Not every business that can test smoke alarms can sign off on the fire systems in a building. That's where a lot of Hamilton building owners go wrong. Begin with the paperwork. Ask who will carry out the testing, and whether they are an Independent Qualified Person for those systems in your building. The Building Act 2004 states that specified systems of this kind such as alarms, sprinklers, emergency lighting and fire doors need regular testing, and those results feed into your annual Building Warrant of Fitness. If a business can't quite explain how that works, move on.
Some providers just supply extinguishers. Other providers cover the full range: detection, sprinklers, evacuation plans and passive fire protection like fire stopping. One package means one lot of paperwork, one bill and one party to hold accountable if something doesn't work more help.
Alarm panels go wrong at the worst moments. What if it's a Friday afternoon, a panel throws a fault, and your tenants are back on Monday? A technician from a Hamilton-area company can usually be on site the same day or the next. Someone coming from an Auckland-based firm probably won't be able to.
Ask for an example inspection report. A proper report itemises each device tested, shows what was defective and what was done to fix it. A sheet of ticks with a signature at the foot gives you little information and will be no use should Fire and Emergency New Zealand or the council comes asking.
Pricing comes next. An unusually low quote can leave out call-outs, travel or remedial work. Make sure the scope is in writing, compare each quote line by line and confirm how additional work found by the engineer during a routine visit is charged.