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Training for: VESDA, Wagner TITANUS & Stratos-Micra

Aspirating Smoke Detection Training

A focused 6-hour online course covering the three most widely deployed aspirating smoke detection (ASD) systems in the UK — VESDA, Wagner TITANUS, and Kidde Stratos-Micra. Designed for fire alarm technicians, electricians, apprentices and facility engineers who need a practical working understanding of air sampling smoke detection systems, how they're configured, and how to interpret faults on site.

Please note: this training is delivered independently by BHCourses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Honeywell, Xtralis, Wagner, Kidde, or any other manufacturer. 

What is aspirating smoke detection?

An aspirating smoke detector (ASD) — also called an air sampling smoke detector — is an active fire detection system. Instead of waiting for smoke to drift into a passive ceiling-mounted point detector, an ASD actively draws air from the protected area through a network of sampling pipes and analyses it inside a central detection unit. That unit uses laser-based light-scattering technology (essentially a high-precision nephelometer) to identify the presence of smoke particles long before the human eye, or a conventional optical detector, would register anything.

This is what the industry calls Very Early Warning Smoke Detection (VEWFD) or High-Sensitivity Smoke Detection (HSSD). A well-designed ASD system can detect a fire at its incipient (overheating component) stage — sometimes minutes or hours before visible smoke appears — which is the entire reason these systems are specified in environments where a fire is either catastrophic, very expensive, or simply unacceptable.

In Europe, aspirating smoke detection systems must comply with EN 54-20, which classifies detectors into Class A (very high sensitivity), Class B (enhanced sensitivity), and Class C (normal sensitivity). The class chosen for a project drives pipework design, sample hole layout, transport time, and detector sensitivity settings.

Where aspirating smoke detection is used

ASD systems are specified in environments where any of the following apply:

  • Mission-critical IT and telecoms — data centres, server rooms, telecom switch rooms, cleanrooms.
  • High-value or irreplaceable assets — museums, archives, listed historic buildings, art galleries, cathedrals.
  • Challenging environments for conventional detectors — cold storage and freezer facilities, high ceilings, atriums, large warehouses, theatre voids.
  • Dirty or dusty environments where point detectors false-alarm — recycling plants, sawmills, cement works, food processing (with appropriate filtering).
  • Discreet installations — retail, hotels and listed buildings where visible detectors are aesthetically unacceptable.
  • Industrial and process safety — hazardous areas (with intrinsically safe variants), tunnel ventilation systems, power generation.

If you work in fire alarm installation or maintenance in the UK, you will encounter aspirating systems regularly — and knowing how to read them, fault-find them, and explain them to clients is a meaningful career skill.

The three aspirating smoke detection brands covered

VESDA Fire System Training

VESDA — Very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus — is the original and most widely deployed aspirating smoke detection brand globally. Developed in Australia in 1979 and now owned by Honeywell (through its 2016 acquisition of Xtralis), VESDA is the default specification on a large proportion of UK data centre, heritage, and high-value commercial projects.

The current product family is VESDA-E, which includes the VEU (premium high-sensitivity), VEP (single-zone), VES (sector-addressable, four-zone), VLI (industrial), VLF (small protected areas), and VLP detectors. Legacy VESDA detectors (VLP, VLS, VLC, VLF) remain widespread on site. 

Wagner TITANUS Pro-Sense Training

Wagner is a German fire safety manufacturer (independent of Honeywell) whose aspirating product range is branded TITANUS. Variants include TITANUS PRO-SENS, TITANUS MICRO-SENS, TITANUS RACK-SENS (for IT rack-level protection), and TITANUS SUPER-SENS. Wagner systems are particularly common in European logistics, cold storage and automotive manufacturing applications, and they integrate naturally with Wagner's OxyReduct oxygen-reduction fire prevention systems where deployed.

Stratos-Micra 25 & 100 Training

Kidde Airsense's Stratos family of aspirating detectors is widely installed across UK commercial and industrial sites. The current production range includes Stratos-Nano (entry-level for small areas), Stratos-Micra 10, Stratos-Micra 25 and Stratos-Micra 100 (compact single- and two-pipe detectors), Stratos-HSSD 2 (high-capacity four-pipe), and Stratos-Ex (ATEX-rated for hazardous areas). Stratos detectors use the ClassiFire perceptive artificial-intelligence sensitivity algorithm — which adapts automatically to the protected environment — together with Laser Dust Discrimination (LDD) for nuisance-alarm rejection. Multiple detectors connect via the SenseNET network protocol to a Stratos Command Module or PC-based graphical front-end. Legacy products including Stratos-Quadra and the original Stratos-HSSD (MK1) are obsolete but remain on many UK sites; engineers servicing them should plan for replacement.

What you will learn on this course

This course is a familiarisation and working-knowledge programme. By the end of the 6 hours of structured video content, you will understand:

  • How aspirating smoke detection works — the physics of light-scatter smoke sensing, why air sampling outperforms passive detection in certain environments, and where ASD does and doesn't make sense.
  • Brand-specific configuration and indication — how VESDA-E, TITANUS Pro-Sense and Stratos-Micra 25 & 100 detectors are set up, what their displays and LEDs are telling you, and how they communicate with the main fire alarm panel via relay outputs or addressable interfaces.
  • Maintenance and fault-finding — interpreting flow faults, dust accumulation, filter changes, sensitivity drift, and other common ASD issues.
  • Connecting an ASD to a fire alarm system — interface options, monitored relay wiring, and how aspirating detectors integrate with addressable panels.

The course does not cover pipework installation or design.

Who this course is for

  • Fire alarm technicians and engineers who maintain sites containing aspirating detection and want to read these systems with more confidence.
  • Electricians and electrical contractors who occasionally encounter ASD on commercial projects and need to understand what they're looking at.
  • Apprentices and beginners in the fire industry building a foundation in high-sensitivity smoke detection.
  • Facility managers and building duty-holders responsible for sites where VESDA, TITANUS or Stratos detectors are installed.
  • Designers and consultants who want a working understanding of the technology before specifying it.

Course details

  • Duration: 4 hours VESDA + 2 hours Wagner TITANUS and Stratos-Micra = 6 hours total.
  • Format: Online, on-demand video lessons, self-paced.
  • Access: 7 days of unlimited access from purchase.
  • Price: £79.
  • Instructor: Experienced UK fire alarm engineer.
  • Scope exclusions: Pipework design and installation are not covered, nor is licensed commissioning software.

Start Learning Now — £79

Why train with us?

  • Concentrated content — traditional manufacturer courses run 1–2 days per brand. We've distilled the practical, on-site essentials into 6 hours covering all three.
  • Flexible online access — study at your own pace with 7 days of unlimited video-on-demand access.
  • Real-world insight — taught by a working fire alarm engineer, not a sales trainer.
  • Multi-enrolment discounts — contact us for team pricing.
  • Bundle savings — included in our Fire Alarm Installation Course bundle covering 2 to 9 panels, from £149 to £499. If you work across multiple panel types, the bundle is usually better value.

This course is also included in our comprehensive Fire Alarm Installation Course covering from 2 to 9 fire panels, from only £149 (up to £499). If you plan to work on multiple panel types, the bundle may offer better value.

Other specialist fire alarm courses

If you work across multiple platforms, our other UK-focused training programmes may be of interest:

You may be also interested in courses in other areas:

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between aspirating and conventional smoke detection?

A conventional point smoke detector waits passively for smoke to reach it. An aspirating smoke detector actively pulls air from the protected space through sampling pipes into a central laser detection chamber. ASD is significantly more sensitive and can detect smoke long before it would be visible to a person — useful in environments where early warning is critical or where conventional detectors struggle (high ceilings, very clean air, very dirty air, cold storage).

What is EN 54-20?

EN 54-20 is the European standard governing aspirating smoke detectors. It defines three sensitivity classes — Class A (very high sensitivity), Class B (enhanced), and Class C (normal) — and sets out test and performance requirements. The class chosen for a project determines pipework layout, number of sampling holes, transport time and detector configuration.

Do I need to know anything before starting this course?

A basic familiarity with fire alarm systems and BS 5839-1 helps but is not essential. The course is designed to be accessible to apprentices and electricians as well as experienced fire alarm engineers looking for a refresher across multiple ASD brands.

Where are aspirating smoke detectors most commonly installed in the UK?

Data centres, telecom rooms, listed buildings, museums and archives, cold storage warehouses, atriums, theatres, prisons, hospitals, and any environment where conventional point detection would either be too slow, too unreliable, or aesthetically unacceptable.

VESDA, VESDA-E, ASPIRE, VSC and VSM4 are trademarks of Honeywell International Inc. and/or its affiliates. TITANUS is a trademark of WAGNER Group GmbH. Stratos, Stratos-Micra, Stratos-HSSD, ClassiFire and SenseNET are trademarks of Kidde Products Ltd. and/or its affiliates. BHCourses is independently operated and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Honeywell, Xtralis, Wagner, Kidde or any other manufacturer. This course does not lead to a manufacturer certification.