Fire safety and security for managing agents and blocks of flats
Communal fire alarms, AOV smoke ventilation, emergency lighting, CCTV and door entry, all on one planned maintenance schedule with a certificate after every visit.
- Free block survey, fixed quote
- Certificates after every visit
- One contact for the whole portfolio
Request a call back
Name and number are all we need. We call back within one working day to book a free survey.
- SSAIB approvedFor intruder alarms
- BS 5839 fire alarmsCertificated every visit
- Since 2004Family-run in SW17
- 20+ five-starGoogle reviews
How we work
At Security Red Alert, we have been installing, servicing and certificating communal fire and security systems for London's managing agents, freeholders and residents' management companies for more than 20 years.
One contractor for the whole compliance file. We survey each block, take over the servicing schedule, carry out the remedials and hand you a certificate pack after every visit, so nothing lapses between the fire alarm, the smoke vents and the emergency lighting.
What's included
- Communal fire alarm systems — design, installation, BS 5839-1 servicing and remedials
- AOV smoke ventilation, smoke shafts and mechanical extract, serviced to BS 7346-8
- Emergency lighting monthly and annual testing with certificates
- Door entry, access control and fob systems for communal doors and bin stores
- CCTV for entrance lobbies, car parks and communal areas, with remote viewing for your team
- Fire extinguisher supply and BS 5306 servicing
- Fire sprinkler systems for blocks over 11m and retrofit schemes
- Maintenance contracts across an entire portfolio, with one contact and one certificate pack per block
What you get from working with us
One Visit, One Set of Certificates
Fire alarm, emergency lighting, smoke vents and extinguishers can all be serviced on the same visit by the same contractor. That means one invoice, one certificate pack per block, and no gaps where three separate firms each assumed someone else covered an item.
The AOV Nobody Else Is Servicing
BS 7346-8 recommends at least two service visits a year for smoke ventilation. It is the single most commonly missed item we find when taking over a block, because it is often assumed to sit with the lift or the electrical contractor.
A Schedule You Do Not Have to Chase
We hold the calendar for every block you manage and contact you before each service falls due. Certification stays continuous, which matters when a freeholder, insurer or leaseholder asks for the file at short notice.
We Work Around Residents
Communal work means notice periods, access to occupied flats and keeping escape routes usable while we are on site. We plan visits around residents rather than expecting the building to work around us.
Managing agents & block managers
Planned servicing across every block you manage, with dates held by us and a certificate pack per building. We take over from an existing contractor with a condition report first, so you know what you are inheriting.
Freeholders & RMCs
Straight answers on what the building needs and what it does not. Fixed quotes for remedials, separate from the servicing contract, so directors can approve the two independently.
Commercial landlords & offices
Fire alarm systems, AOV smoke control, CCTV and access control for offices, mixed-use buildings and retail units, with out-of-hours visits where tenants need the building kept running.
What We Maintain in a Block
Communal fire detection
Panel systems covering corridors, lobbies, plant rooms and bin stores, with interfaces to door releases, lifts and smoke vents. Serviced twice a year with devices tested in rotation and the cause-and-effect programming verified.
Smoke ventilation and AOVs
Stair-head vents, lobby AOVs, natural smoke shafts and mechanical extract. Actuators, control panels, batteries and manual override points all checked, with functional testing recorded — the item most often found lapsed when we take a block on.
Emergency lighting and escape routes
Monthly function testing and annual duration testing to communal stairs, corridors and external escape routes, with failed fittings replaced and the results logged in a format that satisfies the fire risk assessor.
CCTV for communal areas
Cameras covering entrance lobbies, bin stores, car parks and cycle stores, with footage viewable remotely by the managing agent and exportable for the police or insurers. Installed with signage and retention set up to satisfy UK GDPR.
Door entry and communal access
Audio and video entry panels, fob access to communal doors and bin stores, and handset or app answering per flat. Lost fobs are cancelled in seconds rather than triggering a lock change across the whole building.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should communal fire safety systems be serviced?
Communal fire alarm systems follow BS 5839-1 — at least two service visits a year. AOV smoke ventilation follows BS 7346-8, also a minimum of two visits a year. Emergency lighting needs a monthly function test and an annual three-hour duration test. Extinguishers are serviced annually under BS 5306. We schedule these together wherever possible.
Can you take over blocks from another contractor?
Yes. We survey each block, produce a condition report listing anything that has failed or lapsed, quote for the remedials separately from the ongoing contract, and then take over the schedule. You are not obliged to accept the remedial quote to move the servicing across.
What is an AOV and why does it keep coming up at audit?
An Automatic Opening Vent clears smoke from stairwells and common corridors so escape routes stay usable. It comes up at audit because it is easy to overlook — it looks like a window, it sits outside most people's idea of fire equipment, and responsibility for it often falls between contractors. Under BS 7346-8 it needs servicing twice a year like any other life safety system.
Do blocks over 11 metres now need sprinklers?
In England, all new residential buildings above 11 metres have required sprinkler protection since 2020. Existing blocks are not automatically caught by that change — whether retrofit is needed depends on the building's fire strategy and fire risk assessment. We design and install BS 9251 systems for both new build and retrofit.
Can you provide the documentation for the building safety file?
Yes. Every visit produces a certificate and a written test record, and commissioning work includes cause-and-effect documentation. These are the records that form part of a building's fire safety information, and we supply them in a consistent format across all the blocks we cover for you.
Do you cover leasehold blocks outside South London?
We cover all 32 London boroughs. Our office is in Summerstown SW17 so response times are quickest across South and South West London, which is where most of the blocks we maintain are located. Tell us where the portfolio sits and we will be straight with you about what response time we can commit to.
Arrange a free survey of your block or portfolio
Tell us about the building and we will call you back to book a free, no-obligation survey. You get a fixed written quote after every visit.
- Free block survey, fixed quote
- Certificates after every visit
- One contact for the whole portfolio
Phone answered 24/7