, and others have ASE with an active monitoring arrangement.

Whether monitoring is required depends on the requirements applicable to the particular building, including its approval history, Fire Safety Schedule, approved design and any later fire safety requirements.

Current requirements should not automatically be treated as imposing a retrospective monitoring upgrade on an existing building.

How can I tell what happens in our building?

The presence of ASE at or near the FIP is a useful clue, but it does not prove that monitoring is currently active. The building should also be able to identify its AFASP or monitoring provider and confirm that the service remains current.

Monitoring records, the Cause and Effect Matrix or other programming information, and the AFASP or monitoring provider can help establish which signals are transmitted, which are intended to initiate FRNSW response and which simply result in a notification or another monitoring action.

If required monitoring is already part of the building’s arrangement and the FIP or ASE is replaced, the scope should include reconnection to the monitoring service and recommissioning of the required external signals.

Questions Strata Committees Should Ask

If you are unsure how your building’s fire alarm monitoring works, ask:

1. Does the building have ASE and a current, active monitoring service, and who is the AFASP or monitoring provider?

2. Which signals are intended to initiate FRNSW response, and which simply result in a notification or other monitoring action?

3. Who are the nominated contacts for faults, isolations or communication issues, and are those details current?

4. If the FIP or ASE is being replaced, does the scope include reconnection and recommissioning of the monitoring service?

Final Thoughts

Not every fire detection system automatically notifies Fire and Rescue NSW, and the presence of ASE does not by itself prove that the building has an active brigade connection.

For a monitored building, the practical questions are whether the connection is active, which signals are transmitted and what response has been established for each of them.

That is why a fire alarm may produce brigade response while a fault, isolation or communication issue may only generate a notification to nominated contacts.

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About the Author

This article was prepared by Full Circle Fire, specialists in fire detection and alarm systems with more than 30 years’ experience delivering maintenance, upgrades and replacement of obsolete fire detection equipment across NSW.

Important Information

This article provides general information only and is not intended to replace advice based on the specific fire safety systems, approved documentation, building design or regulatory requirements applicable to an individual property.