A guide to the fire alarm brands you will meet on site in the UK — who makes what, the ranges and protocols behind each name, how they compare, and what engineers think of them in practice.
The single most useful thing to know about any manufacturer is whether their system is open protocol. It decides which devices can be fitted, who can service the system, and how easy future changes will be.
British manufacturers and UK operations of overseas groups. Between them these names account for the large majority of addressable systems installed in the UK.
One of the best known British fire detection manufacturers. Apollo has produced detectors and ancillaries in Hampshire since 1980 and its devices sit behind a very large share of UK addressable systems, alongside wireless and multi-criteria detection.
Popular ranges
Protocol: Open protocol — XP95, Discovery and Soteria
Typically found in: Addressable systems in offices, schools, retail, healthcare and industrial sites. XP95 is one of the most commonly encountered device ranges in the UK, so spares and familiarity are rarely an issue.
A British controls manufacturer best known for its Syncro and Taktis fire alarm panels. Kentec panels are open protocol, which means they can run detection from several different manufacturers, and they are a mainstay of the UK contracting market.
Popular ranges
Protocol: Open protocol — multi-manufacturer loop cards
Typically found in: Commercial premises of most sizes, from small shops to multi-panel networked sites, usually running Apollo, Hochiki or Nittan devices.
A British manufacturer of the MxPro 5 and Axis EN control panels, aimed at larger and more demanding sites. Advanced panels are known for powerful cause and effect programming, robust networking and support for several open device protocols.
Popular ranges
Protocol: Open protocol — supports Apollo, Hochiki, Nittan and other device ranges
Typically found in: Large commercial premises, complexes, high-rise and multi-panel networked buildings where detailed cause and effect is needed.
A British manufacturer offering the CFP conventional range and the CAST addressable range, plus power supplies and call systems. C-TEC is a familiar name in schools, care homes and smaller commercial premises.
Popular ranges
Protocol: Conventional zones, and the CAST addressable protocol
Typically found in: Schools, care homes, small and mid-sized commercial premises, and straightforward layouts where cost and simplicity matter.
A UK manufacturer of conventional and analogue addressable fire alarm systems, positioned at the value end of the market. Products are manufactured in the UK and aimed at straightforward, budget-conscious installations.
Popular ranges
Protocol: Conventional zones and analogue addressable
Typically found in: Small to mid-sized commercial premises, workshops and light industrial sites where a conventional or simple addressable system is specified.
The European arm of the Japanese Hochiki group. Hochiki is a detection specialist, and its ESP analogue addressable devices are frequently paired with Advanced and Kentec panels, with control panels and emergency lighting also available in the wider range.
Popular ranges
Protocol: ESP open protocol — widely supported by third-party panels
Typically found in: Commercial, education, healthcare and heritage sites, most often on Advanced or Kentec panels with ESP detection devices.
The UK and European operation of the Japanese Nittan group, supplying the Evolution analogue addressable range alongside conventional detection devices. Nittan is a well established name in commercial fire detection.
Popular ranges
Protocol: Evolution addressable, widely supported by open-protocol panels
Typically found in: Commercial and industrial fire systems, often on open-protocol panels running mixed device ranges.
Global manufacturers whose systems are widely specified in this country, particularly on larger and more complex sites.
One of the UK’s most specified premium fire alarm brands, with a long history of British manufacturing. The Vigilon and Gent 24 systems are loop-powered and known for combining detection, sounders and voice messaging on the same loop.
Popular ranges
Protocol: Manufacturer-specific loop protocol
Typically found in: Premium commercial, education, healthcare and public sector buildings, and very often in larger care groups.
Part of the Honeywell fire portfolio, Morley-IAS supplies analogue addressable control panels that are widely used in UK commercial buildings. Many of its panels are multi-protocol, accepting detection from several manufacturers.
Popular ranges
Protocol: Multi-protocol — supports several device ranges
Typically found in: Commercial buildings, retail, education and mid-sized complexes.
A global Honeywell brand used on large and complex sites, with systems covering detection, voice alarm and networked multi-panel installations. Notifier is often specified where a single system has to cover a whole campus.
Popular ranges
Protocol: Manufacturer-specific and multi-protocol options
Typically found in: Large commercial sites, campuses, industrial and infrastructure buildings.
Siemens builds the Cerberus PRO fire detection systems used in critical and high-density environments. The systems are designed for reliability in continuous operation and for integration with wider building services.
Popular ranges
Protocol: Manufacturer-specific
Typically found in: Hospitals, transport hubs, data centres and large infrastructure projects.
Fike is known for bi-wire and wireless fire detection, with the Twinflex and SmartCell ranges. Bi-wire systems run detection and sounders on the same two-core cable, which reduces cabling on retrofit and heritage projects.
Popular ranges
Protocol: Manufacturer-specific bi-wire and wireless
Typically found in: Retrofit projects, heritage and listed buildings, small to mid-sized premises where cabling is difficult.
Ziton produces addressable fire alarm control panels used widely in commercial and public buildings, with multi-protocol loop cards that accept detection from several manufacturers.
Popular ranges
Protocol: Multi-protocol — supports several device ranges
Typically found in: Commercial and public buildings, schools, leisure and mid-sized sites.
Ampac supplies addressable and networked fire alarm systems, designed around flexible cause and effect programming and multi-panel networks. Its equipment is found in commercial and industrial buildings.
Popular ranges
Protocol: Manufacturer-specific and multi-protocol options
Typically found in: Commercial and industrial sites requiring networked panels and detailed programming.
In dementia care homes and residential care settings the panels most frequently encountered are:
Gent
Vigilon systems are common in larger care groups, with voice sounders and staged alarm handling
Advanced
MxPro 5 panels appear on newer and refurbished homes, usually with Apollo or Hochiki devices
Kentec
Syncro and Taktis panels running open-protocol detection
C-TEC
CFP conventional and CAST addressable systems in smaller homes and sheltered schemes
Hochiki
ESP detection devices, most often on Advanced or Kentec panels
Morley-IAS
DXc and ZX panels on mid-sized residential and care sites
Notifier
Found on large care campuses and multi-building sites
Care settings rarely need the same system twice. Dementia homes in particular often rely on staff alarm handling, staged or delayed evacuation and voice sounders, so the panel brand matters less than whether the cause and effect matches the home's evacuation strategy and its fire risk assessment.
What each brand is capable of, and the trade-offs engineers and specifiers weigh up most often. Scroll the table sideways on smaller screens.
| Manufacturer | Systems & ranges | Protocol | Capabilities | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apollo Fire Detectors Havant, Hampshire |
| Open protocol — XP95, Discovery and Soteria |
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Kentec Electronics UK |
| Open protocol — multi-manufacturer loop cards |
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Advanced UK |
| Open protocol — supports Apollo, Hochiki, Nittan and other device ranges |
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C-TEC UK |
| Conventional zones, and the CAST addressable protocol |
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Context Plus Manufactured in the UK |
| Conventional zones and analogue addressable |
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Hochiki Europe UK operations |
| ESP open protocol — widely supported by third-party panels |
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Nittan Europe UK operations |
| Evolution addressable, widely supported by open-protocol panels |
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Gent by Honeywell International (Honeywell) |
| Manufacturer-specific loop protocol |
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Morley-IAS (Honeywell) International (Honeywell) |
| Multi-protocol — supports several device ranges |
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Notifier by Honeywell International (Honeywell) |
| Manufacturer-specific and multi-protocol options |
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Siemens International |
| Manufacturer-specific |
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Fike International |
| Manufacturer-specific bi-wire and wireless |
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Ziton International |
| Multi-protocol — supports several device ranges |
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Ampac International |
| Manufacturer-specific and multi-protocol options |
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Manufacturer summaries and comparisons are general guidance only, based on the ranges typically encountered in the UK. Product ranges, protocols, compatibility and support arrangements change over time — always confirm current details with the manufacturer, and have systems designed, installed and maintained by competent persons in accordance with BS 5839 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Reviews are submitted by site visitors and reflect their own experience, not the views of FireSafe24.