False alarms in UK put strain on fire services, new data reveals

by Featured NewsFire DetectionResearch

Impact of false alarms on UK fire services

An investigation by Personal Injury Claims UK has revealed the extensive impact of false fire alarms on fire and rescue services across the United Kingdom.

Over the past five years, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service reported 17,348 false alarms, while Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service recorded 1,936, as reported by Personal Injury Claims UK.

These false callouts are mainly attributed to faulty equipment, user error, and insufficient maintenance, diverting resources and adding financial strain.

In Cheshire, false alarm responses have ranged from 3,000 to 4,000 incidents annually, averaging about nine per day.

Meanwhile, Leicestershire has seen between 400 and 600 false alarm responses each year, with an average of 10 to 15 daily.

In the past year alone, Cheshire attended 3,757 false alarms, and Leicestershire responded to 403.

Service response and public safety concerns

The frequent false alarms not only divert fire services from real emergencies but also interfere with essential firefighter training.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service stated: “False alarms may divert firefighters away from emergencies and other duties, including critical firefighter training.

Attending false alarms costs time and money but also places road users, pedestrians, and our firefighters at increased risk unnecessarily.”

Similarly, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service stressed the need for businesses and building managers to better manage fire alarm systems, noting: “98% of all fire alarm calls received by Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service are false alarms, not requiring any emergency response.

“A ‘responsible’ or ‘competent’ person at your premises should have a good understanding of the fire alarm system and confidence in investigating when the alarm sounds without placing themselves at risk.”

Causes and financial cost of false alarms

The primary causes of false alarms include faulty or poorly designed equipment, lack of maintenance, and other factors like cooking fumes, steam, dust, and aerosol use near sensors.

The financial implications are considerable.

For Leicestershire, false alarms lead to annual costs between £90,000 and £100,000, largely due to vehicle use and crew mobilisation.

On a national scale, BRE Group estimates that false fire alarms cost the UK around £1 billion annually.

Growing issue for emergency services and public safety

False alarms now make up the largest category of incidents attended by fire services in the UK, representing 38% of all callouts.

This trend, if continued, may have increasing effects on public safety and emergency service efficiency.

Personal Injury Claims UK provides free advice for individuals affected by fire incidents, including those related to faulty alarms or appliances, through a 24-hour helpline and online claim form.

False alarms in UK put strain on fire services, new data reveals: Summary

Data from Personal Injury Claims UK highlights the growing issue of false fire alarms across the UK.

Over the past five years, Cheshire and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Services have attended thousands of false alarms, primarily due to equipment issues, user error, and lack of maintenance.

These incidents carry high costs for emergency services, with Leicestershire’s false alarms alone costing £90,000 to £100,000 annually, while the national impact is estimated at £1 billion.

False alarms now represent 38% of all fire service callouts, raising concerns over resource allocation and public safety.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service reports over 20,000 false fire alarms since 2019

by Featured NewsFire DetectionResearch

New report highlights scale of false fire alarms in Surrey

As reported by Personal Injury Claims UK, the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service has responded to 22,732 false fire alarms since April 2019.

These incidents have placed a notable strain on financial and operational resources, with the service averaging between 4,000 and 5,000 false alarm visits per year.

The findings reveal that false alarms have required daily responses from the service, averaging around 12 incidents each day.

The data also show a peak in false alarms during 2019-2020, with 4,979 callouts, followed by a decline to 4,346 incidents in the subsequent year, largely due to restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As restrictions eased, false alarm callouts rose, reaching 4,425 in 2022-2023 before decreasing slightly to 4,259 in 2023-2024.

Causes and costs of false alarms

False alarms stem from various sources, including faulty equipment, user error, lack of maintenance, and environmental factors such as steam, dust, or cooking fumes.

As reported by Personal Injury Claims UK, the annual cost of these callouts has ranged between £700,000 and £800,000 since 2019, reflecting the financial burden on Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.

A national study by BRE Group estimates that false alarms cost the UK around £1 billion annually.

False alarms constitute the largest percentage of fire service responses nationwide, with nearly 38% of incidents attributed to alarm malfunctions or misinterpretations.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service modifies response protocols

In response to these findings, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service updated its approach to handling Automatic Fire Alarms (AFAs) in domestic and residential properties.

A statement from the service noted: “In Spring 2024, we changed the way we respond to AFAs in domestic and residential properties by only responding if we receive confirmation that there is a fire.”

The service clarified that this updated response applies to specific locations, including boarding schools, student accommodations, hospitals, hotels, and care homes.

The revised approach follows data showing that 98% of AFA responses in these types of properties between October 2022 and March 2023 were false alarms.

National perspective on the impact of false alarms

The issue of false fire alarms remains a significant factor for fire services across the UK, contributing to operational delays and additional expenses.

According to the BRE Group’s study, false alarms create a financial and logistical burden, impacting services like Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, which continually adjusts protocols to improve response efficiency.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service reports over 20,000 false fire alarms since 2019: Summary

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service responded to 22,732 false fire alarms from 2019 to 2024, as reported by Personal Injury Claims UK.

These responses, averaging 12 per day, highlight ongoing challenges, with yearly costs ranging from £700,000 to £800,000.

Despite a decrease in 2020 due to pandemic restrictions, false alarm callouts rose again in 2022.

Causes include faulty equipment and environmental factors.

In Spring 2024, Surrey Fire and Rescue updated its response policy, focusing on confirmation-based responses in residential and domestic properties to reduce unnecessary callouts.

Nationally, false fire alarms remain costly, with a UK-wide annual impact estimated at £1 billion.

False fire alarms in Northern Ireland reveal rising financial strain and resource impact

by Featured NewsFire DetectionResearch

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service sees over 47,000 false alarms in five years

As reported by Personal Injury Claims UK, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has responded to more than 47,000 false fire alarms over the past five years.

Between April 2019 and 2024, the service dealt with a total of 47,090 false alarms.

The investigation highlighted that these callouts have placed a significant strain on both the service’s finances and resources.

On average, NIFRS has responded to 8,000 to 10,000 false alarms annually, which equates to more than 20 incidents daily.

In 2019/2020, NIFRS recorded 9,172 false fire alarms, the third-highest number during the five-year period.

Although this number dropped slightly to 9,106 in 2021 due to the pandemic-related lockdowns, callouts surged again after restrictions were lifted.

In 2023/24, NIFRS experienced a new peak, responding to 10,347 false alarms.

Causes of false fire alarms identified

Common causes of false fire alarms have been identified as faulty or poorly designed equipment, inadequate user training, and lack of maintenance.

Additionally, everyday occurrences such as fumes from cooking, steam from showers, and dust from construction work can also trigger alarms.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service stated: “Most signals from automatic systems are often false alarms, frequently triggered by cooking fumes, dust, or a lack of maintenance, leading to unnecessary call-outs for our fire crews.”

This data has raised concerns over the increasing burden on emergency services and the potential risk posed by repeated false alarms.

Financial cost of false alarms to Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service

The financial impact of false alarms on the NIFRS has been significant.

According to figures obtained by Personal Injury Claims UK, the cost of responding to these callouts has fluctuated between £1.4 million and £1.8 million annually since 2019.

This financial burden has prompted a policy change by NIFRS regarding how it responds to automatic fire alarms.

The service no longer attends automatic fire alarm callouts at occupied commercial premises unless a fire is confirmed.

This policy aims to reduce unnecessary strain on fire crews and resources.

False fire alarms across the UK

False fire alarms represent the largest share of incidents attended by fire services across the UK, comprising 38% of all callouts.

The issue is not unique to Northern Ireland; according to a study by BRE Group, false fire alarms cost the UK approximately £1 billion annually.

The ongoing trend of false alarms presents risks not only to the safety of individuals but also to the efficiency of emergency services.

As such, there is growing concern about the long-term effects if the current patterns continue unchecked.

False fire alarms in Northern Ireland reveal rising financial strain and resource impact: Summary

An investigation by Personal Injury Claims UK has revealed that the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has responded to over 47,000 false fire alarms between April 2019 and 2024.

These callouts have placed a significant burden on the service, both financially and operationally, with annual costs ranging from £1.4 million to £1.8 million.

NIFRS has introduced a policy change to reduce unnecessary responses to automatic fire alarms in commercial premises.

False alarms continue to be a major issue across the UK, accounting for 38% of all incidents attended and costing an estimated £1 billion annually.

Firefighters in Scotland respond to fewer false alarms

by Featured NewsFire Detection

Reduction in false alarm callouts

Firefighters across Scotland are attending more than 50 fewer false alarm callouts each day.

As reported by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), this follows an operational change where crews no longer respond to automatic fire alarm (AFA) signals at commercial buildings such as offices, shops, and factories unless a fire or sign of fire is confirmed.

Previously, firefighters were automatically mobilised to around 28,000 false alarms annually, resulting in more than 50,000 unnecessary blue-light journeys known as Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals (UFAS).

Operational changes and new approach

The new approach involves Operations Control call handlers asking a series of questions to determine whether an emergency response is required before mobilising any fire appliances.

New figures show that this method has reduced unnecessary UFAS callouts for firefighters by an average of 52 every day.

As SFRS marks one year since the policy’s implementation, the Head of Prevention, Protection, and Preparedness states that this change has helped free up firefighters to attend genuine emergencies, undertake community safety work, and engage in training activities.

Statements from SFRS officials

Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Iain MacLeod said: “We exist to keep the people of Scotland safe and it’s imperative that we ensure our staff and resources are available when needed most.

“Be rest assured that we will always attend every emergency and strive to do so as quickly and effectively as possible.

“This change has dramatically reduced the number of unnecessary callouts over the past year, but we know there is more work we can do.

“Previously, false alarms accounted for almost one-third of our activity across Scotland, placing a drain on frontline services.

“It also increased risk to road users, had a negative environmental impact due to the volume of response, and caused sustained interruption to businesses.

“This change is undoubtedly having a positive impact on reducing unnecessary operational demand, freeing up our firefighters to attend genuine emergencies and engaging with local communities on essential fire prevention work.

“We must thank businesses and dutyholders for their support and cooperation in ensuring the safety of their premises and contributing to this positive change.”

Keep Calm and Carry On: Discussing false fire alarms

by Breaking NewsFire Detection

False fire alarms can cost companies money in both operation and reputation, as well as putting lives at risk, explains Neil Parkin, Regional Sales Manager (North & Ireland) at Advanced

False fire alarms are a global problem. In the UK, false fire alarms cost more than £1 billion annually.

But the costs aren’t simply financial, repeated false alarms make people complacent, delaying reactions in real fire emergencies, putting lives and property at risk.

They also disrupt businesses and annoy customers.

Repeated false alarms can damage a company’s reputation and may also divert fire and rescue teams away from real emergencies.

With fire services under pressure this is a real problem.  Since 1 July 2023 Scottish Fire & Rescue has adopted a new ‘Call Challenge’ policy whereby it has stopped attending automatic fire alarm (AFA) call outs to commercial premises, such as factories, offices, shops and leisure facilities, unless a fire has been confirmed by the dutyholder.

(This change does not apply to sleeping premises, such as hospitals, care homes, hotels or domestic dwellings.)

This looks like a trend that will spread elsewhere and may extend even further as pressure on fire and rescue teams increases. 

For example, the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service already challenges AFAs by a phone call if they are in lower-risk buildings – about a quarter of the automatic calls they receive are challenged in this way.

It is important to note that the service still sends a fire engine to all AFA notifications in high-risk, occupied buildings.

However, this March Berkshire is undergoing public consultation to change the way crews respond to AFAs as false alarms in the county account for 45% of all incidents, with 99.3% of AFA notifications requiring no action. 

Approach

Addressing this challenge requires a strategic approach.

Starting with a thorough fire risk assessment and precise fire system specification, false alarm management becomes a critical aspect.

Within the fire industry, two distinct strategies have emerged to tackle false alarms, both centred around signal verification.

The first approach leverages detector technology, effectively filtering out false signals at the detector level.

The second method involves analysing signals received at the fire panel, allowing for accurate determination of whether a fire event is genuine.

Forward-thinking manufacturers, such as Advanced, are now integrating these complementary approaches to effectively mitigate false alarms.

Fire Panels

The true power of a fire alarm system lies in combining detector data and an intelligent fire panel.

At its core, this integration enables individual detectors to collaborate in various modes, effectively mitigating false alarms.

For instance, multi-sensor detectors can be switched between heat and smoke modes to validate signals, and multiple detectors can be combined through double-knock or coincidence programming enhancing overall reliability.

Modern addressable panels are powerful computers dedicated to fire detection and can match detector signals with powerful cause-and-effect programming, reducing false alarms.

For example, AlarmCalm false alarm management is available as standard in the UK on Advanced’s MxPro 5 and Go fire panels, as well as it being available on both its Axis EN and Axis AX solutions internationally.

The built-in false alarm management combines versatile software detector technology and the optional AlarmCalm button to put an end to fire alarm frustration.

Using alarm verification and investigation delay technology, it allows additional time to respond, verify or investigate an alarm before the fire system goes into full alarm state.

Apartments

There are a number of causes that trigger false alarms and these differ depending on the building and its use.

For example, in apartment blocks false fire alarms can be caused by steam from showers, smoke from cooking, as well as call point misuse.

These triggers can lead to unnecessary evacuations making false alarms annoying for residents.

But if a fire panel features false alarm management, then a false alarm can be averted.

For instance, if someone creates cooking smoke in an apartment a verification sounder will activate.

If a fire alarm has a false alarm management button installed it then allows the occupant to press it to silence the sounder, extend the verification time and allow the smoke a chance to clear during verification.

If no other device activates and the smoke dissipates, the system will return to normal, avoiding unnecessary resident evacuation.

However, if the problem becomes more serious and smoke continues beyond the verification time the system will go into full alarm and evacuation procedures can begin.

Shopping Centres

Meanwhile, shopping centres and supermarkets are regularly forced to evacuate hundreds of shoppers due to false alarms.

Supermarkets are complex sites and may have offices, warehouses or storerooms, bakeries, staff rooms and toilets.

Each area presents its own unique fire risk which should be considered when designing a fire detection system.

Many areas can trigger false alarms in supermarkets, but one we come across regularly is the bakery.

When staff open an oven, heat and steam comes out. Unfortunately, if an optical or heat detector is installed, this triggers an alarm.

When the problem persists to avoid this, some supermarkets turn the fire system off or ignore LED alarms to avoid store evacuations, resulting in huge risk.

However, a fire panel that features false alarm management can solve this problem.

If smoke from an oven in a supermarket bakery activates a multi-sensor detector a verification countdown timer can be programmed to begin.

If the smoke clears and no heat is detected the system will return to normal avoiding an unnecessary shop evacuation.

Manufacturing

When it comes to manufacturing, downtime is the largest source of lost production reducing profits for companies as a result of lost business – false alarms are an unnecessary cause for production to stop.

In manufacturing plants where there are high temperatures, dust or chemicals in the air it is vital to consider where detectors are placed.

But it is also essential not to ignore detector signals.

As well as costing businesses money, repeated false alarms reduce people’s confidence in alarms making them complacent when it comes to evacuations.

Alarm fatigue can occur when a person becomes desensitised to an alarm due to repeated false alarms.

Here false alarm management can help since it is possible to set a verification time for when a device activation registers on a fire panel.

Then if no other detector is activated during the countdown, the system can automatically reset avoiding unnecessary evacuations and costly downtime.

Offices

Alternatively, in offices that are only occupied a few hours a day with multiple occupancy it is possible to opt for different false-alarm strategies.

This is easy to do since some false alarm management systems, like AlarmCalm, use their own unique ‘building areas’ for programming cause and effect, allowing the engineer to design individual false alarm management around specific risks on a site, rather than being restricted by the fire zones in place.

By dividing sites up into virtual false alarm ‘building areas’, independent of fire zones, users gain control of false alarm management and reduction strategies that exactly fit the needs of each part of a building.

Virtual building areas can cover multiple zones and points, partial zones or even single detectors.

This allows the programming of unique strategies targeting areas where there might be a risk of false alarms.

Businesses can now break free from the burden of recurrent false alarms, which not only harm their reputation but also carry financial implications.

By choosing an intelligent fire panel equipped with integrated false alarm management, such as Advanced’s AlarmCalm, we can keep calm and carry on safe in the knowledge the alarm has been verified.

For further information on Advanced’s AlarmCalm visit: https://www.advancedco.com/solution/alarm-calm/

This article was originally published in the April 2024 issue of International Fire & Safety Journal. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.

Report reveals 90% of false fire alarms are caused by faulty apparatus

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts

According to the latest Home Office report, false alarms make up 98% of automatic fire alarm confirmed incidents in 2020/21; with 90% of this figure a result of faulty apparatus.

The research from the Home Office, which was collated from Fire and Rescue services across the country from the last financial year, found that just 2% of the incidents from automatic fire alarms were a result of an actual fire.

The findings indicated that most of the false alarms could have been avoided with proper maintenance and ensuring the correct type of life safety product is installed for the environment in the first place.

Commenting on this latest report from the home office, Mr Shinsuke Kubo, Commercial Director for Hochiki Europe, Middle East, Africa and India, said: “False alarms are a major problem across multiple industries, they have a significant impact on production and ultimately the economy. Building owners who choose to work with installers and manufacturers who understand that no two environments are the same will reap the benefits because the products recommended will be both fit for purpose and properly maintained”

London Fire Brigade recommends that responsible persons must make sure the fire alarm system installed is carefully considered for the type of premises and of course the occupancy. Other key factors must be considered to increase the overall “alarm reliability” of fire detection and fire alarm systems and ensuring new systems are installed in the case of use change.

Kubo suggested that multi-sensors could be the answer: “For complex life safety installation projects which have multiple usage scenarios, or are adapted over time, using intelligent devices can really help reduce false alarms.

“Modern devices which detect heat, smoke and in some cases, CO, can learn from their environments from the moment of installation. Our ACD multi-sensor which uses the S.M.A.R.T. algorithm to continuously monitor its surroundings, is used by our customers across multiple sectors from university accommodation, housing associations, theatres, and schools – all of which have seen a reduction in false alarms”.