The joint CFOA-industry false alarms policy is currently being revised to bring it in line with developments since it was first introduced. Iain Cox explains the main changes and the thinking behind them.
In 2004 the chief fire officers Association (CFOA) – with contributions from the Fire Industry Association (FIA), British Security Industry Association (BSIA) and the Telecare Services Association (TSA) – produced a model agreement on reducing unwanted fire signals from remotely monitored fire alarms. This was based on the findings of the Home Office report of March 2001 entitled Reducing False Alarms – Reduction through Partnership.
From late 2006 a Working Group from the CFOA National Fire Safety Committee, again with support from the FIA, BSIA and TSA, have been working on a revision of this document, CFOA has decided to publish a draft of this policy with certain elements still under review. These elements will be introduced independently and should not delay or prevent the existing elements being implemented.
There are two key changes to the latest policy. The first is that it is intended to apply to all fire alarm systems and not, as previously, focus solely on those received from Alarm Receiving Centres. This change seeks to avoid discriminating against alarm receiving centres when unwanted fire signals from them only partly contribute to the overall problem. Secondly, with the inception of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 it is possible, indeed desirable, to use the terminology and principles of the Fire Safety Order in managing unwanted fire signals.
Dual benefit
By approaching the issue in this way it is possible to reduce, firstly, the number of fire alarms that actuate in the absence of a fire and secondly, to reduce the number of those unwanted fire alarms that are passed through to fire and rescue services and become unwanted fire signals. The policy, therefore, aims to reduce the impact of false alarms which disrupt business and erode the user’s confidence in fire alarm systems, and also to reduce the impact of unwanted fire signals. The latter entails diverting essential emergency services when they may be needed for genuine emergencies. This in turn disrupts community safety and operational training activities and incurs real financial costs, especially if the call requires retained firefighters to be turned out.
Working closely with our partners, the issue has been considered holistically and the key processes have been examined. The flow chart details the way in which the new policy will work.
The aims of this policy are to provide a consistent process. It must be emphasised, however, that a consistent process does not always reach a uniform conclusion – differing conditions will lead to different outcomes.
In producing this document it has become apparent that there are four areas that have occasioned some debate:
– call filtering
– unique reference numbers (URNs) (and charging)
– non-attendance
– third party certification
Call filtering
The policy recognises that even the best designed and managed systems will, on occasion, produce a false alarm. So recognising this, the policy sets a limit for acceptable performance. This is based on a ratio of the number of unwanted actuations against the number of detector heads in the system.
Where a system is performing adequately – performance level 1 – then no sanction will be applied. Should level 2 be reached then a process of informing and advising the affected premise will be put in place. Should level 3 be reached, as well as continuing to work with the affected occupants, the fire and rescue service will consider the use of its enforcement powers under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, as poor performance of the fire detection and fire alarm system is indicative of a potential failure to appropriately manage fire risk within the premises.
Allied to this is the process for filtering the calls from alarm receiving centres (ARCs), telecare service providers (TSPs) and through the 999 lines. (The protocols for call filtering by ARCs and TSPs are still being developed with the appropriate bodies.) There are three levels of call filtering available to Fire and Rescue Services and these are detailed in the flow charts opposite.
It is important to note that call filtering will only be implemented through risk assessment of the premise in line with the requirements of the Fire Safety Order. This is why there are three available options for call filtering by the fire and rescue service.
The policy allows for fire and rescue services to use a registration process through which they issue a URN to a premise with an automatic fire alarm system. The policy envisages that this will normally be targeted at those systems providing an undue number of unwanted calls. To cover the administration costs of issuing a URN, fire services may charge a fee – currently GB pound 45. This is based on the charges levied by police authorities under the Association of Chief Police Officers’ scheme for security alarms.
Non-attendance
Running in parallel with the ability to choose an appropriate level of call filtering, fire and rescue services may also chose to adjust their attendance levels at properties with a high level of unwanted fire signals. Any change to the attendance levels will follow a risk assessment based on the information known regarding the premise, and will only take place after consultation with the management of the premises concerned. There are three attendance levels –
– Attendance level 1 – an immediate emergency response of the appropriate fire appliance.
– Attendance level 2 – in the absence of a confirmatory 999 call, a non-emergency attendance, often of a reduced number of appliances, will be made.
– Attendance level 3 – no emergency response unless a 999 call or other confirmation of a real fire is made.
Third party certification
As part of the registration requirements. the fire detection and alarm system should be designed, installed, commissioned and maintained by ‘a competent person’. CFOA positively promotes the use of a third party certification scheme as a means of demonstrating the required competence and therefore recommends that fire and rescue authorities require such certification to the appropriate United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS) standard, for all the relevant elements of the fire detection and alarm system.
Approximately half the calls made to fire and rescue services come through fire detection and fire alarm systems. The overwhelming majority of these are false alarms and by being passed through to the fire service become unwanted fire signals. The aim of this policy is to clarify the processes that fire and rescue services and other partners will use to effectively manage downwards these unwanted calls. Although some elements are undoubtedly controversial, CFOA believes that it is better for all concerned that we address the real and difficult issues involved, to produce a meaningful reduction in both unwanted fire alarms and unwanted fire signals.
Iain Cox is chief fire officer of Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue and chair of CFOA’s National Fire Safety Committee.
