Automatic Fire Alarm Activated? Why Fire Service Attendance Is Not Always Automatic
An automatic fire alarm is designed to provide early warning when there could be a fire. However, for businesses, hearing the alarm does not necessarily mean that the fire and rescue service is already on its way.
Fire and rescue services across the UK have introduced different approaches to automatic fire alarm activations, particularly in commercial and non-domestic buildings. In many circumstances, further confirmation of a fire may now be required before an emergency response is sent.
For businesses, this makes it increasingly important to understand not only how the fire alarm system works, but exactly what should happen when it activates.
Understanding the Response to Automatic Fire Alarms
Automatic fire alarms play an essential role in protecting people and property, but false alarms can place considerable demands on fire and rescue services.
As a result, several fire and rescue services now filter automatic fire alarm calls rather than automatically mobilising crews every time an alarm signal is received.
The exact arrangements vary depending on where a building is located, how it is used, the time of day and the level of risk involved. Businesses should therefore avoid assuming that an automatic alarm signal will always result in fire service attendance.
Why Have Fire and Rescue Services Changed Their Approach?
False alarms account for a significant proportion of automatic fire alarm activations.
They can be caused by anything from cooking fumes and steam to dust, aerosols, poorly positioned detectors, equipment faults or maintenance work. While an alarm activation must always be taken seriously, repeated false alarms can divert firefighters away from genuine emergencies.
Different fire and rescue services have therefore introduced policies designed to reduce unnecessary call-outs.
In London, for example, London Fire Brigade does not routinely attend automatic fire alarm activations at most commercial premises between 7am and 8.30pm unless a fire is confirmed. Policies also operate in areas including Essex, Surrey and Kent where automatic alarm calls may be filtered and evidence of a genuine fire requested before crews are sent.
There are exemptions and different arrangements for certain types of premises, so organisations should always check the current policy of their local fire and rescue service.
What Does This Mean for Your Business?
The key point is simple. Your fire alarm activating should never be treated as confirmation that somebody else has already contacted the fire and rescue service or that a crew has automatically been dispatched.
Businesses need clear procedures for dealing with every fire alarm activation.
These should establish:
- how people will be evacuated safely
• who is responsible for managing an alarm activation
• how the cause of an alarm can be investigated without placing anybody at risk
• when a 999 call should be made
• who is responsible for making that call
• how your Alarm Receiving Centre or monitoring provider is involved
• what happens when the premises are unoccupied
• what procedures apply outside normal working hours
Nobody should put themselves in danger to investigate an alarm. Procedures should be based on the building’s fire risk assessment and the specific risks present at the premises.
The Responsible Person Still Has Legal Duties
Changes to fire service attendance policies do not reduce the responsibilities placed on businesses.
Under UK fire safety legislation, the Responsible Person must ensure that appropriate fire precautions are in place. This includes maintaining suitable fire detection and warning systems, completing and reviewing the fire risk assessment, developing emergency procedures and ensuring that employees receive appropriate information and training.
Your procedures should reflect how your local fire and rescue service responds to automatic fire alarms.
If arrangements have not been reviewed recently, it is worth checking whether the assumptions made within your existing fire risk assessment and emergency plan are still accurate.
Reducing False Alarms Matters
A reliable fire alarm system should detect a genuine emergency quickly without producing an unnecessary number of false alarms.
Frequent false alarms can lead to complacency, disruption and uncertainty about how people should respond when the alarm sounds. They can also indicate that something within the fire alarm system or the way it is being managed requires attention.
Common causes of false alarms can include:
- steam, cooking fumes or aerosols reaching detectors
• dust generated during building or maintenance work
• detectors being unsuitable for their location
• incorrect detector positioning
• equipment faults
• inadequate servicing or maintenance
• changes to how an area of the building is being used
• testing taking place without the monitoring centre being informed
Every recurring false alarm should be investigated rather than simply accepted as an unavoidable inconvenience.
Is Your Fire Alarm System Properly Maintained?
Regular fire alarm servicing and maintenance helps ensure that the system remains dependable when it is needed.
Checks can identify faults, damaged equipment, detector issues and other potential problems before they compromise the performance of the system.
For businesses with older systems, changes to the layout or use of the premises can also mean that the original fire alarm design is no longer appropriate. A review can help establish whether detection remains suitable for the risks within the building.
Lee Fire & Security provides commercial fire alarm installation, servicing and maintenance, helping organisations keep their fire detection arrangements reliable and appropriate for their premises.
Do You Know What Happens After the Alarm Activates?
The alarm sounding is often only the beginning of a much wider sequence of events.
In larger or more complex buildings, the fire alarm may interact with several other systems. Depending on the premises, an activation could trigger or control:
- automatic door releases
• access control systems
• lifts
• smoke control equipment
• ventilation systems
• plant shutdowns
• fire suppression systems
• remote alarm signalling
• phased evacuation arrangements
This is sometimes referred to as the system’s cause-and-effect strategy.
These connections need to work correctly and in the intended order during an emergency. Fire alarm testing should therefore consider more than whether a detector successfully makes the alarm sound.
Where systems are integrated, their wider operation should also be understood, tested and maintained.
What About Monitored Fire Alarm Systems?
A monitored fire alarm can send signals to an Alarm Receiving Centre when an activation occurs, providing an additional layer of oversight when a building is occupied or unattended.
However, monitoring should not be confused with guaranteed fire service attendance.
The action taken following a signal will depend on the monitoring arrangements, the information available, the building and the policies operated by the relevant fire and rescue service.
Businesses should understand exactly what their monitoring service does following an activation, including how signals are verified, who is contacted and what happens outside normal working hours.
What Should Businesses Review?
If you are responsible for fire safety within a commercial building, there are several areas worth checking:
- Find out how your local fire and rescue service responds to automatic fire alarms
• Review your current fire risk assessment and emergency plan
• Make sure employees understand what to do when the fire alarm activates
• Confirm who is responsible for contacting the fire and rescue service
• Check your arrangements with any Alarm Receiving Centre or monitoring provider
• Review recurring false alarms and identify their underlying causes
• Keep fire alarm servicing and maintenance up to date
• Ensure any integrated systems respond correctly when the fire alarm operates
This is particularly important if the building, its occupancy or its use has changed since the fire alarm system and emergency procedures were originally established.
Do Not Assume Help Is Already on the Way
An automatic fire alarm remains one of the most important elements of a building’s fire safety arrangements. It can provide the early warning needed to begin evacuation and protect people from harm.
However, the alarm itself is only part of the response.
Effective fire safety also relies on a suitable fire risk assessment, clear emergency procedures, trained employees, reliable detection and properly maintained equipment.
Lee Fire & Security can support businesses with commercial fire alarm systems, servicing, maintenance and wider fire safety requirements. If you are unsure whether your current arrangements remain suitable, reviewing them now can help ensure everyone understands what needs to happen when the alarm sounds.
Contact Lee Fire & Security to discuss your commercial fire alarm requirements or arrange a review of your existing system.