Throughout the world there’s a problem with false alarms from automatic fire detection systems. In the UK this problem has come further under the spotlight because of the Localism Bill which, with some caveats, gives Fire and Rescue Authorities the right to charge for attendance. Indeed, London Fire Brigade announced in January 2014 that it was to start charging businesses for call outs if they attend more than ten false alarms in a twelve month period. They issued 100+ invoices within the first 120 days of the new regime!
However, it’s not all bad news with false alarms as official UK government figures show that there has been a steady decline in false alarm numbers over the past ten years and this against the background of ever more systems being installed. Nevertheless, everybody agrees that false alarms are a total waste of the Fire and Rescue Services’ and the users’ time, let alone the money that is involved.
The false alarms problem is further compounded by the absence of a single automatic fire alarm (AFA) Fire and Rescue Service attendance policy in England. This lack of consistency makes it difficult for both end users and fire alarm maintenance companies, whereas in Scotland there is one policy and this has been further reinforced by the setting up of a single fire service. Currently in England only one Shire Fire and Rescue Service attends all AFA signals and that’s Buckinghamshire. Check your fire risk assessment and consult your local fire service if you live anywhere else in England.
Another area of concern is the Weston-Super-Mare Grand Pier fire, where the judgment is certainly of interest to the alarm receiving centre industry. In this case, the judge recommended a ‘default rule’ of calling the Fire and Rescue Service even if the automatic fire alarm signal cannot be confirmed. However, due to the Localism Act, there could be the situation where the Fire and Rescue Service is threatening to charge for a false call and, in extreme cases, take the caller to court!
In view of the continuing false alarm situation the Fire Sector Federation Technology Workstream has brought together a group of stakeholders, including the FIA, to look at the problem in general and its remit is:
- Clearly identify the problem; look at the data and accurately determine the cause of false alarms.
- Look at what technology is available to provide reliable fire detection.
- Having proved that improvements can be economically made to the fire alarm system, then set about changing the way fire detection is used in the built environment.
Once the possible causes for false alarms have been established, the next step is to find ways of using technology to help solve the problem. In order to do this it will be necessary to identify problem sites and to bring the relevant technology, such as recent systems software / hardware updates, to bear.
A major key to success will be the management of the site and the commitment of occupiers to change what happens in their building. The possibility of Fire and Rescue Services charging may help focus management’s attention here. Other techniques that can be utilised are on-site filtering; fire warden investigation; the linking of systems (fire and intruder); and multi criteria fire detectors. For example, the latter can overcome many issues including hotel shower steam, burnt toast, exhaust in a loading bay and even cigarettes in prisons. The added benefit with multi criteria fire detectors is that if something changes in the monitored area, the sensor can often be re-programmed
to suit the new scenario.
But where do we go next? Today’s fire panels can provide the address data from a detector that has triggered. This could be sent to the fire appliance while on its way to the call. There is also the possibility of linking detection points, e.g. the system may have one point in alarm and two others showing a rapid temperature increase.
All this will cost money to implement but just think how much could be saved year on year without all of the false alarm call outs.
In order to drive down the number of false alarms, all involved in our industry will need to change and come together for a common good, for example:
- Builders need to fit what is suitable for the building rather than the absolute minimum.
- Installers need to ensure that they understand the building and how it will be used.
- Manufacturers need to develop simple ways to set up and, if required, change the system’s detection parameters.
- Users need to understand what they have fitted, how to best use it and the requirement to change as their business changes.
- Legislators need to understand that calling for the absolute minimum may not be the most cost effective in the long term.
And last but not least Fire and Rescue Services need to understand where they fit into the sector.
Further information concerning driving down false alarms from automatic fire detection systems can be found on the FIA’s website (www.fia.uk.com) in the ‘Cut False Alarm Costs’ section. This has been developed for the end user and it contains a lot of information plus ‘signposts’ to further advice.
For more information, go to www.fia.uk.com
About the Author
Graham Simons is FIA Technical Manager.
