A fire alarm system (brandmeldinstallatie, BMI) for your business, tailored to your building and occupancy function and compliant with NEN 2535, the Dutch standard for fire alarm systems. As a recognised installer we deliver the entire process, from design and installation to certification, alarm transmission to the fire service and annual maintenance under NEN 2654-1.
A fire alarm system, known in Dutch as a brandmeldinstallatie or BMI, detects fire at an early stage and automatically sends an alarm to the fire service or the in-house emergency response team. Whether your premises are legally required to have a fire alarm system depends on the occupancy function, the Dutch Buildings Decree (Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving, "Bbl") and the requirements of your insurer. We assess this during the intake and advise you on the right solution.
At Cebec we have been installing fire-safety and security technology with craftsmanship and personal attention for more than 50 years. As a recognised installer we deliver the entire process for a business fire alarm system, from advice and design to installation, certification and maintenance. You have a single point of contact that knows your premises and your system inside out.
We install fire alarm systems in compliance with NEN 2535, the Dutch standard for fire alarm systems in buildings. This covers the division into detection zones, the choice of detector types and, where prescribed, alarm transmission to the fire service via a regional alarm centre (Regionale Alarm Centrale, RAC). On completion you receive a commissioning report demonstrating that the system meets all applicable requirements.
Strict rules apply to fire alarm systems under the Dutch Buildings Decree (Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving, "Bbl"), the successor to the 2012 Buildings Decree since 1 January 2024. Below we briefly and clearly explain the three most common questions about these obligations.
The Bbl sets out two main grounds on which a fire alarm system may be required. The first is a dead-end route in your premises that hinders escape in the event of fire. The second is the occupancy function: the Bbl prescribes, per function, floor area and building height, whether and with what extent of coverage a fire alarm system is needed. Healthcare, custodial, accommodation and certain assembly or educational functions more often carry an obligation. Your insurer or permit may also impose additional requirements.
Since the legislative reform of 1 January 2018, the obligation for alarm transmission to the fire service has been limited to buildings with a high risk and reduced self-reliance. Think of custodial functions, care institutions with bedridden patients and accommodation functions with 24-hour care. This narrower scope has been carried over into the current Bbl. For other buildings, an internal alarm with follow-up by the emergency response team is sufficient.
For fire alarm systems that are mandatory under the Bbl, an inspection certificate is often also required, particularly in the case of full coverage or alarm transmission. The certificate is issued by an independent, accredited inspection body and must be renewed periodically. Insurers may also require it in their own right.
A fire alarm system is always tailored to your building, occupancy function and risks. The main components of a fire alarm system are shown below, from detection and alarm transmission to the evacuation alarm and annual maintenance.
Detect the development of smoke at an early stage, before flames are even visible. Suitable for offices, corridors and plant rooms.
Respond to a rapid rise in temperature or to a threshold value being reached. Ideal for areas where dust or steam would cause smoke detectors to trigger falsely.
Positioned strategically at exits and escape routes, so that staff can raise the alarm manually. A mandatory part of every certified fire alarm system.
Alarm transmission to the fire service is mandatory only for specific occupancy functions, such as custodial and care institutions with bedridden patients and accommodation with 24-hour care. In those cases we provide a certified connection to the regional alarm centre (RAC).
Linked to or integrated within the fire alarm system, so that the evacuation signal sounds automatically on alarm. It can be combined with a type A evacuation (voice) alarm system (spoken messages and loudspeakers) compliant with NEN 2575, the Dutch standard for evacuation alarms.
Periodic inspection of the fire alarm system and continuity of operation under NEN 2654-1, the Dutch standard for the management and maintenance of fire alarm systems. We test every detector, check the control panel and keep your fire alarm system certification valid.
A fire alarm system (brandmeldinstallatie, BMI) and an evacuation (voice) alarm system (ontruimingsalarminstallatie, OAI) are two distinct systems, each with its own role. The fire alarm system detects fire and raises the alarm; the evacuation alarm alerts everyone in the building to evacuate. Together they form a single linked safety chain that the Bbl and the NEN standards treat as a whole.
A fire alarm system is, in almost all cases, linked to an evacuation alarm. In a type B evacuation alarm system the slow-whoop sounders are often connected directly to the fire alarm control panel, so that the fire alarm system and the evacuation alarm form one integrated system in technical terms. In a type A system, two panels work together through a certified link. In both cases we prefer to deliver the fire alarm system and the evacuation alarm together, so that you keep a single point of contact for both systems.
More on evacuation alarmsWe select the system that best suits your premises and the required level of certification. For every type of project we work with proven manufacturers.
For more compact installations in, for example, smaller commercial premises, shops or offices, we use systems from proven manufacturers. Robust, straightforward solutions with excellent value for money.
For larger projects we work with systems that are especially well suited to more complex and certified installations. High demands on integration, scalability and compliance are no problem here.
We are not tied strictly to these brands. If you have a preference for a particular system, we are glad to think along with you. For the takeover and management of existing installations we support a wide range of brands, even where these differ from our standard portfolio.
Installing a business fire alarm system begins with a thorough survey and ends with certified completion. As a recognised installer, we have our own engineers install the fire alarm system, so that we keep quality in our own hands and you have a single point of contact.
We assess the premises, the occupancy function and the requirements arising from the Bbl and your insurer. This results in a schedule of requirements.
Based on the schedule of requirements we produce a design compliant with NEN 2535: detector layout, detection zones, control panel and alarm transmission.
Our engineers install the complete system, including cabling, detectors, control panel and the connection to the regional alarm centre (RAC).
After inspection of the fire alarm system and commissioning, you receive the inspection certificate. Alarm transmission to the fire service is activated and you are given comprehensive instruction.
Every project begins with a site survey without obligation. Within a week you will know where you stand in terms of the fire-alarm obligation, the scope and the investment, including the cost of the fire alarm system tailored to your situation.
A business fire alarm system requires periodic management and annual technical maintenance to remain reliable and keep its certification valid. We arrange both.
Certified annual maintenance compliant with NEN 2654-1. A functional test of every component, an up-to-date logbook and a valid maintenance certificate for your insurer and the competent authority.
The statutory keyholder and manager role fully outsourced. Monthly checks, quarterly inspections and logbook records by certified managers.
For more on the background to the standard, see our knowledge page on NEN 2654-1.
NEN 2535 is the design and installation standard for fire alarm systems in buildings. A fire alarm system to NEN 2535 covers, among other things, the choice and placement of detectors, the division into detection zones, the cabling and the control panel. NEN 2555, by contrast, applies to smoke detectors in dwellings. For commercial premises, NEN 2535 is therefore the relevant standard.
NEN 2654-1 sets out the requirements for the management, inspection and maintenance of a fire alarm system. Where NEN 2535 concerns installation, NEN 2654-1 concerns keeping the system in good order. Together they form the basis on which your fire alarm system continues to operate in a certified and reliable manner. Read more on our knowledge page on NEN 2654-1.
The cost of a fire alarm system starts at a few thousand euros for a small system in an office building. The price depends on the size of the building, the number of detection zones and the complexity of the alarm transmission. For larger premises, a higher coverage class or alarm transmission to the fire service, the investment rises. If you wish only to buy a fire alarm control panel to extend an existing system, that too is possible with us, including commissioning and certification. We always produce a design with an accompanying quotation first, so that you know in advance exactly what the fire alarm system will cost for your specific situation.
A recognised installer works to the Dutch CCV certification scheme and delivers an inspection certificate that is accepted by insurers and the competent authority. A fire alarm system must meet strict standards and forms a crucial part of the fire safety of your premises. Recognition assures the quality of the design and installation.
In accordance with NEN 2654-1, annual maintenance of your fire alarm system is mandatory in order to keep the system in good condition. In addition, all detectors are tested periodically for correct operation and the fire alarm system is inspected annually. Without valid maintenance the inspection certificate lapses and your alarm transmission to the fire service may be terminated. Read more about this on the page fire alarm system maintenance.
We assess your situation, advise on the right fire alarm system and produce a tailored quotation. Without obligation and with no strings attached.