Automatic Fire Alarm March 2024 Consultation |
False alarms account for 45% of all the incidents we attend. The majority of these are the result of automatic fire alarms.
99% of these automatic fire alarm incidents require no action by the Service. These alarms are not being caused by fires.
Changing the way the Service responds to these types of incidents could provide significant benefits to communities and firefighters. Attending false alarm calls creates significant disruption to other more risk critical activities.
Our proposed changes do not offer monetary savings. The focus is solely on reducing risk by minimising disruption to key activities. We want to spend more time on activities such as fire safety visits to our most vulnerable residents, training and exercises, and visiting high risk buildings.
We will continue to send fire engines to alarms at higher risk buildings, where anyone sleeps, such as hotels, hospitals, care homes, houses, and flats, at any time.
We will always send a fire engine to 999 calls, confirmed fires and to automatic fire alarm notifications from residential homes.
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service has no legal duty to respond to automatic fire alarms for the purpose of establishing whether there is a fire.
Therefore, we are asking you to consider three options. Please ensure you are familiar with the options before you complete our survey. We strongly recommend that you read the full Automatic Fire Alarm Consultation Document before responding to this consultation. This is available on the RBFRS website.
You can find further information about how we will use any personal information you provide to us in our Privacy Notice
99% of these automatic fire alarm incidents require no action by the Service. These alarms are not being caused by fires.
Changing the way the Service responds to these types of incidents could provide significant benefits to communities and firefighters. Attending false alarm calls creates significant disruption to other more risk critical activities.
Our proposed changes do not offer monetary savings. The focus is solely on reducing risk by minimising disruption to key activities. We want to spend more time on activities such as fire safety visits to our most vulnerable residents, training and exercises, and visiting high risk buildings.
We will continue to send fire engines to alarms at higher risk buildings, where anyone sleeps, such as hotels, hospitals, care homes, houses, and flats, at any time.
We will always send a fire engine to 999 calls, confirmed fires and to automatic fire alarm notifications from residential homes.
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service has no legal duty to respond to automatic fire alarms for the purpose of establishing whether there is a fire.
Therefore, we are asking you to consider three options. Please ensure you are familiar with the options before you complete our survey. We strongly recommend that you read the full Automatic Fire Alarm Consultation Document before responding to this consultation. This is available on the RBFRS website.
You can find further information about how we will use any personal information you provide to us in our Privacy Notice