Fire safety systems (SSI INCENDIE)
Fire Safety Systems are essential to protect people, property and buildings against the risk of fire. We offer a complete range of solutions to ensure optimum protection.
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Definition: What does ssi mean?
The SSI (fire safety system) is a piece of equipment that brings a building to safety as soon as a fire alarm is signalled.
It is made up of all the equipment used to collect all the information or orders relating solely to fire safety, to process them and to perform the functions required to make the building safe.
Current regulations require ERP (Établissements Recevant du Public) and under certain conditions ERT (Établissements Recevant des Travailleurs) to have a Fire Safety System (SSI).
SSIs are essential to the safety of people and property, particularly in public buildings and industrial premises, as they reduce risks and ensure rapid response in the event of an incident.
What are the 3 missions of an SSI?
The three main functions of a Fire Safety System (FSS) are as follows:

Maintenance and testing
Equipment management
Detection and Monitoring
This function involves detecting the presence of a fire as early as possible. It includes the use of various types of detectors (smoke, heat, flame) distributed throughout the building to continuously monitor a fire outbreak.
Signaling and warning
Once a fire has been detected, the SSI will control the safety equipment, immediately warning the building's occupants and alerting the emergency services. This includes audible and/or visual signals to enable rapid, safe evacuation of those present. It can also include automatic transmission of alarms to a central monitoring station.
Safety Equipment Management
This includes all the equipment used to automatically manage the building's safety system, to limit the spread of fire and facilitate the evacuation of occupants and the intervention of emergency services, such as compartmentalization (fire doors) and smoke extraction.
What makes up an SSI?
To perform these three functions, the five categories of SSI (A, B, C, D and E) are composed of different types of equipment:
- SSI A: a fire detection system (SDI) and a fire safety control system (CMSI)
- SSI B: a fire safety control system (CMSI)
- SSI C: control devices with DCS signalling (if the system includes DAS whose standby and/or safety position must be monitored: case of mechanical smoke extraction).
- SSI D: includes at least one grouped manual control device DCMR (natural smoke ventilation)
- SSI E: may include a DCM manual control device (for natural smoke ventilation)
When is an SSI mandatory?
Fire safety systems ensure the safety of occupants in public buildings, high-rise buildings, industrial buildings and workplaces. Depending on the building, the requirements for implementing an SSI differ.
- Public-access buildings (ERP) ERP: ERP such as cinemas, theaters, shopping malls, schools, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, etc., must be equipped with an SSI. Regulations vary according to the category of the facility, defined by its capacity:
- 1st category: Over 1,500 people
- 2nd category: 701 to 1,500 people
- 3rd category: 301 to 700 people
- 4th category: Up to 300 people
- 5th category: Less than 300 people, but specific requirements may apply depending on the type of activity.
Under ERP regulations, there are several I.S.S. categories, classified in order of decreasing risk severity: A, B, C, D and E (according to standard NF S61-931). Each category implies a different level of I.S.S. complexity, i.e. a specific fire detection and alarm system.
According to the NF S61-936 standard, alarm equipment is divided into 5 types: Type 1, 2a, 2b, 3 and type 4.




A building's fire safety is based on the match between these three points: an ERP is typed and then assigned a risk level (and therefore an I.S.S. category) on the basis of which appropriate alarm equipment is installed.
2. Establishments receiving workers (ERT)
In the case of an ERT, article R.4227-34 of the French Labour Code stipulates that establishments in which more than fifty people may be employed or habitually assembled, as well as those, whatever their size, where flammable substances mentioned in article R. 4227-22 are equipped with an audible alarm system.
The choice of alarm equipment is left to the operator. In most cases, it will be a
type 4 alarm system.
There is no obligation to install a fire detection system. mentions a
recommendation for installation if the operator deems it necessary. However, the insurer may require a fire detection system that complies with APSAD installation rule R7.

SSI standards and regulations
On the installation rules for Fire Detection Systems (FDS) sets out the rules for the installation of fire detection systems (FDS), including wire or radio links, and also gives technical requirements when using these systems to deliver information to auxiliary devices such as sprinkler systems and fire safety systems (FSS).
Is a French standard which sets out the operating and maintenance rules for Fire Safety Systems (SSI). It applies to fixed fire protection installations such as fire doors, smoke extraction panels, etc...
is designed to support users, specifiers and installers in the design and installation of automatic fire detection systems for all types of sites and buildings. It defines the minimum technical requirements for risk analysis, installation and maintenance. It includes fire detection using image analysis.