Fire safety
cognitive impairment, severe frailty, or complex medical needs. Some rely on electrical medical equipment, oxygen therapy, or assisted movement. In a fire situation, they depend entirely on staff, systems, and building design for survival. Staffing patterns add another layer
of complexity. During the night, when residents are asleep and staffing levels are reduced, the ability to identify, verify, and respond to a fire is at its weakest precisely when vulnerability is greatest. Even during the day, evacuations have to be controlled and prioritise safety over speed. These realities require fire safety systems
that do far more than simply sound an alarm. They must detect and verify fires early, minimise unnecessary distress, suppress fire growth, guide staff response, and provide clear, reliable, real-time information during an incident. This is where the latest integrated fire panels become critical.
Sprinklers The introduction of mandatory sprinkler systems in all newly built care homes in England from March 2025 marks a key regulatory change in the sector. The move reflects mounting evidence, including data from the Building Research Establishment (BRE), that shows automatic fire suppression systems such as sprinklers can dramatically reduce the spread and severity of fire incidents, allowing crucial time for evacuation and minimising the risk of injury or death. It recognises what fire engineers and the care sector have long understood: that in environments where evacuation is slow and complex, automatic fire suppression is vital.
Fire safety is a fundamental safeguarding responsibility
The legislation forms part of a wider
package of reforms affecting fire-safety design and installation, including the planned move from BS 476 to the EN 13501 classification system. With these changes, fire safety professionals must be equipped not only to install compliant systems, but also to manage and monitor them as part of a joined-up fire protection system.
Fire panels The latest fire panels can help care homes comply with the new sprinkler legislation. They can be easily adapted to include sprinkler indication and monitoring, whether for new developments or upgrades of existing installations. When a sprinkler activates, the fire panel receives confirmation that water is flowing through
monitored flow switches and pressure sensors. This enables staff and emergency responders to distinguish between a detector-only alarm and a confirmed suppression event. The panel identifies the affected zone, and in many cases the specific location of activation. This information is invaluable in the care environment where firefighters need to reach the source of a fire quickly without disturbing unaffected residents unnecessarily. Fire panels can also manage cause-and-
effect programming linked to sprinkler operation. For example, activation may trigger the automatic release of fire doors to reinforce compartmentation, shut down mechanical ventilation to prevent smoke spreading, or switch lifts to fire mode operation. Fire panels also provide the visual
confirmation staff need to make informed decisions. Staff can see in real time which part of the building is affected, whether a sprinkler has been operated, and whether the incident is escalating. For care homes with more specific
requirements, fully customised fire panels can be tailored to fit exact needs. From dedicated sprinkler indication panels and specialist control interfaces to bespoke enclosures, layouts and finishes; whether upgrading an existing system or working on a complex new-build project.
False alarm management While fire detection must be sensitive, care homes cannot tolerate systems that trigger frequent false alarms. Each unnecessary
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www.thecarehomeenvironment.com February 2026
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