BAFE, the independent, third-party certification registration organisation for the fire protection industry, is supporting what it dubs ‘a valuable Scottish research initiative’ into the causes of false alarms from fire alarm systems which it believes should provide valuable information for the entire UK.
BAFE says unwanted false alarm signals cost UK businesses and fire and rescue services an estimated £1 bn annually.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has teamed up with the Association of British Insurers (ABI), BAFE, the BRE, the CBRE Group, CS Todd & Associates, the Fire Industry Association (FIA), and Glasgow City Council, to undertake the research. BAFE said: “Due to the universal nature of fire alarm systems, the work’s outcomes will have the potential to impact within the UK and across Europe. This includes the possibility of influencing future standards and codes of practice.”
Assistant Chief Officer (ACO) Lewis Ramsay, SFRS director of Prevention and Protection (pictured centre), said: “Unwanted false alarm signals are a significant issue for fire and rescue services. Over the past three years Scotland’s firefighters have been called to over 100,000 of these incidents – over 40% of all the incidents we attend.”
The project will also strongly promote the benefits of having automatic fire alarm systems installed.
