4 Oct 2010
False fire alarms have been highlighted
by the evacuation of guests from the
venue hosting the Ryder Cup

FIA has been working with Chief Fire Officers' Association on minimising false fire alarm to avoid unwanted fire signals.

The importance of minimising false fire alarms has been highlighted by the evacuation of guests from the venue hosting the Ryder Cup in South Wales.

A full evacuation took place at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport on September 27th after the alarm went off at 00:40 BST, prompting a visit from the fire and rescue service.

Subsequent investigations revealed a faulty smoke alarm in the hotel's underground carpark was responsible for the incident, which came as the hotel prepares to welcome the world's best golfers for the tournament.

Europe Ryder Cup team golfer Ian Poulter, who described the incident as a "shocker" on his Twitter page, revealed that guests had to sit outside as fire services dealt with the issue, reports BBC News Wales.

Commercial premises are advised to minimise false fire alarms to not only reduce inconveniencing those involved, but also prevent unnecessary callouts to firefighters, who may be needed for an actual incident elsewhere.

The Fire Industry Association (FIA) has been working with the Chief Fire Officers Association on the Unwanted Fire Signal Policy, which addresses such false alarm issues in a bid to minimise them.