New £62.7m Interim Measures Alarm Fund —
Just Announced.
The original Waking Watch Replacement Fund closed 31st March 2026. The Government has immediately replaced it with a new £62.7 million Interim Measures Alarm Fund — running until 2035 under the Remediation Acceleration Plan. Sysco Fire & Security provide the BAFE-certificated technical specifications and compliant survey documentation required for your grant application. Book a free survey today to start your funding bid.
BAFE Certificated · Survey and compliant quote within 48 hours · Four London developments completed in the last 3 months
Waking Watch Is Still Costing You.
The New £62.7m Government Fund to Replace It Has Just Been Announced.
The Waking Watch Replacement Fund closed 31st March 2026. The Government immediately replaced it with the new £62.7m Interim Measures Alarm Fund (IMAF). Sysco Fire & Security can survey your building and provide the Competent Person documentation required for your application — within 48 hours.
New Government Funding — Just Announced
New Government Funding — Just Announced
The Waking Watch Replacement Fund closed 31st March 2026. The Government replaced it with the new £62.7 million Interim Measures Alarm Fund (IMAF), managed by Homes England, running until 2035. Applications are made online via Microsoft Forms — approximately 30 minutes. Must be submitted by the Responsible Person or Responsible Entity.
Supporting evidence must be emailed to IMAF@homesengland.gov.uk and must include a fire safety assessment or letter from a Competent Person. Systems must meet BS 5839-1 Category L5.
Official Government Links — Interim Measures Alarm Fund
All links open on GOV.UK — official UK Government website
The Cost Case
The Numbers Make
the Decision for You
Waking watch is an interim fire safety measure — not a long-term solution. Every week it continues is money that could have funded a permanent compliant system.
A new £62.7m Interim Measures Alarm Fund has been announced to replace the closed Waking Watch Replacement Fund. Find out more about the new government funding →
Waking Watch Cost
Over Two Years
Across Four London Developments
The Safety Case
A Fire Alarm Doesn't Sleep
Waking Watch Does
Waking watch relies entirely on human vigilance — a patrolling guard detecting signs of fire and raising the alarm manually.
An automated wireless fire alarm system detects fire at source, triggers immediate evacuation alerts across the entire building and notifies your monitoring station simultaneously. There is no margin for human error.
The government itself states that interim alarm systems are preferable to waking watch on both safety and cost grounds. A new £62.7m Interim Measures Alarm Fund is now available to support your application.
Waking Watch — where the clue is in the name.
A human guard can sleep, get distracted or miss a fire in seconds. A wireless fire alarm system never does.
Our Process
How Waking Watch Replacement Works
Free Site Survey
Our BAFE certificated engineers assess your building and conduct a full wireless site survey to assess signal strength and identify potential weak spots. Survey, Competent Person documentation and proposal within 48 hours.
System Design & Fixed Quote
A fully compliant wireless system designed to BS 5839-1. Clear, fixed-price proposal with funding documentation support included as standard.
Installation & Certification
BAFE Certificated engineers install with minimal disruption to residents. Full compliance documentation provided on handover. Waking watch stood down on day of commissioning.
Why Sysco
London's Most Experienced Waking Watch Replacement Specialist
When the deadline is days away and your building needs certainty, you need a BAFE Certificated, SSAIB Standards contractor who has done this before — at scale, on time, certified.
Cygnus Certified Partner
Sysco are a certified Cygnus installer — the UK's most specified wireless fire alarm system for waking watch replacement in occupied residential buildings. Every system installed by our BAFE Certificated engineers.
Four Landmark London Deployments
Cannon Wharf (335 apartments), Canada Water (143 apartments), Tideslea Path Greenwich (76 apartments) and Madison Canary Wharf (90 apartments) — all delivered on time, all certified on completion.
48-Hour Survey & IMAF Documentation
We understand the urgency. Our BAFE certificated engineers can assess your building, conduct a full wireless site survey to assess signal strength and identify potential weak spots — and provide Competent Person documentation for your IMAF application within 48 hours.
Survey to Certification — One Contractor
From survey and design through to installation, commissioning, certification and ongoing maintenance — one BAFE Certificated contractor, full accountability, zero handoffs.
Case Studies
Four of London's Landmark
Waking Watch Replacements
One trusted BAFE Certificated wireless fire alarm contractor
Cannon Wharf
Full waking watch replacement across nine occupied residential buildings. Cygnus wireless system installed, commissioned and certified with zero disruption to residents.
Canada Water
Waking watch replacement across three buildings in one of London's most significant regeneration developments. Full system certified on handover.
Tideslea Path
Wireless fire alarm system replacing waking watch across two residential buildings in Greenwich. Installed and certified to BS 5839-1.
Madison, Canary Wharf
Wireless fire alarm system replacing waking watch across a curved eight-storey residential development at Canary Wharf — installed and certified in two weeks.
Equipment & Scale
Supplied, Delivered
and Installed at Scale
Every wireless fire alarm device is sourced through our Cygnus Certified Partner supply chain. Across four London developments we have deployed over 4,670 wireless devices — each installed, commissioned and certified by our BAFE Certificated engineers with Point-to-Point Reliability testing on every device.
All waking watch replacement systems are designed and installed to BS 5839-1 Category L5 — the standard required by government guidance and the National Fire Chiefs Council for interim alarm systems replacing waking watch.
GOV.UK press release, 2nd April 2026 — opens in new tab
IMAF Documentation
Need a Competent Person Letter
for Your IMAF Application?
The IMAF application requires supporting evidence from a Competent Person — a qualified fire safety professional who can confirm the need for an interim alarm system. This evidence must be emailed to IMAF@homesengland.gov.uk. Without it your application cannot proceed.
Sysco Fire & Security are BAFE-certificated specialists. We can survey your building and provide the full Competent Person documentation within 48 hours.
All waking watch replacement systems are designed to BS 5839-1 Category L5 — the standard required by government guidance, the NFCC and the IMAF application process.
Finance & Leasing
Spread the Cost
Get the Right System
Through our preferred finance partner, Security & Fire Leasing, you can spread the cost over 1 to 5 years — significantly more affordable than the ongoing weekly cost of waking watch.
100% Tax Allowable
Finance Lease payments are fully allowable against tax
Fixed Monthly Payments
Spread the cost over 1 to 5 years with fixed payments
No Deposit Required
Any deposit built directly into the finance agreement
Option to Own
Own, upgrade or return at the end of your term
Subject to status and terms and conditions. We recommend speaking with your accountant to confirm the specific tax benefits applicable to your business.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions —
Waking Watch Replacement Funding
Yes. It closed 31st March 2026. Immediately replaced by the new £62.7m Interim Measures Alarm Fund (IMAF) announced 2nd April 2026, running until 2035.
The new government funding scheme replacing the Waking Watch Replacement Fund. Managed by Homes England. Runs until 2035. Applications via Microsoft Forms, approximately 30 minutes.
The Responsible Person or Responsible Entity — not individual leaseholders.
Fire safety assessment or Competent Person letter emailed to IMAF@homesengland.gov.uk. Sysco can provide this within 48 hours.
A qualified fire safety professional who confirms the need for an interim alarm. Sysco are BAFE-certificated and can provide all required documentation.
Call 020 7183 7847 immediately. We survey, provide IMAF documentation and submit a BS 5839-1 Category L5 proposal within 48 hours. Waking watch stood down day of commissioning.
BS 5839-1 Category L5. Every Sysco installation meets this standard.
Closed 31st March 2026. Directly replaced by IMAF. Apply now via GOV.UK.
Book a Free
Site Survey
A new £62.7m government fund is now available. If your building is still running waking watch, Sysco can survey your building, assess eligibility and provide a fixed-price compliant proposal within 48 hours.
Call us today. Replace waking watch for good.
BAFE Certificated · SSAIB Standards · Cygnus Certified Partner
Waking Watch Replacement Across London
Waking watch replacement London. Cygnus SmartNet-Pro wireless fire alarm systems. BAFE certificated installation for residential developments. Covering EC1, EC2, WC1, E1, E14, SE1, SW1, N1, NW1. Serving City of London, Canary Wharf, Westminster, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Battersea, Lambeth.
Sysco Fire & Security provides waking watch replacement and IMAF-compliant wireless fire alarm systems across all London boroughs: City of London EC1 EC2 EC3 EC4, Westminster SW1 WC1 WC2, Canary Wharf E14, Southwark SE1, Tower Hamlets E1, Islington N1, Hackney E8, Shoreditch E1, Clerkenwell EC1, Battersea SW8, Vauxhall SW8, Brixton SW2, Clapham SW4, Hammersmith W6, Notting Hill W11, Paddington W2, Marylebone W1, Mayfair W1, Greenwich SE10, Lewisham SE13, Deptford SE8, Stratford E15, Walthamstow E17, Leytonstone E11, Ilford IG1, Wembley HA9, Harrow HA1, Edgware HA8, Barnet EN5, Enfield EN1, Tottenham N17, Wood Green N22, Finsbury Park N4, Holloway N7. Beyond London: Hertfordshire (St Albans, Watford, Hemel Hempstead), Essex (Chelmsford, Brentwood, Harlow), Surrey (Guildford, Woking, Croydon, Sutton) and Kent (Dartford, Gravesend, Bromley).
Related Services
Wireless Fire Alarm Systems
Full wireless fire alarm design, installation and certification to BS 5839-1. BAFE Certificated. Cygnus Certified Partner.
Fire Risk Assessment
Legally compliant fire risk assessments under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Finance & Leasing
Spread the cost of your system over 1 to 5 years through our preferred finance partner.