How we respond to automatic fire alarms
Fire alarms are vital tools in alerting people that smoke or fire is present within a building. Some alarms, commonly in domestic properties, sound to alert people in the vicinity, while others - more likely properties managed by businesses or occupied by people who are vulnerable - trigger a response from the Service.
In all premises, whether we automatically respond or not, it is the responsibility of the business owner or responsible person to safely investigate the cause of the activation and call 999 if it is a genuine emergency.
Automatic fire alarms should always be considered as a back-up.
We will always attend when there is a confirmed sign of fire.
What we do
- Confirmed false alarm: no fire appliance mobilised.
- Confirmed fire: fire service attendance appropriate to the occupancy risk.
Automatic fire alarm:
- Non-attendance to commercial and industrial buildings unless confirmed sign of fire.
- Non-attendance to retail and public assembly buildings unless confirmed sign of fire, unless a site-specific risk assessment (SSRI) requires a response, and schools outside of term time.
- One appliance to residential buildings except hospitals, prisons, boarding schools, hotels and guest houses. These exempt premises will not have an attendance Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm, unless confirmed sign of fire or SSRI requires a response.
- All domestic properties will still receive a one-appliance response 24 hours a day.
If you are writing or reviewing your on-site practices in relation to fire safety, you will need to refer to how we respond to automatic fire alarms.
Definitions
Commercial and industrial 
Commercial industrial premises is a category we use to identify low or medium rise buildings which are used for, for example, offices, commercial garages, police station.
Retail and public assembly
Retail and public assembly includes theatres, cinemas, shopping centres, schools (non-boarding), community centres, libraries, museums, public houses, churches and other places of worship.
Residential
Residential premises include prisons, residential care homes, hotels, boarding houses, residential schools, hospitals, portable accommodation with sleeping risk, heritage buildings, residential buildings under 18 metres tall, where under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 an employee refers to this property as their place of work e.g. warden, member of staff.
We will always attend alarms sounding at care homes and nursing homes, houses of multiple occupancy and schools outside of term time.
Domestic
The Service will always attend fire alarms at domestic properties.
Daytime and night-time hours
- When we refer to daytime hours, we consider this to be 8am to 6pm.
- When we refer to night-time hours, we consider this to be 6pm to 8am.
- Weekend is 6pm on Friday through to 8am on Monday.
Preventing false alarms
If you need help or advice about fire alarm systems call our fire safety helpdesk: 01392 872567 (office hours Monday to Friday) or email: firesafetyhelpdesk@dsfire.gov.uk.