Fire service to cut false alarm calls
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) said that out of over 2,000 alarm actuations in commercial buildings last year, over 99% were false alarms.
It has led to a new approach to the response to AFA calls from July 1, which, the service says, will optimise resource allocation, reduce unnecessary disruptions, and enhance overall efficiency in their emergency response.
AFAs are designed to detect the presence of smoke or flames and alert individuals to potential fire hazards. But statistics show that the majority of signals from these systems are false alarms, often triggered by cooking fumes, dust, or inadequate maintenance.
From July 1, MAWWFRS will no longer respond to AFA calls, except in specific circumstances including residential premises, nursing and care homes, and premises subject to fire safety prohibition or enforcement notices.
Head of Corporate Risk and Area Manager, Peter Greenslade said: “As a Service we attend in excess of 2,000 alarm actuations in commercial buildings every year with over 99% of these calls being false alarms.
“This disrupts the community safety work that the Service can deliver, operational training for crews and introduces environmental and road risks that are unnecessary. Additionally, the businesses themselves are impacted due to the disruption caused.
“It is important that commercial premises take ownership of false fire alarms within their premises as is their legislative duty. We will, of course, always respond to 999 calls when people have identified that there is a fire.”
The Service has created a short animation video explaining why this is happening and how it will improve the service:
English Video: https://youtu.be/1CKtMMW6rtI?si=FdO_X5wKrD7MYD-d
Welsh Video: https://youtu.be/DVj_Hk040Ac?si=v-ruLgPSgdvsdxhB
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