GJC Fire & Security

Fire Alarm Testing done at the Evolve Housing + Support Head Office

Customer had sudden loss of 70+ Cameras. Traced to Faulty POE Switches. Supplied, Installed, Operational

Replacing old analogue CCTV System at WestRock Leicester with new Hikvision IP CCTV System. Complete new installation with scope to expand in the future.

GJC Fire & Security updated their phone number.

Another day in our nations capital keeping Evolve Housing Support safe. Successful diagnosis, repairs and installation of Nowlogit Live Devices, Evolve can now monitor this properties Fire Alarm with Realtime updates with Faults and Fire signals from anywhere.

GJC Fire & Security Call Out for Evolve Housing Support.
Responding to clients needs for fire alarm faults. Diagnosed and rectified, fully operational.

User Access Granted Fire Safety Logbook This is a how to guide for users added to the Fire Safety Logbook.

Busy week. Out with the old..in with the new 😁

Four of the best security measures for your home

Home security is a top priority for homeowners, even if they live in a relatively safe area. Many homeowners attempt to prevent burglaries through simple methods, such as closing their windows and leaving lights on when they leave the house. If you want to take your home security to the next level, however, the four tips below will enable you to reduce the risk of a burglary in your home.

Home Insurance

One of the best methods for home security is taking out comprehensive home insurance. Taking out an expert UK home insurance from a specialist insurer is vital. Insurance can help to protect your property and possessions in the event of a burglary, reducing the impact of the physical loss on your lifestyle. Most insurances even cover high-value possessions such as jewellery, meaning you can protect your property against loss or damage.

Security Alarms

Having a home security alarm on your property can prevent burglaries by deterring people from entering your home. If someone does gain access to your home, the piercing noise of the alarm will most likely put them off. It will also alert your neighbours to the event. A security alarm can reassure you when you leave the house, and they can even notify local authorities to the break-in as it happens. This quick response means the burglary can be dealt with swiftly. An added benefit to installing a security alarm is that it can do wonders to reduce your home insurance by a significant amount, and so you should not be deterred by any cost element.

Security Cameras

Home security cameras can help to prevent crime and lead to a quick prosecution if a burglary does occur. You should install a security camera on an easily visible area of your house. If potential burglars see that you have a camera, they are more likely to avoid your property. A potential intruder will realise that they are more likely to get prosecuted if they break and enter a home with a camera. Additionally, if you do have the misfortune to be burgled even when you have a camera installed, the clear images produced by the cameras will help the criminals to be caught much quicker than without.

Secure Locks

Many UK houses have visibly weak locks, especially on older houses where doors and windows have not been replaced regularly. Investing in secure locks will vastly improve your home security. Burglars are more likely to visit houses that are easy to break into, such as those with single glazing or those that leave windows open. Secure locks will also make it harder for those attempting to break into your house. It will be harder to gain access to your home by breaking the lock. You should also ensure that you lock your property whenever you leave it, and close open doors when leaving a room.

Four of the best security measures for your home | website Home security is a top priority for homeowners, even if they live in a relatively safe area.Many homeowners attempt to prevent burglaries through simple method

Do you find the Fire Safety Act daunting? Or do you just need a quick refresh of the main points? If so have a read of this summary on the fire and safety act

The Fire Safety Order – simplified | website Do you find the Fire Safety Act daunting?Or do you just need a quick refresh of the main points? If so, then read our summary of the Fire Safety Act below. Thi

Happy Friday All, hope you are enjoying the lovely weather we are having this week in Feb :-)

This is the final weekly guide that you can add to your fire safety guidance documentation, this week we are going to cover ‘Training and Awareness’.

It is so important to know that your staff know what to do in an emergency, so ensuring that the relevant people are appropriately trained is key.

All staff should know:

- How to raise an alarm
- How to contact the fire service
- Know where the evacuation points are and relevant assembly points (all visitors must be shown this on arrival)

Nominated Fire Marshall:

- What action to take on discovering a fire and on hearing the fire alarm
- Correct evacuation procedures and location of the assembly points
- To only tackle a fire if it safe to do so (when fire is small and correct extinguisher is available)
- Aware of the contents of the Fire Risk Assessment

Management:

- Own and test the Business continuity plan (to include Fire)
- Ensure employees receive training during working hours when they start employment

What to do in the case of a fire:

- When hearing the alarm sound the building must be evacuated (following the business emergency plan).

- Where possible ensure that all windows and doors are closed to ensure the fire is contained, reducing damage were likely.

- Contact the fire service as soon as possible, giving the full address of the premises and the contact, when they arrive ensure the responsible person meets them to collate information and remember do not re-enter the building for any reason.

Hopefully you should feel a bit more prepared for an emergency situation. Here is a simple checklist to double check.

Escape Routes
- Can all fire exits be opened immediately and easily?
- Are fire doors clear of obstruction?
- Are escape routes clear?

Fire Warning System
- Is the indicator panel showing ‘normal’?
- Are whistles, gongs or air horns in place?

Escape Lighting
- Are luminaries and exit signs in good condition and undamaged?
- Is emergency lighting and sign lighting working correctly?

Fire Fighting Equipment
- Are all fire extinguishers in place?
- Are fire extinguishers clearly visible?
- Are vehicles blocking fire hydrants

By ensuring you review your fire safety guidance regularly, have a complete fire risk assessment and keeping a log of all fire safety related requirements in a log book will lead to good fire safety culture in the workplace.

Fire Safety Guidance - Part 5 (Training and Awareness) This is the final weekly guide that you can add to your fire safety guidance documentation, this week we are going to cover ‘Training and Awareness’. It is so i...

This is the fourth of the weekly guides that you can add to your fire safety guidance documentation, this week we are going to cover ‘Safety routes and Emergency lighting’.

Making sure you and your employees make it out of the building during an incident is your main priority, so ensuring the escape routes are checked is essential.

Make it part of your daily checks to confirm that all escape routes are:

- Clear of any obstructions (physical items blocking access)
- Clear of any slip or trip hazards (including spillages)

Fire doors must be checked to ensure they are clear and fully working, doors help to prevent the risk of fire, smoke and heat from spreading around your premises. Resulting in less damage.

Ensure all doors have been checked for the following:

- Ensure all fire doors are closed and have not been wedged open
- Check of final exit doors to ensure that they open easily (using a push bar and not the use of a key)
- Check all doors used on escape paths are clear of obstructions
- Check outside the fire door to ensure that they are clear and that they are available to be used as access by the fire service.

Emergency Escape Lighting is to be monitored by a competent person with the right level of training to carry out routine testing. During an incident there may be a chance that the building could lose its normal lighting functionality and therefore emergency backup lighting will take over, so it is essential that it is tested regularly at a time of minimal risk.

Fire Safety Guidance Part 4 - Escape routes and emergency lighting This is the fourth of the weekly guides that you can add to your fire safety guidance documentation, this week we are going to cover ‘Safety routes and Emergenc...

Fire Safety Guidance Part 3 - Firefighting equipment This is the third of the fire safety guides that you can add to your fire safety guidance documentation, this week we are going to cover ‘firefighting equipment...

Fire Safety Guidance - Part 2 - Fire Detection and Alarm Systems

This is the second of the weekly guides that you can add to your fire safety guidance documentation, this week we are going to cover fire detection and alarm systems.

All commercial properties are required by law to have a fully working fire alarm or system installed, the alarm is also required to be monitored and tested by a nominated responsible person. The responsible person should have had the right level of training in order to carry out all aspects of the test to ensure there are no failures.

If your insurance requires your alarm to be connected to an alarm receiving centre, it is important to contact them before and after any test to ensure the emergency services don’t attend and that the signal was received correctly.

All false alarms need to be recorded including anything from a malicious alarm, equipment false alarm, alarm with good intent or a general unwanted alarm. Mitigating action will then need be put in place to fix the problem and prevent reoccurring false alarms.

Checks are to include:

Panel inspection – Check the panel to ensure it is operating correctly, if any faults are found ensure that these are logged in the logbook and reported to the person/company responsible for maintenance asap.

Call point tests – At the same time each week complete a test on different call points during normal working hours.

Automatic door release checks – If there are doors that automatically release during an alarm, these should be also tested weekly alongside your weekly test.

Backup power check – Where emergency standby generators are present a test must be completed to simulate a power failure (one hour each month). If batteries are used as back up, then a visual inspection including electrolyte level is sufficient.

Visual inspection – Completion of visuals to the call points and detectors, this is to ensure that they are not obstructed, that a clear space of 500mm below is maintained and that there is no damage (including paint/dust).

Alarm engineer period inspections – The requirements for these inspections will depend on the type of system installed and they should be carried out by a fully trained and competent engineer. The recommended time between an inspection and service visits should not exceed 6 months. Always ensure that you are complaint to the British Standard.

Further information on British Standards can be found by visiting the British Standards website: www.bsi-global.com

Fire Safety Advice

We are going to post weekly guides that you can add to your fire safety guidance documentation, this week we are going to cover FIRE CAUSES.

The advice will help you and your staff prevent an outbreak of fire, avoiding injury and reducing the damage on your property.

There are many common causes of a fire, here are examples of a few of them:

Electricity – With the increasing number of electrical appliances we use in the workplace, it is key to ensure that all electrical equipment is maintained, that electrical circuits are upgraded when necessary and that an annual inspection is completed.

· Inspections should include that the wiring is safe, correct fuses are being used and comply to British standards.
· A simple check that tenants/employees should ensure is that sockets and cables are not overloaded. Ensure all items are switched off when not in use to reduce the risk.

Rubbish – It is extremely important that everyone clears away their rubbish as not only does it increase the chance of a fire occurring, but it will help it spread if left around the building. Ensure outdoor rubbish bens are not kept against the building as they can often be a target for young arsonists.

Smoking – Ensure all staff smoking areas are away from the building and away from any rubbish storage. It would be good to have a smoking guideline to cover the following:

· Empty cigarette bins daily
· Allow staff to smoke in designated areas only
· Ensure ashtrays are suitable for use and are non-combustible

Heaters – Always ensure that heaters are kept away from anything flammable and are carefully placed.

Dangerous goods – Keep all flammable liquids or gas stored in the correct place away from any heat as they could explode if they get too hot.

These are just a few examples, always complete a full risk assessment of your property to ensure you cover all aspects.

Fire Safety Guidance - Part 1- Possible causes Fire Causes We are going to post weekly guides that you can add to your fire safety guidance documentation, this week we are going to cover FIRE SAFETY advice. ...

It is important for every business and rental home owner to know about the Fire safety order regulations. They were put in place to provide guidelines to those responsible in ensuring the safety and security of their employees or people occupying their premises.

The order which also includes domestic premises as well as communal areas within multiple occupation homes (HMOs) holds the person responsible with everyone’s safety, so if you are that person keeping records is extremely vital.

The best way to keep records is to hold a professional log book, which is now also a mandatory requirement for all businesses/premises fitted with a fire alarm and control panel. It is used to record important information on all fire alarm drills/testing, services and maintenance. If your business has more than 5 employees you will also be required to complete a fire risk assessment and it is also mandatory to have these results recorded, so these can also be logged within the logbook.

Many logbooks are also used as journals to remind the owner of all required servicing and maintenance dates, along with a place to store all fire safety training and records in one place. The fire service engineer will make notes of all services and any changes made to the system within the logbook.

Local authorities will often carry out reviews of the logbooks to ensure all tests have been appropriately documented. The logbook also ensures that the business owner is compliant with the test records of “BS5839 Standards” required here in the UK. It is an offence not to record such tests and they could be audited at anytime.

Here is a guidance list for records to keep in your logbook:

Fire and safety risk assessments (to include the following):

- Identification of the fire hazards.
- Identification of people at risk.
- Evaluation, removal or reduction in those risks.
- Record of the findings and an emergency plan covering all risks
- Review and update the fire risk assessment regularly.

Daily checks

- Check all fire exits are clear and any security locks are removed
- Check all escape routes are clear from obstructions
- Visually check all emergency lighting is working
- Ensure all doors open freely and close fully

Weekly tests/checks

- Test all fire detection/warning systems
- Check all batteries on emergency torches
- View all fire extinguishers/hoses for any visible damage

Monthly tests/checks

- Review of all emergency lighting in accordance with the manufactures guidance
- Check all fire doors are closing and that the seals are not damaged

6 Monthly tests

- Maintenance test of the fire and warning systems

Annual test

- All emergency lighting and all fire equipment, fire alarms and other installed systems should be tested and maintained by a competent person. Most companies will have a maintenance schedule with a company to complete this action.

Make it your new year’s resolution to improve your home security | website You home is a safe place for you and your family so it is important that you feel that way. Make it your new year’s resolution to improve your security. So wher...

Without you all, Christmas wouldn’t be very merry. Thanks so much for all the support you have given my business this year.

And back to business for a sec 😊

As you are all preparing for Christmas doing last minute shopping, wrapping your presents and planning your festive journeys to visit the family, don’t forget to think about your house! It’s the perfect opportunity for a burglar to strike and most will be waiting for you to leave.

So here are a few safety tips to consider before you leave:

- We all know how much we love social media these days and often post when we are out and about enjoying ourselves, well you may want to think about advertising your whereabouts as you never know who may see. (Wait till you get home to upload the pics).

- Before you leave do a last check to ensure all the windows and doors are locked and that you have set the security alarm.

- Keep all valuables out of site and make sure you make your home look occupied. (Ask a neighbour to turn on your lights, park a car on your drive and collect your post).

Happy Christmas from everyone at GJC Security. We hope your holidays will be filled with joy and laughter through the New Year.

Happy Christmas from everyone at GJC Security | website Without you all, Christmas wouldn’t be very merry. Thanks so much for all the support you have given my business this year. And back to business for a sec 😊 As...

Importance of school security

It is so important to ensure the person installing your school’s Fire and Security systems are experienced, recently a school itself was fined for not ensuring the contractor they used were competent.

The first thing to check is their accreditations and qualifications, there are number such as NSI, BAFE, CHAS and SSAIB. The second is to check they have the relevant health and safety accreditations to prevent accidents occurring whilst they undertake the work.

The main reason to be so thorough in these types of installations is to protect the school against fire damage and prevent a child getting hurt. So, what do you need to look out for before giving the contractor the job?

Well here are some examples of accreditations you could ask for:

Intruder and access control systems: SSAIB - Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board and NSI - National Security Inspectorate
For Fire Security look for these approvals: BAFE - British Approvals for Fire Equipment or FIA - Fire Industry Association
A main one for Health & Safety is: CHAS - Contractors Health and Safety

At the end of the day it will always come back to you and not the contractor if things go wrong, so always ensure you do research on the company you are using. You are responsible for the fire safety if you are an employee, the owner or the landlord. And for schools the person usually responsible will be the headteacher, business manager or finance manager.

You may also be surprised that not having the right fire and security controls at your school can affect the schools OFSTED rating. They are often flagged up in inspectors reports and play a part in the schools overall score.

In most cases you can integrate your fire and alarm systems together making the job easier, choosing the best company to do the install will involve doing your research, ensuring they have experience working in schools and have the right accreditations.

If you would like some more information or a free quote, please contact me and I will happy to visit you school.

Importance of school fire and security | website It is so important to ensure the person installing your school’s Fire and Security systems are experienced, recently a school was fined for not ensuring the con...

Home safety tips for the festive period

Christmas for most is a special time of year, a time for making happy memories, but for some people this time of year is blemished by burglars and opportunists entering their homes. Keeping your property safe and secure is important at any time of year, but more so at Christmas due to gifts and presents being a prime target for most thief’s.

With properties being left unattended for longer periods whilst you visit families, attend Christmas parties and finish off that vital Christmas shopping the number of empty houses rises. This leads to an annual spike in robberies over the Christmas period.

Experiencing a break-in during the Christmas holiday period is practically heart-breaking and because of this it is so important to protect your home, here are some tips to follow that could prevent that unnecessary break-in.

Going away to visit family and friends

There is no surprise that a thief loves an empty home and with an estimate of nearly 12 millions cars on the road over the Christmas period visiting family or having that cosy winter break it makes a perfect opportunity for them.

The best way to deter them is to make your home looks like someone is there. You could ask a neighbour, family member, friend or even a keyholding specialist to turn the lights on or off, open and close the curtains and leave a car on the drive. These simple things give the appearance of being inhabited.

Check your decorations aren’t in the way of security

We know many people love to make their home look all festive and glowing with millions of fairy lights, but is having the best decorated house on the street worth your house not being safe.
With many properties not having an external socket it is known that many people will open the window slightly to slip an extension cable through it, a thief will often check all windows to find an entry point into your home and this just gives them the perfect opportunity. Is it worth the risk?

Hide your presents

A criminal usually looks for an opportunity before a break-in and they wouldn’t want to spend time looking around your property for your presents and valuable gifts. So ideally keep them in a safe under lock and key, if this isn’t possible then keep them somewhere out of sight, away from doors and windows.

Keep your property secured
Having a fully-functioning security system complete with alarms, CCTV, and secure locks are the best deterrent for burglars. So, if you have one installed, ensure that it is serviced and working correctly over this festive period. If you don’t but are thinking of getting one, feel free to contact us for a free quote.

Home safety tips for the festive period | website Christmas for most is a special time of year, a time for making happy memories, but for some people this time of year is blemished by burglars and opportunists ...

Whether you decide to install a security system yourself or whether you decide to get a professional company in, they both need to be installed. Obviously, the DIY option is cheaper, but the professional option is also easier and hassle free.

Here is some guidance to help you decide which one is right for you.

Professional Installation

The professional installation of course is less work, you can literally sit back and watch your favourite TV show whilst someone does the work for you. You can select a date and time that works for you, so you can be at home when it is installed and the time to install will clearly be a lot quicker than if you were to install it yourself.

The main reason someone should chose the professional option is that you benefit from the engineers experience on security and installation, they can advise on which system would suit your needs. They make sure the equipment is set up correctly and talk you through how it works and can make further suggestions on to secure your home.

The difference in costs would be that you would need to pay for installation, but at least you know it is being completed correctly. If you decided for the DIY option, you may miss something and in the long run could cost you more if you were to suffer a break-in and the system did not work correctly.

DIY Installation

The main reason people decide to install a home system is the fact there are no installation costs, the other is that you don’t have to take time off work or schedule a time with an installer to be home.

You can also add new equipment at a later date without having to have arrange another visit if your circumstances were to change, you also own the equipment which means if you move you can take it with you with little hassle.

Although there are many benefits to DIY installation, it also has some cons. As you are not a security expert you may not install it correctly leaving you vulnerable, you also do not get the professionals recommendations such as locations of sensors or any extra security advice.

Plus, the worse bit of any DIY project is reading all the instructions and manuals and teaching yourself how to use it. If you’re ok with technology, then this probably wouldn’t worry you.

Here at GJC we provide both professionally installed systems as well as DIY home security kits, for more specific information on both DIY and professionally installed security systems, visit our webpage or give us a call for free advice or quote.

Professional or DIY? | Home | GJC Fire & Security Whether you decide to install a security system yourself or whether you decide to get a professional company in, they both need to be installed. Obviously, the ...

Government delays on fire safety result in the construction sector taking matters into their own hands

Following the horrible disaster at Grenfell, the construction industries are now implementing their own improvements due to a poor government response. The government appears to be slow at responding to this incident, despite a promise by the Housing Minister to ban combustible cladding in the future on high risk buildings.

The changes seen in the industry since the fire in 2016 are mainly for more demands in new fire testing products, insulation, fire doors and of course the use of cladding. With most respondents implemented reviews of all their designs and specifications, to have commissioned additional fire risk assessments on projects, and to have increased training on fire safety.

The preferred top 3 changes made by the industry to transform fire safety across all buildings (not just high-rise blocks) are:

1: Fire safety involvement - The first choice is a better involvement of a fire engineer, the fire and rescue service itself or other professional adviser who would do a full fire risk assessment and ensure better design and specification.

2: Materials used – A change in the choice of materials used, including many supporting the ban on combustible materials in exposed areas of a building, in particular cladding or insulation.

3: Fire detection and suppression – Lastly is the installation and regular maintenance of sprinklers and other active fire detection and suppression equipment into all buildings.

To ensure your building, leased property or commercial premises have the correct level of fire safety and security, look into getting a Fire assessment completed by a professional and ensure that your fire system is up to date, serviced and maintained. Contact us at GJC Fire and Security via messenger and we will be in touch to arrange a free review of your Fire Security needs.

Government delays on fire safety result in the construction sector taking matters into their own hands | Home | GJC Fire & Security Following the horrible disaster at Grenfell, the construction industries are now implementing their own improvements due to a poor government response. The gove...

You'll be surprised these days at what Smart home devices are being used in cyber attacks. Makers of these devices are now being asked to improve the security, to prevent such attacks, with a new voluntary code of practice which has now come into force. Two companies, HP and Hive Centrica, have already agreed to follow this code.

Devices such as home web connected doorbells, cameras, home burglar alarms and even children’s toys have been hijacked due to their poor security and the amount of reports of these attacks is on the increase.

The new code was written by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to encourage manufacturers to follow simple steps to improve the safety of these products, here is an example of some of the code’s steps:

- Regularly updating the software
- Asking users to select stronger and safer passwords
- Setting up a vulnerability disclosure policy
- Storing any customer data collected securely
- Allowing the user to delete their own data

The UK still has a long way to go to ensure that its gadgets are as safe as possible but this code is hopefully the start of things to come.

Home gadget security attacks | Home | GJC Fire & Security You'll be surprised these days at what Smart home devices are being used in cyber attacks. Makers of these devices are now being asked to improve the security, ...