Effective Strategies for Managing False Fire Alarms
False fire alarms can lead to substantial financial costs, operational disruptions, reputational harm, and even put lives at risk, Vladimir Zrnic, Regional Sales Manager for Europe at Advanced explains.
False alarms are a persistent issue that cost UK businesses over £1 billion annually. The implications aren’t just financial; repeated false alarms make people complacent, delay reactions in real fire emergencies, and put both lives and property at risk.
European fire services are already under increased pressure from issues such as wildfires, which have burned almost twice as much surface area in Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, and Greece compared to last year, and false alarms can divert them from these real emergencies.
False Alarm Strategies
Effective false alarm management begins with a thorough fire risk assessment and proper fire system design. Two primary approaches are detector technology, which screens false signals, and intelligent fire panels, which analyse sensor data to verify alarms. State-of-the-art systems integrate these methods to significantly reduce false alarms.
Intelligent fire panels
Combining data from detectors with an intelligent fire panel enhances false alarm management. Multi-sensor detectors can switch between heat and smoke modes, and double-knock programming ensures alarms are verified by multiple detectors. Advanced’s AlarmCalm system, featured in panels like MxPro 5, Axis EN, and Go, includes software detector technology that allows time to confirm the presence of fire before triggering a full fire alarm.
Intelligent fire panel applications
Apartments: False alarms often stem from everyday activities like cooking or shower steam. With AlarmCalm, if a verification sounder is activated by cooking smoke, a resident can press the AlarmCalm button to silence the sounder allowing residents to manage these alarms, reducing unnecessary evacuations.
Shopping Centres: In environments like supermarkets, where bakery ovens and other heat sources are common, if smoke from an oven activates a multi-sensor detector a verification countdown timer can begin. If the smoke clears and no heat is detected the system will return to normal, avoiding unnecessary shop evacuations.
Manufacturing: High temperatures, dust, and chemicals in manufacturing plants can trigger false alarms. Here, verification delays help ensure that alarms are genuine, if no further detectors are activated the system will reset, reducing disruption and maintaining productivity.
Offices: Varied occupancy offices can also benefit from flexible programming. With AlarmCalm, virtual building areas can be created independent of traditional fire zones, false alarm management can be tailored to specific needs to enhance safety and efficiency.
False alarms are more than just a nuisance—they compromise safety and incur substantial costs. Robust solutions like AlarmCalm combine advanced detection and intelligent fire panel technology to significantly reduce false alarms across diverse settings. By implementing such systems, businesses can protect their operations, reputation, and most importantly, their people.
For more information on Advanced’s AlarmCalm, visit: https://www.advancedco.com/solution/alarm-calm/
