A fire detection and alarm center consists of a control unit for fire control.

These centers monitor smoke, temperature, gas and other detectors. They have manual pushbuttons, which perform maneuvers with modules and activate the sirens, according to a pre-established evacuation plan.

The power supply is 220V/110V depending on the country, and they must have batteries so that the control panel continues working in the event of a main power failure.

These panels are exclusive for fires because they are designed to act in accordance with European fire regulations with EN 54 regulations and the United States NFPA regulations. They are designed to monitor all the elements of the system with maximum security, activate the sirens and maneuvers in case of fire or emergency, following the building evacuation plan.[1]​.

The most used exchanges are 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 32 zones. There are panels with up to 128 zones or even more, depending on the manufacturer. Each zone has a capacity of between 15 and 35 points between detectors and pushbuttons (depending on the manufacturer).

Usually the zones work at 24 V, but some brands can be found that work the zones at 12 V.

When a zone is activated by a detector or a push button, the entire zone is activated and goes into alarm. This information can be seen in the Fire Control Panel"), but it is not possible to know exactly which detector or button was activated.

There are conventional panels that can digitally label the zones but they remain a conventional system because the communication between the accessories (push-button detectors) is done by the change in voltage, and the panel is designed to understand these values ​​and report with a siren or "buzzer" that indicate failures in the system.

Although loops have a greater point capacity, they also have greater control over each point (detector, push button, module or siren). This is the big difference between the conventional and the addressable system. The addressable or digital system communicates with each point through a binary system. In case of activation, the control panel knows exactly which point (detector, button, module or siren) has been activated. Detectors, pushbuttons, modules and sirens have a unique programming number that differentiates them from other elements.