At the beginning of October 2024, the London Fire Brigade announced that they no longer attend callouts to most non-residential premises whose automatic fire alarm systems are in alarm, during daytime hours, unless there is confirmation of an actual fire being present.
And this is not just in London, many other Brigades across the UK also have this policy in place or are planning to introduce this within the near future.
The reasoning behind this is understandable given that in just 1 year, between April 2023 – March 2024, London Fire Brigade attended calls to around 52,000 false alarms. The wasted time and expense of attending these false alarms is colossal, not to mention the very real risk posed to road users when brigades are involved in a blue light response – all very unnecessary for what is likely an avoidable false alarm.
Whilst this new policy is seemingly justifiable, from a business perspective it is now more important than ever that you have reliable and adequate fire alarm coverage in your premises, and it is kept in good working order.
The best way to ensure that your fire alarm system is disaster-ready, reliable and fault-free is through regular maintenance checks. These should include weekly visual checks to make sure that all your fire alarm devices are working, dry, correctly fitted, free from dust/debris and without any damage such as paint splashes etc. It is important to check that all devices are not covered up and do not have furniture in front of them.
It may also be useful to check the location and type of devices you have, perhaps changing a kitchen smoke detector to a heat detector would be more beneficial and reduce the chance of a false alarm. This is something that you can discuss with us here at Firelec, our experienced Engineers can suggest the best locations and device types for your premises.
Alongside these visual checks, a professional maintenance service of your fire alarm system is essential, this should be carried out at least twice a year by a competent and accredited organisation, such as Firelec Ltd.
Only a well-kept and properly maintained fire alarm system will work to its full potential – be certain you and your business can rely on yours.
