FIRE ALARM systems provide an early warning of fire, and are one of the most effective ways to keep people safe in the event of a fire-related emergency.
Unfortunately, most calls South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) receives from automatic alarm systems are not fires, but false alarms, which means the Service’s crews are often called out unnecessarily. False alarms can be caused by things such as cooking fumes, dust, or a lack of maintenance.
These unwanted fire signals (UwFS) have a significant impact on SWFRS’s resources. In 2023-2024, crews attended 5,982 UwFS, which accounted for 31.5% of all incidents attended. This diverts resource from other, more worthwhile activities, including the Service’s work to reduce risk, as well as their vital training.
This proposal would have reduced South Wales Fire and Rescue’s attendance at AFA incidents by almost 60% in 2023-2024 – or 19% of all incidents.
This proposed change will bring the Service closer in line with other fire and rescue services, including North Wales and Mid and West Wales, as well as saving valuable time and resources, and reducing the impact on operational readiness (not being diverted away from real emergencies0, and the unnecessary risk to crews and public whilst responding to these UwFS.
From January 2025, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service will adopt a sleeping risk, night-time only (18:00 – 07:59) AFA response model, meaning they will no longer attend AFA call outs to commercial business and workplace premises, such as factories, offices, shops, and leisure facilities, unless a fire has been confirmed.
The Service will, however, continue to respond to AFA call outs at sleeping risk premises during night-time hours only (18:00-07:59). These include:
- Blocks of flats
- Sheltered accommodation
- Houses in multiple occupation (HMOs)
- Prisons
- Hospitals
- Hotels/motels
- Other sleeping risk
There are some exemptions to the new model, which include:
- High-rise residential buildings that are not currently compliant with fire safety law, for example, those that have an enforcement notice served on them will continue to receive a full pre-determined attendance (PDA) response during the day and night
- Residential nursing/care homes will continue to receive a full PDA response at all hours
- The Service will always respond to confirmed fires with a full or enhanced emergency response, dependent upon the information received. Single private dwellings are not included in this model, and will also receive a full response.
David Lozano, Group Manager within SWFRS’s Business Fire Safety department, comments: “We would like to take this opportunity to reassure the public of the Service’s unwavering commitment to emergency response and community safety, with this new approach designed to enhance service delivery and optimise resource utilisation.
“As a Service, we value and encourage any comments or questions regarding our proposed changes from members of the public, who can contact us via [email protected]
Further information and updates in relation to these changes can be found at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s website: https://www.southwales-fire.gov.uk/your-safety-wellbeing/in-business/automatic-fire-alarms/
