False alarms are a common problem that many facility managers have to resolve. Not only are they a nuisance for facility managers, but they also pose a threat to the building’s occupants, businesses, and fire departments. Luckily, many causes of these alarms are easy to diagnose. By making a few simple changes your facility can eliminate the issue.
Results
Unfortunately, frequent false fire alarms cause the building’s occupants to become complacent towards the fire alarm signal and stop evacuating the building. This is a serious liability issue for the facility and furthermore can be life-threatening in the event of a real emergency. Also, fire departments must report to the scene and clear the facility before people may reenter the building. This wastes the fire department’s time and resources. This can even cause the firefighters to be complacent when investigating an alarm at a facility that frequently has nuisance alarms.
How to Prevent False Alarms
These are some of the most common reasons for false alarms and how to prevent them in your facility.
- Temporarily cover smoke detectors during any major building repairs
- Schedule regular inspection, testing, and maintenance of the fire alarm system and its devices
- Use pull station stoppers to deter pranksters
- Replace fire alarm system’s between 10-15 years old that produce alarms
- Hire certified technicians to ensure:
- proper installation, inspection, testing, and maintenance
- correct placement of devices
- the right detector is used based on the area’s environment
False alarms can be a serious life-threatening problem. Once a fire alarm starts producing nuisance alarms it destroys the credibility of the system. Some problems are easy to identify on your own such as nuisance alarms associated with construction, pranksters, and irregular maintenance but you will need to contact a professional to uncover and fix any technical issues. Lastly, always make sure that the technician has the proper certifications and training to work on your facility’s fire alarm system.
Categorized in: Education, Fire Alarms, General