If not, then you should be. In many cases fire and rescue services will not attend an unconfirmed signal from a commercial building. For example, Buckinghamshire FRS is the only shire brigade in England that attends every signal.
Some fire and rescue services (for example, the London Fire Brigade) are now starting to charge for attendance at false alarms and in these austere times the trend will surely widen.
These are changing times for all stakeholders in the fire world as funding cuts continue to change the way in which the FRS operates. It’s therefore more important than ever that those bearing responsibility for fire safety keep abreast of the regulatory situation.
By Graham Ellicott