False Fire Alarm Reduction

[Paul]

Has anybody else been involved in any projects in reducing false fire alarms?

I would be interested to learn what systems other organisations / individuals are using, to good effect, or for that matter with bad effect.

This is something I have been heavily involved with over the last two years so would be intereted Guys.

P

[Graeme]

Not  been involved in any projects but individual sites that may have had the odd unwanted alarm

e.g Hotels by steam,buildings with Corn flies,incorrect detector type installed originally,people using toasters and kettles in offices,building and decorating works etc.

all have been rectified by one way or another.

[Paul]

Thanks Graeme,

I guess I am interested in organisations that have had considerable business interuption etc, and how, if at all, this has been addressed??

Paul

[Allen Higginson]

We have one site that is super-safety concious and in the design for the new site fire alarm duct smoke detection was specified (by others). However,it was over egged and they installed them on the intake ducts as well as the outlets (which we pointed out!).This caused numerous false alarms and,as the system was tied into the main H & V,led to downtime because the enviroment was all off (the material made is sensitive to humidy or temperature changes). Two hours down is a lot of money lost so the intake detectors were removed.
In another part of the site the extinguishing system shuts down the computers ,originally via a standard key switch.During one maintenance someone decided to remove the key which coincided with me testing the manual releases,with the result that two computers burnt out and thet had four hours downtime (estimated production loss of £100000). After the stewards enquiry (which we got the all clear as it was their keyswitch) the switch was changed to removable key with visual indication,along with a review and modification to their lockout procedures.
Mostly,false alarms can be stopped before they occur with full consultation at the design stage to establish locations and nature of likely instances of false alarms. Getting a reputable fire company to design,install and commission a system should also help.
Our systems are installed to guarantee no false alarms (system uses algorythmns) but we have to be involved from consultation through to maintenance so we have no one to blame!

[Graeme]

.
Our systems are installed to guarantee no false alarms (system uses algorythmns) !

not sure if i could make that one.Even in the day of multi senosrs,drift compensation etc.

.

[Shropsmike]

I have been closely involved in reducing false alarms (from AFD) or about four years now. Very happy to debate the highs and lows or the initiatives we have tried.
If you want to discuss, drop me an email.

[dave bev]

why not discuss them on here - i thought thats what these boards were for - open debate?


dave bev

[val]

I think that many of the initiatives tried over the years do have an initial impact but require constant resources, (both fire service and commercial) to maintain. Greater Manchester tried using three or four dedicated fire safety bods and reduced the number by a few percent annually. When these dedicated staff were redeployed the number of false alarms climbed again. Hence, the CFOA policy of not attending (I paraphrase). Doesn't reduce false alarms but reduces the number of callouts.
Problem, for fire services, solved.

[colin todd]

Thats no good to Davey, Valery, as it creates no jobs for the bruvvers. Davey, Put this lady on the ''list'' as well.

[dave bev]

val - a bit like reducing the number of fires (or suggesting you have by altering the way they are recorded) then removing resources - i know where my money is going in terms of 'what happened next'

ps , i wasnt referring to you personally in my comment!!

mr todd, the 'bruvvers AND sisters' would rather not spend their time responding to non emergencies!

dave bev

[val]

Dave,

Irony is lost on the Scottish.

All that presbyterian self-flagellation disguided as self-confidence.

[Chris Houston]

Dave,

Irony is lost on the Scottish.

All that presbyterian self-flagellation disguided as self-confidence.

Val,

For the purposes of site moderation, can you confirm if you post contained any irony? :lol:

[dave bev]

val, im not so sure i understand the term 'scottish irony' - has it something to do with an orange fizzy liquid, or is that something else?

could you also please confirm what it is meant by 'presbytarian' - do they eat meat or not and would they be welcomed into the arms of the comrade revolutionaries?

i once heard of a group of 'presleytarians' but they were too busy with the unconfirmed sightings of kid creole to consider taking part in the overthrow of the capitalist music industry.

dave bev

[colin todd]

Davey and Valery, Scotland used to use a lot of iron in its steel industry, but the capitalist right wingers closed it all down, leaving little use for iron in Scotland, other than to make bars with which to enforce drug barons' territory in Greenock. Come the revolution, however, Davey and The Rack will nationalize (note the -ize ending) the drug trade, and the barons will become civil servants like your goodself, Val.