Managing False Alarms |
When a fire alarm operates but there is not actually a fire it is a false (or unwanted) alarm, and everybody suffers. That is because:
* the fire brigade’s resources are delivered for no good reason
* disruption to normal life and business occurs in the neighbourhood of the alarm
* there can be loss of productivity or profit at the organisation mainly affected because work if interrupted
* it can lead to loss of belief in the importance of the alarm signal.
For these and many other good reasons the fire service (in the form of the Chief Fire Officer’s Association, CFOA) has produced an outline policy to help tackle the problems of false alarms, in particular those unwanted calls coming from automatic fire alarm systems in small and medium size businesses which are linked to fire brigades through an alarm receiving centre.
The number of false alarms to fire and rescue services rose to 279,000 calls in 2002 and represents a serious waste of resources and a significant loss to the business and commercial sectors. The policy is aimed principally at helping those in such businesses, the end users, who need to be sure that their fire alarm systems work exactly as and when they should.
This section is designed to help users of automatic fire detection and alarm systems understand the way in which the policy will work to help eliminate such false fire alarms, and so prevent unnecessary calls on the fire service.
To ensure that the firefighting resources of all brigades are use effectively and to bring about a more positive approach to eliminating false alarms, CFOA has introduced a policy that will, over time, result in improved performance of fire alarm systems and will also serve to identify those systems which generate unwanted alarms and require attention.
The principal objectives of the policy are:
* To prevent false alarms by improving the quality of system design, installation, commissioning, maintenance and use. (The policy will aim to improve fire safety management in premises, thereby raising the level of fire safety in the community)
* To protect the public by reducing the number of false alarms,preventing distrust of the system among the occupants of the protected buildings and saving firefighters from responding to unnecessary calls.
* To seek remedies with systems that prove troublesome and to ensure that corrective action is taken, using fire and rescue services enforcement powers where necessary, while managing the fire and rescue service response to calls from these systems.
A Remotely Monitored Fire Alarm (RMFA) system is one which automatically detects a fire and relays the resultant alarms to an alarm receiving centre, from where it is forwarded to a fire brigade for evaluation and action. Such systems make a significant contribution to the fire safety of people, buildings and the environment.
CFOA is concerned that, as such systems become more widely used, there could be a corresponding increase in numbers of false alarms originating from some of these systems if they, and the conditions under which they operate, are not managed effectively.
* undermine occupants trust in and response to alarms
* place occupants at risk because they may not respond to a real alarm for a real fire
* reduce productivity in a business by interrupting work regularly
* tie up fire brigade resources which could delay response to genuine fire or emergency calls.
The main elements of the policy are:
* a registration scheme for RMFA’s, administered by the fire and rescue services, so that each system is given a unique referance number (URN) that will be linked to …
* … mobilisation of an appropriate response given the activation of a system
* monitoring of the performance of such systems by an accumulating database of information about activations
* fault tolerance levels which enable the fire brigades to categorise the troublesome systems by the number of times they generate false alarms….
* … and take account of the burden which unnecessary false alarms place on them
* the phased introduction of a scheme that requires fire alarm equipment and its installation and maintenance to meet national quality standards.
It is expected that the effects of these measures will include:
* closer liaison between the fire brigades and the companies that run alarm receiving centres
* improved standards of alarm system equipment and monitoring of alarm systems
* and a better understanding of what might be the causes of false alarms, resulting in lower numbers of false alarms.
In 2002 the main British Standard on the subject, BS5839: Fire detection and alarm systems for buildings: Part 1: Code of Practice for system design, installation, commissioning, maintenance, was revised; Section 3 of the 2002 BS describes measures for the reduction of false alarms. It places responsibility for the effective management of alarm systems with the ‘responsible person’ for a premises or organisation. BS5839 is the standard which needs to be complied with to ensure the effectiveness of alarm systems and to minimise false alarms. BS 5839-1 proposes a bedding-in period for new or refurbished systems, so permit adjustment to the operating environment, until they are in tune with the needs of the protected premises and the system can become automatic.
It is proposed that, under the new policy, the fire and rescue services will establish the registration scheme for all new and problematic systems and that companies operating alarm receiving centres will assist in the introduction of registration. An initial registration charge is to be levied on the fire alarm system user. The charge will be agreed nationally and set at a level calculated to cover a fire brigade’s costs of administering the registration process.
The following sections give summary information on various aspects of automatic fire alarm and detection systems, to help users understand the basics of the system for which they may be responsible.
The primary purpose of a fire detection and alarm system is to provide occupants of buildings with early warnings of the presence of fire and to aid safe evacuation. It is therefore important that fire systems hardware, the components which make up a system have been tested and approved to the appropriate technical standards and approved by an independent testing organisation. European legislation requires that such life safety equipment complies with the standards.
Once a system has been installed – also to high technical standards – it is important that it is regularly inspected and serviced by a competent maintenance company.
The user of a system needs to be aware that a system will be designed to cope with a particular operational environment, the combination of a premises layout and the activities carried on within it.
If the building layout or work activities are changed, the system may not provide the protection for which it was originally designed and, indeed, one result could be a tendency to produce false alarms. This is where regular risk assessment (see below) earns it keep, helping the building occupier to monitor such changes and to keep the system up to date to cope with them.
All the same, system hardware failure is rare as long as inspection and maintenance is carried out routinely. The user should perform a risk assessment with such changes in mind.
Cooking activities – burnt toast, steam
Pollution in the workplace atmosphere – tobacco smoke, bonfires outside, candles, vehicle fumes, dust, aerosol spray.
Contractor’s activities – hot work such as grinding, welding, cutting.
Insects, flies, windborne seeds
There are too many causes to begin to list them all, but system users should be alert to the possibility that they can exist and should as far as possible seek to exclude such causes from their workplace so that they exclude related false alarms.
There are different devices available for detecting a fire and they can be split into those that react to heat or to smoke. It is not uncommon for false alarms to result simply from the use of inappropriate detectors, for example, smoke detectors being installed where heat detectors would be more appropriate. In many cases false alarms can be eliminated just by using a risk appropriate detector.
Risk management is an essential tool of the modern business, whatever its size, to help an organisation keep its premises and employees secure. Fire safety is an important element of general risk assessment and it is vital that management understands why it should take into account the effects that changes in building layout and work processes may have on the situation. Fire risk assessment is, therefore, not a once-a-year exercise but a continuous process.
The weakest link in the protection of a premises against fire is likely to be the human element. A policy of fire safety education and practical training will not just ensure that staff understand what they should do in the event that a fire alarm sounds. It will give them a better understanding of the fire protection system in the workplace and how it operates. It will also raise their awareness of the undesirability of false alarms and inform them how to prevent them, at the same time as raising their confidence in the system. The responsible employer will appreciate the value which fire safety training can have for the business.
Malicious false alarms are frequently generated in places where the public have access to fire alarm call points, such as pubs, places of entertainment, shopping malls, education premises and so on. In such locations, plagued by false alarms, the responsible person should discuss the problem with the local fire brigade and with the company that installed/maintains the alarm system. It may be possible to make changes to systems to manage out malicious false alarms.
Under no circumstances should users be discouraged from raising an alarm when they believe there is a possible fire. Any delay in activating a system in that event can add to the potential for fire damage and loss and increase the risk to occupants of a premises and firefighters who may be involved.
If CFOA’s policy is to be effective it will be important that system users keep good records of alarm operations. Efforts must be made to identify likely causes of alarm actuations and to record them in a log book. Alarms could be recorded under the following categories:
* Unwanted alarm
* Equipment false alarm
* Malicious false alarm
* False alarm with good intent
Recording each event in as much detail as possible will provide valuable information to support good systems and identify for the service company any elements of a system that need remedial work.
Education of the workforce may be all that is necessary to eliminate a cause of false alarms, for example, ensuring that staff do not smoke in a no smoking area or prohibiting hot work within the protected premises.
Under existing UK legislation most employers need to keep a record of their fire risk assessment and keeping records of false alarms will form part of such a record.
The Message
Alarm system users, their workforce and their visitors should be reassured that well maintained and managed systems, remotely monitored by reputable organisations, will alert the alarm receiving centre within seconds that a fire has been detected and so the fire brigade will be on its way within minutes. FPA members are certain to understand the importance of eliminating false alarms and this chapter should serve to reinforce the good housekeeping routines which are pursued within their premises.
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