Options for Consultation
We have three proposed options to consult on. These options explain how we plan to reduce our response to automatic fire alarms in the buildings categorised below, addressing the risks identified in this document. The proposed changes do not offer monetary savings. The focus is solely on reducing risk by minimising disruption to key activities.
We will continue to send fire engines to automatic fire alarm notifications at higher risk buildings, where anyone sleeps, such as hotels, hospitals, care homes, houses, and flats.
Most importantly, we will continue to maintain our emergency response to manual 999 calls and confirmed fires.
For all the options we are consulting you on, we are proposing the same change to how we respond to category A buildings. For buildings in category B, we propose different options for your consideration. This is to enable us to reduce the number of unnecessary false alarms attended and disruption caused by these, further improving the service we provide to our residents.
The number of automatic fire alarm notifications in the options below are taken from 2022-2023 data for Berkshire. The hours saved are indicative, but do demonstrate the significant disruption caused by false alarms to the delivery of our essential services and training. The estimated number of productive hours gained are a conservative estimate and do not account for the disruption to our service caused by AFAs. We expect a higher return of productive working hours.
We recognise that the adoption of any of the changes proposed in this consultation poses a low risk to the identified buildings, for example where buildings are unoccupied and a fire occurs, there could be a potential delay in alerting the Fire Service if we do not respond to the initial automatic fire alarm notification. However, we know the data tells us that on 99% of occasions, these calls were false alarms and no action was required by firefighters that attended. This causes significant disruption to the delivery of essential services and training, therefore on balance, and in line with national changes to how all fire and rescue services respond to automatic fire alarms, we recognise that that we need to change the way we respond to automatic fire alarm notifications to ensure our communities and our firefighters are kept safe.
No decisions have been made yet. We want to hear what you think of our proposals.
Option 1
We will stop automatically sending a fire engine to an automatic fire alarm notification at buildings in Category A when there is no confirmed fire, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
If a fire is confirmed or we receive a 999 call, we will immediately send a fire engine. We will continue to send fire engines to automatic fire alarm notifications from residential homes.
| Estimated number of automatic fire alarm notifications affected by Option 1 | ESTIMATED Productive hours gained for critical activities |
|---|---|
| 725 | 986 hours |
Option 2
We will stop automatically sending a fire engine to an automatic fire alarm notification at buildings in Category A when there is no confirmed fire, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
We will stop automatically sending a fire engine to an automatic fire alarm notification at buildings in Category B between 9am and 6pm, 365 days of the year, when the buildings are likely to be occupied and therefore the Responsible Person can confirm if there is an emergency response needed.
If a fire is confirmed or we receive a 999 call, we will immediately send a fire engine. We will continue to send fire engines to automatic fire alarm notifications from residential homes.
| Estimated number of automatic fire alarm notifications affected by Option 2 | ESTIMATED Productive hours gained for critical activities |
|---|---|
| 810 | 1,074 hours |
Option 3
We will stop automatically sending a fire engine to an automatic fire alarm notification at buildings in Category A when there is no confirmed fire, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
We will stop automatically sending a fire engine to an automatic fire alarm notification at buildings in Category B when there is no confirmed fire, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
If a fire is confirmed or we receive a 999 call, we will immediately send a fire engine. We will continue to send fire engines to automatic fire alarm notifications from residential homes.
| Estimated number of automatic fire alarm notifications affected by Option 3 | ESTIMATED Productive hours gained for critical activities |
|---|---|
| 894 | 1,228 hours |
*The number of incidents in options above are taken from 2022-2023 data for Berkshire