Unwanted alarms briefing paper

[wee brian]

http://www.bre.co.uk/filelibrary/Briefing%20papers/107086-Live-False-Alarms-Investigations.pdf?utm_source=Fire%20Industry%20Association&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=6584248_Scottish%20False%20Alarm%20report&utm_content=BRE%20pdf&dm_i=16BB,3X4FS,6ZYHNT,E4OSN,1

[Tom Sutton]

Try http://www.bre.co.uk/filelibrary/Briefing%20papers/107086-Live-False-Alarms-Investigations.pdf

[Mr. P]

Is Charles Gormley (named in first doc) any relation to Terry Gormley up Yorkshire way?

[Golden]

I quite like figure 11 'Weekly test of fire detection system' 

Work has been ongoing with respect to this since I was still in the fire service and my particular borough had major successes on reducing alarm calls mainly by relocating or replacing the primary offending detectors - some of which were located in or adjacent to kitchens. One of my recent clients where I regularly found detectors disabled in their science block (by cups/latex gloves etc.) tried to rectify the issues they were having by contacting the installers who apparently could do nothing to help and my recommendation was to change installers for their next project.

Since leaving I can endorse many of the findings and particularly the use of staff alarms and investigation periods although one client that operate about 40 school premises still refuse to delay evacuations and won't use the investigation periods; fortunately most of their systems are quite modern and activations are very low. Other clients use the time-related system with a ?day/night? arrangement and this has also been successful. There is no mention in the report of any issues with closed protocol systems and the effect this may have on servicing, etc.

With respect to false alarm investigators - good luck - many of them can't afford to investigate fires properly let alone false alarms.

[colin todd]

Yes, from the land that brought you:

television (but not channel 5 thankfully)
the telephone
chloroform
competent and friendly FRS inspecting officers, who are well-trained
copper wire,
deep fried Mars bars
the finest education system in the world
sportsmanship in football
free parking in hospital car parks
The Proclaimers........................................

Scotland is proud to present live investigations of false alarms.  Now showing at a fire station near you.

[kurnal]

Nah. Mr Bairds TV system was low definition mechanical 30 line system and far inferior to the EMI electronic system that was adopted following the operational trials.

Chloroform is only one sleep inducing anaesthetic, I found listening to one of Colins training courses  far more  efficacious in every way.

The deep fried mars bar was an unlucky accident due to a clumsy fried fish retailer, perhaps if Scotland were more competent at cricket this would never have occurred.

Free parking in scottish hospitals only occurs due to the disproportionate per capita grant subsidised by the English, Welsh and Northern Irish members of the UK. 

I would walk five hundred miles to get away from the sound of the pipes....

Colin does not mention the robustness of the legal system whose credibility has rightly taken a serious knock recently.......

but above all you cannot possibly know its a false alarm until AFTER the investigation has taken place. 

Merry Christmas.

[Fishy]

Nah. Mr Bairds TV system was low definition mechanical 30 line system and far inferior to the EMI electronic system that was adopted following the operational trials.

Chloroform is only one sleep inducing anaesthetic, I found listening to one of Colins training courses  far more  efficacious in every way.

The deep fried mars bar was an unlucky accident due to a clumsy fried fish retailer, perhaps if Scotland were more competent at cricket this would never have occurred.

Free parking in scottish hospitals only occurs due to the disproportionate per capita grant subsidised by the English, Welsh and Northern Irish members of the UK. 

I would walk five hundred miles to get away from the sound of the pipes....

Colin does not mention the robustness of the legal system whose credibility has rightly taken a serious knock recently.......

but above all you cannot possibly know its a false alarm until AFTER the investigation has taken place. 

Merry Christmas.

Superb!

[Golden]

https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/2015/12/18/false-fire-alarm-call-out-rate-is-highest-in-the-country/

[colin todd]

Big Al, had it not been for James Clark Maxwell, a native of my own city, who PREDICTED electromagnetic radiation merely by solving some simultaneous equations, would the world have known so early that signals could be transmitted through the ether. 

I, for my small part in predictions, predict a disaster as a result of the reckless AFA policies of English FRS

[AnthonyB]

I, for my small part in predictions, predict a disaster as a result of the reckless AFA policies of English FRS

Particularly coupled with how poorly publicised some are & how difficult others are to track down in black and white! I'm finding the majority of premises are still blissfully unaware that they don't get 24/7 full PDA on blues and twos via a signal to an ARC any more (depending on location & risk) and are shocked to be told otherwise (even more so when they hear the transcript of the Iceland fire calls from the ARC to FRS control, wish I had the mp3 files of them).

[kurnal]

http://www.churchesfire.com/news/industry-news/92-fire-industry-chief-exposes-dangers-of-non-response-to-fire-alarms/

[Messy]

and let's not forget call challenging in this 'disaster waiting to happen' list:

An example...............

A resident from a mental health residential unit which prepares clients for life in the community dials 999 to report a fire to the London Fire Brigade. He was panicking and in any case, his speech would have been 'odd' at the best of times due to nature of his condition.

The LFB ConOff saw the address he was stating was around 3 miles from the Hospital where he call was originating (the home was part of the NHS Trust who ran the hospital & used their hospital exchange for both sites)  & presumably assesed his 'drunken' sounding voice as alcohol and began challenging the call. The caller became more distressed as the fire worsened and he was not being believed - plus, he was struggling more than most to understand why he was not being believed. The ConOff still refused to send a PDA

A subsequent 999 from a member of public passing by eventually resulted in 3 pumps being despatched and 4 BA and a hosereel being used. I was asked to conduct a fire investigation, and my remit included to investigate whether the FS infrastructure and procedures worked as well as they could 

I recommended a formal complaint against the LFB and asked the question what if this had been at night, with these vulnerable residents sleeping and only a few people walking by? I also criticized the LFB's Fire Investigation for removing a cooking appliance without permission and then losing it!!!!

The NHS Trust decided not to complain as they wanted to maintain a good relationship with the LFB (and thereby let their clients down!!)

This was a few years ago and I am not sure whether Call Challenging is still taking place in LFB or elsewhere, but it is clear that this money saving mobilising procedures are very high risk indeed

[colin todd]

Davey,  Much as I am a critic of your former employer, controls do receive calls from weirdos making hoax calls and there is some need to challenge those. I have a call made to another service, in which they threatened someone who was worse for wear on alcohol and had a fire in his property, telling him he would be in big trouble if it was a hoax and most unfriendly to someone in an emergency situation.  TO be fair to your former employer, who I know you miss dreadfully, they are one of the few who attend all AFAs, though, under some circumstances, they charge for the privilege.