Do you know how much false fire alarms cost the tax payers of Australia every year? In 2019 that figure was a staggering $100 million! There are many ways that the rate of false fire alarms, and their resulting expenditure, can be reduced. We'll explain more here.
Automatic Fire Alarms (AFA's) account for approximately 38% of the Fire and Rescue NSW callouts, and of those callouts 97% were triggered by factors such as steam from cooking or by burning toast, not emergency based situations.
The Fire Brigades Act of 1989 states that firefighting teams must legally attend every fire alarm activation that is automatic. They do however result in hefty fines for the owners of the building currently charged at $1600 per callout.
David Cox, the Service Manager for Sydney based Form1, states that these automatic fire alarms "...build great complacency towards genuine fire alarms" and "they also cause distress and disruptions ... especially when false alarms are in the middle of the night for residents and patients", referring to these automatic alarm's usage in Aged Care facilities, Schools and Hospitals.
When you take into account the Fire Brigade callout fee, the cost of evacuating people, the disruption to work (where applicable) and the additional callout fees for Service Contractors to attend, the financial implications of false alarms becomes significant.
How causes this problem?
Fire alarm complacency can be a huge problem and can put lives at risk, so too can their lack of maintenance or careful planning and consideration on how and where alarms and detectors should be placed. With lives at stake it is critical that experts are involved with AFA's, particularly when they are used in medical and hospital buildings, aged care facilities, high-rise apartment blocks and commercial buildings, and backpacker hostels.
There are several factors that can lead to false fire alarms, including:
- Lack of consideration on their placement, such as being too close to the kitchen or bathrooms where steam and smoke may become an issue
- Insects infestation in and around the smoke detectors
- Smoke detectors becoming filled with dust or dirt can lead to over sensitivity and be more likely to trigger than if they were clean and clear
- Following a bout of severe weather, where water can enter the cabling through the ceiling
Large fire safety firms such as Form1 answer more than 10 service calls each week where there has been a false alarm, and after harsh weather this can increase ten-fold.
How can we solve this problem?
Fire systems must be properly maintained in order to reduce the overall callouts for false fire alarms. Fire systems must also be carefully planned, with placement in the best possible location. Heat Alarms and Detectors are also an alternative way of ensuring fire safety, which can help to minimise the likelihood of these incorrect callouts. Pest control will also help with the faults due to insect infestation.
Every ten years a smoke detector should be replaced, as per the AS1851 requirements, and now there are smart systems available that can monitor the health of the smoke detector and flag a 'fault' condition when they are dirty. These also are less likely to be activated due to a water issue, this would also appear as a fault.
If you believe your fire systems need inspection and maintenance, contact Form1 today - in Sydney, Newcastle and Canberra.