More than 3,000 false fire alarms were maliciously triggered across England in 2017/18 – disrupting schools and businesses, placing unnecessary strain on our emergency services, and reducing the confidence the general public has in alarms.
The latest Home Office figures reveal that; there were a total of 3,029 false alarms caused by a ‘malicious activation of fire call point/alarm’ in England for the period July 1 2017 to June 30, 2018, an increase of 160 on the previous year, and the highest figure was seen for over 5 years.
Accidental alarm activations
Accidental activations also saw an increase during this period; 14,199 false fire alarms were recorded due to a manual call point being ‘accidentally or carelessly’ set off, a significant increase of 472 false alarms, and again the highest number since 2012.
False fire alarms accounted for 41 percent of the incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services in England
A further 782 false alarms were recorded due to damage to the apparatus for the year ending June 2018, up from 750 on the previous year. Continuing to be the largest incident type, false fire alarms accounted for 41 percent of the incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services in England – fires accounted for just 29 percent.
Costing the UK an estimated £1 billion a year, false fire alarms continue to be a major issue heading into 2019; but what can be done to prevent this number from growing further?
Call Point Stopper®
The Call Point Stopper® is a protective cover ideal for areas at risk of accidental activation. The clear UV-stabilised polycarbonate cover does not restrict the legitimate operation of vulnerable call points, with a single hinge mechanism to access the call point.
A Call Point Stopper placed over a fire alarm call point located next to a green electronic door release call point helps to distinguish between the two devices and prevent unwanted operation when the door release is needed.
Euro Stopper®
If in addition to accidental activation there is also a threat of malicious activation, whereby a call point is triggered to raise a false alarm, the Euro Stopper® provides a versatile solution. The tamper-proof Euro Stopper retrofits over call points, protecting against wayward sports equipment, stray shopping trolleys, misguided hospital beds, and other accidental activations.
The added benefit of an integral sounder also defends against malicious activation when the cover is lifted the 96 dB sounder emits a piercing alarm drawing immediate attention to the area. This acts both as a deterrent to those looking to raise a malicious alarm, as well as an additional alarm in an emergency without hindering the legitimate operation of the call point.
Universal and Enviro Stopper®
The Universal Stopper® provides IP56 protection from the elements with a tough outer dome If further protection is still required, the Universal Stopper® provides IP56 protection from the elements with a tough outer dome that can withstand the severest of knocks from any direction – a 96 dB sounder can also defend against malicious activation.
Conforming up to IP66, the Enviro Stopper® offers the same UV-stabilised polycarbonate protection with an optional localized alarm, whilst guarding against ingress such as dust, dirt, and grime in harsh environments.
Life safety apparatus
STI also stock a large and varied range of plastic-coated heavy-duty steel cages which have been specifically designed to protect vital life safety apparatus, such as smoke detectors, from harm – preventing false fire alarms and maintaining working order in case of a real emergency.
