
Fire service issues false alarm warning after spate of callouts
Crews called to 16 false alarms in a day
05 October 2016
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has issued advice to residents and businesses in the local area after a spate of false alarm callouts.
Fire crews attended 16 false alarm calls between 7am on 2 October and 7am on 3 October, the majority of which were linked to system faults with alarms of accidental activation.
The fire service issued the following advice:
- Remember, fire alarm systems are there to alert occupants to the fact that there may be a fire and depending on your fire risk assessment and emergency plans, it is normally appropriate to investigate first and only to call the Fire Service if / when there are any signs to indicate that there is actually a fire.
- If you have an automatic alarm system, make sure it is installed properly, that you know how it works and it is serviced regularly by a competent person. The British Standards Institute's BS 5839 has recommendations for the planning, design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of these systems. If these are followed, a false alarm issue is unlikely to occur.
- Best practice requires that false alarms are logged and investigated so that any patterns and trends are identified and dealt with.
- Be aware that steam and dust can trigger alarms and take precautions when possible.
- Ensure staff and/or residents know what to do when the alarm goes off.
For more information about how to cut false alarms, check out the FIA’s dedicated false alarm infographic.
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