New NIFRS policy to tackle shocking number of false fire alarms across Northern Ireland

The growing challenge of unnecessary call-outs has prompted the NIFRS to introduce a new False Alarm Policy, which came into effect on February 1.

The new policy is a response to the increase in false alarms which the NIFRS said have reached an ‘unsustainable level’.

Figures show that from 2017 to 2022, 98.7 per cent of automatic fire alarms in Northern Ireland were false alarms, with only a small proportion of the remaining 1.3 per cent being actual fires.

NIFRS responded to a record number of false alarms in 2022, deploying 10,294 fire appliances.

The new policy changes how NIFRS responds to automatic fire alarms as it sets out specific responsibilities for fire alarm monitoring organisations, installers, maintainers, and users of fire alarm systems.

The change won’t impact residential settings, such as hospitals, care homes, hotels, and dwellings. However, it will affect commercial premises, such as factories, offices, and shops, altering how automatic fire alarms are handled.

The response will depend on the type of premises and the information provided at the time of an emergency call.

Duty holders in premises that are occupied and do not contain sleeping accommodation will be required to verify there is a fire before contacting emergency services.

The NIFRS said the new policy will help ensure that firefighters are available for actual emergencies, optimise the use of public funds, and reduce costs due to disruption and loss of productivity to businesses.

NIFRS Group Commander Geoff Somerville said: “If we receive reports of a fire or signs of fire we will always mobilise immediately to the premises.

"However, we are encouraging fire alarm monitoring organisations and property managers to investigate a fire alarm prior to calling NIFRS.

"NIFRS Regional Control Centre will dispatch the nearest resource if evidence of a fire is found or reported, but it is not legally obliged to respond to fire alarm signals if there is no fire or signs of a fire.

"Advice for businesses on what to do next and how to reduce false alarms is available on our website.

"NIFRS is committed to delivering the highest level of service to the community while ensuring responsible use of public funds.”