How a Hackney tower block moved all its fire-safety servicing to one provider

A residential block has a lot riding on its fire safety. Alarms. Emergency lighting. Fire doors. Each one needs servicing, on its own schedule, to its own standard.

Managed separately, that is a lot of contractors to chase... and a lot of gaps where a job can slip through unnoticed.

When the housing provider Hyelm looked at the fire-safety servicing for one of its Hackney tower blocks, it decided to change that. It moved the whole lot - alarms, emergency lighting and fire doors - to a single provider. That provider was us, Syndicate Fire Protection Service.

This is the story of that switch. It is also a guide for any Responsible Person (the person or organisation legally responsible for fire safety in a building) weighing up the same decision for their own block.

Why the block switched providers

The building is a residential tower block in Hackney, home to a community of tenants. It runs a wireless fire alarm system - a radio-linked system where detectors and call points talk to the control panel by radio signal rather than through cabling. Wireless was chosen because of the building's cladding, since it avoids running new cable through the external walls.

To be clear about our part in this... we did not choose, design or install that system. It was already in place. We took over the servicing of what was there.

The block's fire-safety servicing had been with a previous provider. Hyelm moved away from that arrangement and asked us to take on the whole contract. The reason was straightforward. They liked the way we worked. And they were satisfied with our health-and-safety and training certification - the evidence a Responsible Person needs to show the work is being done by competent people.

Since taking on the Hyelm contract, we have gone on to achieve BAFE SP203-1 registration for fire alarm maintenance - the independent, third-party certificated standard. More on that below.

So the switch was not a repair job or an emergency. It was a considered decision to consolidate fragmented servicing under one accountable provider... on their doorstep, not on a call-centre queue.

Any Responsible Person running separate contracts for each system faces the same question. The rest of this guide sets out what is involved.

What a competent servicing takeover involves

Taking over the fire-safety servicing of a residential block is not simply a change of name on the invoice. A new provider inherits an ongoing legal duty and has to pick up every servicing visit without dropping one.

For this block, that meant three disciplines under one roof:

• Fire alarms - the communal system serving the common parts of the building.
• Emergency lighting - the lighting that keeps escape routes visible if the power fails.
• Fire doors - the doors that hold back fire and smoke long enough for people to get out.

Each has a different standard, a different test regime and a different rhythm. We cover all three with multi-skilled engineers - the same faces, planned around one schedule rather than three separate contractors' diaries.

Accreditation: the trust anchor

For a Responsible Person, the hard part of appointing a servicing contractor is proving competence. This is exactly what reassured Hyelm.

Syndicate Fire Protection is BAFE SP203-1 registered for the maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems (registration 303613), third-party certificated by SSAIB. BAFE SP203-1 is the scheme for fire alarm maintenance - and for us it covers maintenance only, not design or installation. It is a company-level registration, audited independently, that shows the fire alarm servicing is carried out by a competent organisation.

A couple of honest boundaries are worth stating, because they matter. The BAFE registration covers fire alarm maintenance. It does not cover emergency lighting, and there is no BAFE scheme for fire doors at all. Our fire-door work is backed by an ABBE Level 3 fire door qualification held by our team, not by the BAFE badge. We keep those things separate on purpose - that is what accurate compliance evidence looks like.

The result for the client is simple. One provider, with the certification and training records to back the work... so their Responsible Person can relax.

That is the paperwork a Responsible Person leans on when they have to prove the servicing was done. One provider keeping it, not three.

What each discipline's servicing actually requires

This is the part any Responsible Person with a residential block needs, whoever their provider is. Here is what the three disciplines involve - described generally, as the recognised good practice, not as a map of this particular building.

This is an informational overview, not legal advice - your fire risk assessment and a competent fire-safety professional should determine your exact obligations.

Fire alarms - BS 5839-1

The communal fire alarm system in a residential block is covered by BS 5839-1 (the British Standard for fire detection and fire alarm systems in non-domestic and communal premises), currently the 2025 edition. It is worth naming its sibling to avoid confusion: BS 5839-6 covers systems inside individual dwellings, not the communal block system.

BS 5839-1 is a code of practice, so it recommends rather than requires. It recommends professional inspection and servicing at intervals not exceeding six months - in practice, at least two service visits a year by a competent engineer. The 2025 edition allows a sensible window around that six-month point rather than treating a day's slippage as a failure.

A wireless system is serviced to the same BS 5839-1 as a wired one. The radio link is simply how the devices communicate. Choosing wireless does not change the servicing obligations one bit.

Emergency lighting - BS 5266-1

Emergency lighting is a different discipline, with its own standard: BS 5266-1 (the British Standard for emergency lighting), currently the 2025 edition. Do not carry the alarm frequencies across - the regime here is different.

BS 5266-1 recommends a brief monthly function test of every luminaire, plus a full annual test where each fitting runs for its full rated duration - typically three hours - with the mains isolated, and must still be lit at the end. Results go in the log book. This is the check that means the stairwells stay lit if the power drops during an evacuation.

Fire doors - the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

Fire doors in residential blocks carry a specific checking duty under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 10, in force since January 2023. The checks apply to multi-occupied residential buildings with a top storey above 11 metres - which includes a tower block like this one.

In those buildings, the Responsible Person must arrange quarterly checks (at least every three months) of fire doors in the communal parts, including that self-closing devices work. They must also carry out annual checks of flat entrance doors on a best-endeavours basis - best endeavours because access to private flats cannot always be secured, and records should note where access was not granted.

These are visual and operational checks, not a forensic engineering examination. A competent provider carries them out, or supports the building's own staff in doing so, and keeps the records straight.

Why one accountable provider beats fragmented contracts

Look at those three disciplines together and the pattern is clear. Alarms every six months. Emergency lighting monthly and annually. Fire doors quarterly in the common parts and annually for flat entrances.

That is four separate servicing routines across three disciplines. Split across different contractors, it means separate logbooks, separate certificates, separate points of failure... and gaps where nobody owns the whole picture.

Underneath all of it sits one legal duty. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 - Article 17 (the law requiring properly maintained fire-safety equipment) - requires the Responsible Person to keep fire-safety equipment and devices "maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair." That duty applies across the communal parts of the block. It does not split neatly into three contracts.

The scale of this is not small either. Mid-rise residential blocks make up a large, closely regulated part of the housing stock. Getting their servicing right is a widespread, practical concern.

Consolidating under one provider does not change who the Responsible Person is, and it is a management benefit rather than a legal requirement. But it keeps that single, indivisible duty visible and evidenced. One team covering alarms, emergency lighting and fire doors, on one planned schedule, with every device tracked, every visit documented.

The outcome

Hyelm moved its whole fire-safety servicing contract for the block to us - alarms, emergency lighting and fire doors, under one provider. The certification and training evidence they needed sat behind the work from day one.

If you manage a residential block and you are juggling separate contracts for each system, this is the decision worth weighing. Not a bigger promise. Just one accountable provider, the personal touch, and a clear record of what has been done.

That is our 100% Promise: every identified device serviced as agreed, or you get 24 months FREE*. We put our money where our mouth is.

If you would like to talk it through, we offer a free, no-obligation review of your fire-safety servicing. We are only ever a phone call away.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the Responsible Person for fire safety in a residential block?

The Responsible Person is the individual or organisation legally responsible for fire safety in the building. That is often the freeholder, the managing agent or the housing provider. In the communal parts of a residential block, they hold the duty to keep fire-safety equipment maintained. Appointing a servicing contractor does not pass that duty on. It stays with the Responsible Person.

How often should fire alarms, emergency lighting and fire doors be serviced?

Each discipline runs on its own schedule. BS 5839-1 recommends fire alarm servicing at intervals not exceeding six months. BS 5266-1 recommends a monthly function test of emergency lighting, plus a full annual test. Under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, fire doors in the communal parts of multi-occupied residential buildings above 11 metres need quarterly checks. Flat entrance doors are checked annually on a best-endeavours basis. That is four service routines to plan around, and we keep them on one schedule.

Is one provider for all three disciplines better than separate contractors?

It is a management choice, not a legal requirement, and it does not change who the Responsible Person is. Splitting the work across contractors means separate logbooks, separate certificates and gaps where nobody owns the whole picture. One provider covering alarms, emergency lighting and fire doors keeps the single legal duty visible and evidenced. It is the tidier way to prove the work.

Does a wireless fire alarm system need different servicing?

No. A wireless system is serviced to the same BS 5839-1 as a wired one. The radio link is simply how the detectors and call points communicate with the control panel. Choosing wireless does not change the servicing obligations at all.

Does a BAFE SP203-1 registration cover fire doors and emergency lighting too?

No. BAFE SP203-1 is the scheme for fire alarm maintenance only - it does not cover emergency lighting, and there is no BAFE scheme for fire doors. Competent fire-door work is backed by a separate qualification, such as an ABBE Level 3 fire door qualification held by the team. We keep those things clearly separate, because that is what accurate compliance evidence looks like.

Sources and further reading

• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, Article 17 (maintenance duty): legislation.gov.uk
• Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 10 (fire doors): legislation.gov.uk
• BS 5839-1 - fire detection and fire alarm systems (non-domestic): BSI

Our related services

• Fire systems maintenance in Kent and London - all your fire-safety systems serviced together, usually in a single visit.
• Emergency lighting - servicing to BS 5266-1.
• Fire doors - servicing by ABBE Level 3 qualified engineers.