We fully support the installation of automatic fire alarm systems, but these systems must be properly managed and maintained to reduce false alarms and ensure that they activate at the right time and achieve the correct response.
You must work with your fire risk assessor and update your fire risk assessment with any changes.
Other key steps include:
- Reviewing your fire safety risk assessment and keeping a log of all false alarms to identify any spikes and/or trends which should be raised with your alarm engineers
- Creating an action plan to reduce the chance of any false alarm occurring
- Checking detector types and their locations – would moving detectors or changing the type used reduce activations? Seek advice from your alarm engineer
- Upgrading automatic fire detection (AFD) systems that are obsolete with more modern technology, e.g. ‘multi-sensing’ detectors
- Keeping AFD systems appropriately maintained
- Fitting manual call points with protective plastic covers in problem, vulnerable, or high traffic areas
- Ascertaining whether any false alarms are a result of activating the wrong call points, such as green emergency door release points
- Considering whether a link to an alarm receiving centre is necessary, or if it is appropriate to suspend the automatic dialling function whilst buildings are occupied, or at certain times of the day
- Seeking further guidance and advice from your alarm system provider or servicing agent as well as our service’s Business fire safety officer.
