Fire Alarm & Emergency Lighting Certificate App

Yes. iCertifi Fire Edition includes the Emergency Lighting Periodic Inspection and Testing Certificate and the Emergency Lighting Completion Certificate, both written to BS 5266-1:2025. Both are completed on site, signed on screen and emailed as a PDF.

Yes. iCertifi Fire Edition is on Google Play for Android phones and tablets running Android 10 or later, as well as on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. The Android app has the same eight BS 5839 and BS 5266 certificates, the site register, NFC tags, the fire alarm log book and the Fire Safety Tools. On Android your certificates are kept on the phone, with an optional Backup and Restore add-on, and the subscription is taken through Google Play.

Twelve. Site Manager, Fire Alarm Log Book, NFC Device Scanner, NFC Tag Guide, Document Scanner, Saved Scans, Grade and Category Wizard, Battery Standby Calculator, False Alarm Rate Analyser, Luminaire Position Checklist, Inspection Intervals and Sound Level Meter. They are all in the Tools menu and need a subscription.

Yes. The Battery Standby Calculator follows BS 5839-1:2025 Annex E. Enter the standby current, the alarm current and the battery fitted, and it works out the minimum capacity and whether the battery passes. Opened from an inspection report or a design certificate, the calculation prints on its own page of the certificate.

Yes. The Sound Level Meter measures background noise and sounder levels in dB(A) and checks each reading against 65 dB(A) for general areas, 75 dB(A) at the bedhead in sleeping areas and 5 dB(A) above background. Readings can be shared as a survey report. It is an estimate from the device microphone and should be checked against a calibrated instrument.

Yes, in most cases. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 the responsible person for a non-domestic premises must ensure the fire detection system is tested and maintained, and a written record kept. Licensed HMOs, care homes, schools and most commercial buildings have explicit certification requirements. Insurance policies typically demand current annual certification.

BS 5839 is the British Standard covering the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems. It is split into BS 5839-1 (commercial and non-domestic premises) and BS 5839-6 (domestic dwellings, including HMOs of 1–2 storeys). Compliance with BS 5839 is the benchmark required by insurers, regulators and most enforcing authorities.

BS 5839-1 covers commercial and non-domestic premises and uses Categories (M, L1–L5, P1–P2) to define system scope. BS 5839-6 covers domestic dwellings — single homes and HMOs of 1–2 storeys — and uses Grades (A, C, D1, D2, F1, F2) to define the type of detector and power source. Grade D1 interlinked mains alarms with battery backup are the most common HMO and rental dwelling specification.

Under BS 5839-1, a manual call point should be tested weekly (rotated through the building so every MCP is tested at least every 12 months), a visual check completed monthly, a service inspection every 6 months by a competent engineer, and a full system test annually with a certificate issued. iCertifi’s Inspection Interval Calculator works out every key date from the last inspection in seconds.

An emergency lighting certificate is the written record that an emergency lighting system has been designed, installed, commissioned, tested or serviced in accordance with BS 5266-1. The standard recognises four certificates: design, installation, commissioning, and periodic inspection & testing. iCertifi includes the Emergency Lighting Completion Certificate, which carries the design, construction and verification declarations, and the Periodic Inspection and Testing Certificate, both written to BS 5266-1 and ready to email as a PDF on site.

BS 5266-1 requires a brief monthly function test of every luminaire and exit sign, and an annual full-rated-duration discharge test (1 hour or 3 hours, depending on the luminaire rating), with the system fully recharging afterwards. The annual test must be certified and the result recorded in the system log book.

Licensed HMOs require current fire detection certification as a condition of licence. For single-let private rentals, English law requires a working smoke alarm on every storey and a carbon monoxide alarm in every room with a fixed combustion appliance — a written test certificate at the start of each tenancy is best practice and is requested by most letting agents and insurers. Scotland and Wales have their own equivalent and stricter rules.

Grade D under BS 5839-6 is a system of mains-powered, interlinked smoke alarms with battery backup. Grade D1 uses sealed tamper-proof batteries (10-year life), Grade D2 uses replaceable batteries. Grade D1 LD2 is the typical specification for licensed HMOs in England and Wales.

BS 5266-1:2016 was the long-running edition; an updated BS 5266-1:2025 was published bringing alignment with BS EN 1838 illuminance levels and new guidance on adaptive emergency lighting. iCertifi’s emergency lighting certificates are kept current with the latest edition.

A service certificate records the routine 6-monthly or annual maintenance visit by a competent engineer — a function and integrity check of every device. A test certificate is issued after the annual full system test, with every detector, call point, sounder and zone individually tested and the result recorded. Both are part of the BS 5839-1 maintenance regime.