Safety starts with CAST: C-TEC’s vision for connected safety
Iain Hoey
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Andy Green, Marketing Director at C-TEC, explores the CAST protocol, its system benefits, product innovation, UK manufacturing values, training initiatives and future safety priorities
Tell us about C-TEC’s CAST protocol?
CAST stands for C-TEC Addressable System Technology.
It’s our own proprietary life-safety system communication protocol that helps facilitate fast installation, servicing, maintenance and operation.
We use it to power and control some of our flagship systems, not only our XFP and ZFP CAST addressable fire detection and alarm systems but also our EVAC-ALERT evacuation alert system and HUSH-PRO residential fire alarm system, all of which can work as stand-alone or combined systems.
What are the key benefits for fire specialists and specifiers?
Fire specialists can be confident they are installing quality standards-compliant systems that offer unprecedented fire protection and the potential to significantly reduce operational and lifetime ownership costs.
Specifiers can be secure in the knowledge they are recommending solutions that meet and, in many cases, exceed the requirements of current British and European legislation.
Aside from this, our CAST systems open up opportunities for additional revenue streams.
For example, EVAC-ALERT, our evacuation alert system was specifically designed in response to the launch of the BS 8629 product standard in 2019, and, as a result, many fire specialists diversified to meet the rising demand for these systems in new buildings over 18m.
HUSH-PRO, our BS 5839-6 Grade C residential fire solution is another system that’s been widely adopted by progressive companies keen to expand into new markets.
As a monitored Grade C system, it’s been hailed as a breakthrough as it not only provides high levels of fire protection but also minimises the costly and massively disruptive false alarms commonplace in student accommodation and other residential dwellings.
It can even be interfaced to a landlord monitoring system and some of our new Cloud-based products to make strategies such as ‘stay put’ or ‘defend in place’ safer.
It’s our latest innovation though, CAST-PRO, that’s going to have the biggest benefits for the industry, including end-users.
So what’s so special about CAST-PRO?
CAST-PRO is a combined heat, smoke and CO fire detector with a tone or voice sounder and a VAD – all in one device, the kind of product that to date has mostly been associated with closed protocol systems and larger projects.
It includes some very clever algorithms that are extremely good at ignoring false alarms caused by phenomena such as vaping vapour, steam and incense but at the same time it can pinpoint real fires quickly.
Originally CAST-PRO was only compatible with our ZFP 1-8 loop addressable fire system but we took the decision to also make it available on our XFP 1-2 loop system to effectively bring this technology into the mainstream.
This means every site can now benefit from the powerful fire protection this device offers and its other features such as one wiring point instead of two, auto-addressing and a great deal more.
It is a formidable combination we believe will make a real impact on the fire industry and we’ve had some amazing feedback so far.
Why is being a UK manufacturer so important to you?
We’re very proud that every single C-TEC system is designed and manufactured in the UK and equally proud that we export to over 80 countries.
The fact that we don’t just manufacture our life safety systems here, we design them too is very important as it gives us complete control over the process and our customers can be confident that our systems will work as expected in any situation.
The certification of many of our systems to EN54-13 underlines this.
I should add here that we design things twice at C-TEC, once so it works, and again so it can be manufactured in a way that makes our systems affordable for all.
What do you think makes C-TEC so successful?
We’re one of the few truly independent engineering-led UK fire manufacturers left so we have the drive and freedom to be exceptionally innovative which explains why we’re always ahead of the curve.
We were one of the first to embrace EN 54 certification, it wasn’t compulsory in the UK back in the day, but we got our products certified anyway which meant that, when the EU directive became a regulation, we were already there.
We’re also very good at adapting to new trends so, when the market started to move towards complete systems, we created our own protocol and began to design some really revolutionary products, not only fire systems but also nursecall, disabled refuge and assistive listening systems.
Last but not least our people are absolutely central to the success of the business.
We invest heavily in training, new technology and creating incredible environments for our people to thrive in.
For example, our manufacturing facility and dedicated R&D facility are state-of-the-art centres of excellence designed to attract and retain talent.
We believe that having a happy and motivated workforce allows us to embrace new technologies quickly, be creative and ultimately reap rewards for our customers.
Our motto is ‘You’re Safe with C-TEC’ and I think that sums up perfectly what C-TEC and its people are all about in terms of world-class products, service and quality.
What inspired you to start running your regulated BS 5839-1 courses?
We’ve always provided free educational CPD-certified courses on new legislation and free product training to promote best practice and raise awareness but the launch of our BS 5839-1 courses signalled our intention take this even further.
As a forward-thinking manufacturer, we are keen to lift standards in our industry and the quality of fire installations across the UK.
As our courses are low-cost and centrally located, they’ve been very successful in encouraging more engineers to work towards gaining a nationally recognised Ofqual-recognised qualification in the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire systems and that’s something we are genuinely thrilled about.
What do you think will become the key focus areas in fire safety?
Complete EN54-13 compliant systems and the golden thread of information to ensure accurate, up-to-date building records.
Internet connectivity is becoming increasingly important due to the focus on compliance and this is why we created ENVISION, our Cloud-based Fire IoT remote access, service and site management software package.
It’s available on all of our CAST-powered systems and allows all kinds of reports on system activity to be generated and to be flagged on smart phones or desktops on or off site.
It can also assist with system testing and commissioning too.
With its interactive site plans and user-friendly App, it not only makes things easier for installers, end users, duty holders and site managers, it provides evidence that work has been actioned diligently via a verifiable audit trail.
Anything else you’d like the industry to know about?
Yes, I’m delighted to announce that, as of 1 May 2025, all of our CAST-powered systems will have a five-year warranty, which is an increase of over three years on some items in the range.
We are doing this because we are confident in the quality of our products and manufacturing which, as all these years of being a leader in life-safety innovation proves, we’re pretty good at.
Also, just like our products, which are available to anyone who is serious about fire safety and protecting people and property properly, we also have an open door policy at our factory.
If anyone wants to visit us to see our facilities, enjoy a factory tour and witness our CAST systems in action, all they have to do is contact their account manager or send an email to [email protected] and we’ll do the rest.