If you are looking to partner with a fire and security company, clarity is key before a partnership. Here are 5 essential questions to ask them:
What fire and security solutions do you offer?
Although obvious, this question belongs to the most essential questions to ask from a safety solution provider. Businesses may have unique safety requirements to address, and not every fire and security company may be capable of meeting them.
Smart businesses always make sure their provider has what they actually need.
In order to ask this question, first and foremost, you need to have a proper idea about the scope of your security needs.
Expected Answer: The answer depends on the security scope of your business. Fire suppression and smoke detection are a must for facilities with high fire risks like residential homes. If you have multiple branches, vouch for cloud CCTV providers, which might be quite useful.
How fast can you get back up and running after an accident?
Most businesses ask about how often you do maintenance checks. But the more important question is, how fast can you recover and continue your operations? After a fire or breach, businesses should prioritize operational continuity.
This is because often businesses face more losses due to operational delays than the actual damages. Most small businesses never reopen due to the combined effect of damage, operational delay, and loss of customer trust.
Expected Answer:
Fire and security companies can contribute to recovery in various ways. This includes early identification and strategic protection. Look for providers with smart fire detection, which minimise the recovery time in the first place. Centralized fire and security systems are an additional advantage for fast recovery.
How Do Your Systems Integrate With My Existing Infrastructure?
Most businesses forget to consider their current infrastructure when integrating a new system. This question also reveals whether the fire and security company is future-ready or relies on outdated standalone systems.
Choosing a company that supports scalable, compatible systems prevents costly replacements later.
Expected Answer:
Modern fire and security systems today often work with building management systems. Building management systems are centralized hubs that connect all your sub-safety systems. These centralized fire and security hubs make it extra easy to integrate new parts as well as fit into existing infrastructure.
What’s Your Transparency Policy Around Monitoring and Data Ownership?
With the increased use of cloud-based systems, data ownership and privacy are often ignored topics. A smart business should always ensure its data isn’t at risk of being misused. Protecting your premises shouldn’t come at the cost of your privacy or control over your own data.
Make sure you ask questions like Who owns my footage? How is it stored? Who can access it? This question shows the company’s ethical and technical maturity.
Expected Answer:
You should expect clear explanations of what data they collect, why, and how it’s secured. Expect details on their compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Often, fire and security companies should provide documentation on their data handling.
Are your solutions about inclusive safety?
This question reveals the scope of the risk assessment of the company. A comprehensive risk assessment includes a wide range of potential occupants and their unique needs. Try questions like “How do you ensure safety for all staff, including those with disabilities?” Can your alert systems be tailored for multilingual audiences?
This also highlights a company’s dedication to universal safety.
Expected answer:
Expect emergency alerts in multiple formats (visual, audible, tactile). This ensures you don’t miss out on the safety of employees with various disabilities. Look for fire and security companies that provide disabled alarm systems.
The Right Questions Make the Best Choices
Nothing helps you to make the right fire and security company than asking good questions. It helps you understand their experience and ensure they meet your requirements. As a business, you can maintain clarity and transparency about the solution provider, which is key to a trustworthy partnership.
Controlled UK is such a trusted fire and security company in the UK, which offers the clarity you expect. Our customer support makes sure all your questions are answered and doubts are clarified before the partnership. Explore robust fire and security solutions in the UK by Controlled.
