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    working in partnership to make Dorset safer

Driving down the number of unwanted fire signals in Dorset

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS) prides itself on its response to emergency calls and continues to strive to improve upon its successes. However, the resources currently used to attend the 3,500 false alarms generated each year in Dorset by automatic fire alarm and detection systems could be better used for real emergency situations. To assist us in using our resources effectively and as a result of a government initiative to drive down the number of false alarms, a new policy for responding to automatic fire alarm calls has taken effect within Dorset.

  •  Additional management procedures should be set in place as part of your emergency plan, to identify the cause of the alarm. 

  • Providing it is safe to do so, a check of the premises by properly trained persons should be carried out during the evacuation and before calling the fire service.

  • If the cause is a fire, call on 999 (112) as soon as possible.

  • If however a false alarm is confirmed, there is no need to call the service.

If a call is made to the Service stating alarms are operating, the responsible person is asked if there is a fire. If a check has not been carried out and the cause for the alarm is unknown, then the Fire Service operator will request a check is carried out before mobilising fire engines to the address. If the check results in a fire being confirmed, call 999 (112) as soon as possible. If however, a false alarm is confirmed, the Fire Service should be advised using the administration line that the operator will have given the relevant person. If your fire alarm system is connected to an alarm-receiving centre, the centre operator also requests a check be carried out to determine the cause.

For further advice, please do not hesitate to contact the service on 01305 252600, or refer to the policy below. Click here to download a pdf format copy of our Automatic Fire Alarm policy (98.8KB pdf).