More than 14,000 false fire alarms were accidentally triggered across England in 2017/18 – disrupting schools and businesses, placing unnecessary strain on emergency services, and reducing the confidence the general public has in fire alarms.
The latest Home Office figures reveal that; there were a total of 14,366 false fire alarms caused by a person ‘accidentally or carelessly’ activating a manual call point in England for the period September 2017 to September 2018. This demonstrates an increase of 528 on the previous year – the highest figure for over 5 years.
False fire alarms
Malicious activations also saw an increase during this period; 3,069 false fire alarms were recorded due to ‘malicious activation of fire call point/alarm’, an increase of 169 on the previous period – the highest number since 2012.
Continuing to be the largest incident type, false fire alarms accounted for 40 percent of the incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services in England – fires accounted for just 31 percent. Costing the UK an estimated £1 billion a year, false fire alarms continue to be a major issue in 2019; but what can be done to prevent this number from growing further?
Call Point Stopper®
Call Point Stopper® is a protective cover ideal for areas at risk of accidental activation
The Call Point Stopper® is a protective cover ideal for areas at risk of accidental activation, making it appropriate for; shopping centers, hotels, schools, colleges, hospitals, nursing homes, and all public buildings vulnerable to false fire alarms.
The clear UV-stabilised polycarbonate cover retrofits securely over existing devices and does not restrict the legitimate operation of vulnerable call points. Simply lift the cover to gain access to the device, once the cover is released the spring-loaded hinge returns the cover to its original position.
New hood colors
Further options are now available for the Call Point Stopper with the introduction of three new label hood colors; blue, orange, and white. These new colors are now available alongside the current red, green, and yellow hood options. All models can accommodate flush or surface mount applications.
New color options are fitted with the “IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, LIFT COVER – OPERATE DEVICE” label as standard, a custom label is available at an additional cost.
Preventing false alarms
A red Call Point Stopper placed over a fire call point located next to a green electronic door release switch helps to distinguish between the two devices, preventing unwanted activation when the door release is required.
The Call Point Stopper can prevent false alarms caused by malicious activation; the tough cover, warning label, and hinge mechanism mean action is required to gain access to the frangible elements, acting as an additional barrier and deterrent for those wishing to raise a false alarm.