Guardtec 800 - Test Functions

[Marcus]

I have been asked to look after an security/fire alarm system, which I believe is a GuardTec 800 series, as the keypad is labelled G-Tag, and keypad, alarm box & keypad text all match the diagrams in the GuardTec user manual downloaded off the internet.

Unfortunately the installer has left no manuals at all neither the installation, or the user manual. Now I do have the passcode (Main User?), so I can set/unset/remove zones & test system.

My question is that I need to test the system alarm bell/siren, without the system phoning out for the police/fire brigade, so that we can do regular fire evacutation drills, as well as test sensors, again without phoning out a false alarm.

Can I do this with the Test System options?, and what exactly do these options do?

Can anyone help, as the installer is not readily available, and I need answer a.s.a.p.?

Marcus

[Guest anguscanplay]

I have been asked to look after an security/fire alarm system, which I believe is a GuardTec 800 series, as the keypad is labelled G-Tag, and keypad, alarm box & keypad text all match the diagrams in the GuardTec user manual downloaded off the internet.

Unfortunately the installer has left no manuals at all neither the installation, or the user manual. Now I do have the passcode (Main User?), so I can set/unset/remove zones & test system.

My question is that I need to test the system alarm bell/siren, without the system phoning out for the police/fire brigade, are you using the alarm panel as na evacuation system so that we can do regular fire evacutation drills, as well as test sensors, or are these smoke detector sensors ? again without phoning out a false alarm.

Can I do this with the Test System options?, nope and what exactly do these options do?

Can anyone help, as the installer is not readily available, and I need answer a.s.a.p.?

Marcus

Either way you cant do fire tests without contacting the remote monitoring centre first and for that you need the support of the alarm company - why are they " not readily available " ?

[alterEGO]

I have been asked to look after an security/fire alarm system, which I believe is a GuardTec 800 series, as the keypad is labelled G-Tag, and keypad, alarm box & keypad text all match the diagrams in the GuardTec user manual downloaded off the internet.

Unfortunately the installer has left no manuals at all neither the installation, or the user manual. Now I do have the passcode (Main User?), so I can set/unset/remove zones & test system.

My question is that I need to test the system alarm bell/siren, without the system phoning out for the police/fire brigade, so that we can do regular fire evacutation drills, as well as test sensors, again without phoning out a false alarm.

Can I do this with the Test System options?, and what exactly do these options do?

Can anyone help, as the installer is not readily available, and I need answer a.s.a.p.?

Marcus

if the system is monitored you need to crash the system codes to give you access to everything. just hope the code isn't locked in, or you will need an engineer authorised by gardtec to unlock the PCB or send it to tech themselves.

if it was bells only you would get away with using master codes to test, but in any case tbh you should always crash the codes so you can check its all programmed as it sould be.

[Marcus]

Either way you cant do fire tests without contacting the remote monitoring centre first and for that you need the support of the alarm company - why are they " not readily available " ?

Primarily what I am after is to be able to sound the alarm for fire evacuation practice, as the alarm system is fitted in a meeting hall, and we want to do an as realistic fire evacuation (w/out flames & smoke of course).

The guy who installed the alarm system would probably be available for the normal annual maintenance, however contacting him is complicated, and the intention is that the fire practice to take place tonight, after a brief talk concerning the planned evacuation procedure.

I was only asked to do this last night, ahich is part of the problem (i.e. less than 24hrs to get the information).

[morph]

You imply that the system is no longer under maintenance with your installer, why do you still think it is being monitored ?

[amateurandy]

As an "impartial" observer I find this question odd and rather worrying.

The wording makes this sound like a business or public building, maybe even a school?

In that case the fire alarm system must surely be maintained, not to do so would be gross negligence and probably a breach of some law or other....

[Marcus]

You imply that the system is no longer under maintenance with your installer, why do you still think it is being monitored ?

I think you may have misunderstood.

The system was only installed last October, so it is fairly new. However the installer didn't leave any manuals (user or install), also I would have to track down the installer, which would take a number of phone calls, before I can get his contact details, and as already

The system however does have a telephone connection, and when it has tripped (when some-one miss set it security-wise), it rings a selection of preset numbers. Presumably this will also include police & fire brigades.

And for this evacuation practice, we don't want it to call them out.

Would pulling out the phone socket be O.K.?, or would that trigger somekind of anti-tamper alarm?

[morph]

The guy who installed the alarm system would probably be available for the normal annual maintenance, however contacting him is complicated, and the intention is that the fire practice to take place tonight, after a brief talk concerning the planned evacuation procedure.

No misunderstanding on my part.

Sorry but the only action you should be taking is calling the installer, if the system is less than a year old then it will be covered by some form of warranty. If as you say the system is monitored and depending on the type of activation the alarm recieving centre calls either the Fire brigade or the Police, then you will have an agreement with the installer.

Your questions now do seem very odd, even more so given your reluctance to call the installer.

As I have said the only course of action is to speak to your installer.

[Marcus]

No misunderstanding on my part.

Sorry but the only action you should be taking is calling the installer, if the system is less than a year old then it will be covered by some form of warranty. If as you say the system is monitored and depending on the type of activation the alarm recieving centre calls either the Fire brigade or the Police, then you will have an agreement with the installer.

Your questions now do seem very odd, even more so given your reluctance to call the installer.

As I have said the only course of action is to speak to your installer.

My understanding is that alarm system rings those responsible for the care of the hall directly, and I presume police/fire, not the installer's call centre. I know this, as I was briefly present when the installer was setting it up, and he was asking round to find out what phone numbers needed to be entered.

My reluctance to call the installer, is that I was asked to try and do this at 9pm last night, by the man who is going to give the fire evacuation talk, which will take place at 8:30pm tonight. To contact the installer, I will have to call the chap in charge of the hall, to get the name & number of the guy who was in charge of the contruction of the hall, to hopefully get the name & number of the man who installed the alarm. And as least the first two people I need to contact, will at their respective places of work at the moment, and I only have the home number for the person at 1st stage. Timewise, things are a bit tight.

If you are unable to help, then we will just have the fire evacuation, without the bell, and I will have to track down the installer at the weekend, when things will be less time constrained.

I was just hoping that some-one could answer the simple question, concerning the "Test System" function of this alarm system. O'Well

[Alarm Protection]

Marcus,

The test function will not overide the panel dialling out. You need the engineering code and if connected to a monitoring centre another 2 codes if you are connected but it seems you do not even know who the panel calls at all.

Imo you should have a user guide, all records of fitting e.g handover checklist etc and most importantly an alarm company that will maintain the unit.

I do not understand that you do not have a list of whome the alarm contacts directly!!