Berkshire firefighters consult over automatic fire alarms
The service say they're attending more than 2,000 false alarms every year
Royal Berkshire Fire Authority is asking people to consider how their fire and rescue service responds to Automatic Fire Alarms in lower risk, occupied buildings as part of a public consultation.
The consultation, which will run for 10 weeks, is asking for people’s views on how their fire and rescue service responds to Automatic Fire Alarms in lower-risk, occupied buildings such as shops, office blocks and factories. This is because 99% of the Automatic Fire Alarm calls are false alarms. These calls place a significant burden on the Fire and Rescue Service, with on average, 2,200 Automatic Fire Alarm calls attended every year that are false alarms.
RBFRS say there will be no change to the way they respond to higher risk buildings such as care homes, hotels, student accommodation and high-rise buildings, where they will immediately send a response when notified of an Automatic Fire Alarm.
An Automatic Fire Alarm is an alarm that, when it sounds, will automatically alert the occupants of the building. Building occupiers should consider how to reduce the number of automatic fire alarms and have a legal responsibility in line with their fire safety measures on site to respond in a prompt manner when an automatic fire alarm goes.
The Fire Authority is encouraging as many people as possible to have their say on the two options detailed within the Automatic Fire Alarm Consultation Document.
Chairman of Royal Berkshire Fire Authority, Councillor Colin Dudley, said:
“We are asking you to consider the two options as part of this public consultation, one which reflects a change to our current policy to help reduce the burden of false alarms and one in which our current policy remains the same. Due to a high number of the automatic fire alarm calls we attend each year being false alarms, we are asking the public to consider if we should change the way we respond to these calls, as outlined in the options, so that we can free up more time for other priority work. No decisions have been made and your feedback will be vital for the decision-making process.”
To take part in the consultation:
• ·Complete the survey
• ·Email – consultations@rbfrs.co.uk.
After the consultation has closed on Monday 28 March, all feedback received will be conscientiously considered by the Fire Authority at a meeting on 28 April 2022. The chosen option will be implemented in summer 2022.