Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) has released an update on its approach to reduce the number of Unwanted Fire Signals (UwFS), also known as false alarms.
The report, presented by the Chief Fire Officer, outlines the service’s commitment to aligning its efforts with the current Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP).
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) responds to and investigates the causes of automatic fire alarm activations (AFA) in a variety of premises. Where these activations are from an automated alarm system, and have been apportioned to a cause other than fire, they are classified as Unwanted Fire Signals (UwFS).
The CRMP has set a target to reduce UwFS by 10% by 2025. This goal was established based on data from 2021/22, which recorded a total of 2,256 UwFS.
In the year 2022/23, NFRS responded to 2,450 UwFS, marking an 8% increase from the previous year. Notably, 653 of these were at non-residential premises, with 365 occurring at hospitals.
A significant proposal was made earlier this year to not attend automatic fire alarm activations (AFAs) at hospital premises between 07:00 – 19:00 hours. This decision was based on data showing that only 3.5% of AFA activations at hospitals resulted in actual fires, all of which were minor.
Consultations with NHS Trusts and private hospital providers revealed that the majority of UwFS from hospitals were primarily attributed to the Queens Medical Centre and City Hospital campus sites. The Fire Protection Team will be focusing on these healthcare providers to reduce the number of UwFS.
The Service is also exploring the possibility of introducing chargeable calls as a mechanism to reduce repeated UwFS.
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