Automatic Fire Detectors
In 2001/02 the West Midlands Fire Service responded to approximately 9,500 automatic fire alarm calls. This rate of response was already putting the Service under strain and preventing us from providing a full range of services. That figure has risen steadily until the most recent year when the Service attended approximately 14,000 such calls; of these only 644 resulted in incidents. Of the 644 incidents, 63 did not involve a fire in a building. These were typically either special service calls not involving a fire or secondary fires where an
Automatic Fire Detection System (AFD) had been activated by a fire in the open, e.g. due to rubbish burning outside a premises. Of the remaining 581 fires, 546 were recorded as causing less than one square metre of damage. Only 35 incidents, 0.25% of the total number of calls the Fire Service responded to, caused more significant damage.
Any call passed to Fire Control via the 999 system from an AFD system in commercial and public sector buildings, excluding those from premises where there are people with mobility difficulties and those with a sleeping risk, will be assessed by Fire Control staff to determine whether or not an immediate emergency response should be sent.
If the caller can not confirm whether there is an actual fire, then Fire Control will ask the caller to investigate the cause of the alarm. Following investigation they should then call Fire Control, using the 999/112 system if an attendance by the Fire Service is required. In cases where the caller is, for any reason, unable to investigate the cause then the Service will attend.
The Service will respond immediately when the information provided indicates a higher likelihood of the AFD call being caused by a fire. The Service will attend all confirmed 999/112 calls immediately.
Organisations are reminded that under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, they have responsibility to ensure that alarm systems are maintained in an efficient and effective working order and managed to current standards.
If you have any queries then please call 0121 380 6310 between the hours of 0900 and 1700.
For further information please view the Guidance For Fire Alarms (PDF 31 KB) document below.
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