Author Topic: Fire alarms (Read 10694 times)

PF_ · « **on:** June 02, 2006, 10:57:29 AM »

If a crew are responding to a fire alarm and a call comes through that is okay are the still required by law to attend and see it for themselves it is safe?

Am asking this cause was thinking what if an arsonist rang said all is fine.

Toast · « **Reply #1 on:** June 02, 2006, 01:20:59 PM »

If the security company rings back and says its all fine, we still respond to investigate. Maybe not P1 though. Its all about covering your backside.

fire03rescue · « **Reply #2 on:** June 02, 2006, 04:11:18 PM »

PF you answered your own question
With the last line

medevac · « **Reply #3 on:** June 03, 2006, 08:39:48 PM »

general practice is to downgrade to priority two.... but continue to investigate, besides most fire panels require the fire service to reset them, so this service still needs to be provided

F.B.R.T · « **Reply #4 on:** June 04, 2006, 01:30:40 AM »

It is SAMFS policy that we still respond, but may downgrade to priority two, to inspect FIP's as people have made the mistake of missreading the panel and checking the wrong circuits and finding no fire when in fact there has been a fire on another circuit.

There also is stickers on the FIP'S telling people to basically leave them alone until we get there to check them, as circuits being reset prior to our arrival make it difficult to find which detector had activated.

I think the CFS would have maybe a similar policy

Regards, Mat

rescue5271 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 04, 2006, 07:03:54 AM »

I have to say dont down grade keep going as P1,why beacuse there have been a number of cases were the place has called the fire brigdae and said its all clear crew have downgraded to a P2 only to arrive and have found a fire in the roof going well.... It does not matter if they call and say its a false alarm you still have to attend and reset the panel and fill in the site log book.You will also have to record what area alarm was in and if it keeps happening in that area well they have a problem that needs to be fixed...

mengcfs · « **Reply #6 on:** June 05, 2006, 10:30:03 AM »

And if we're talking hospitals for argument sake, since when have Doctors, Nurses, Office staff etc had formal fire service training to have the authority to downgrade fire services response. It's a bit like if us firies went to a MVA and started pronouncing people dead!!

CFS_Firey · « **Reply #7 on:** June 06, 2006, 05:10:07 PM »

I wouldn't go that far mengcfs... just about everyone is capable of seeing if there is fire or not... In most cases, the residents / staff know why the alarm has activated (Burnt food, contractors doing work etc...) and hence know its a false alarm.
Saying that the general public aren't capable of seeing if their house is on fire is the same as saying every time you fall over, you should call an ambulance, because you aren't trained to tell if you've broken any bones...

mengcfs · « **Reply #8 on:** June 06, 2006, 05:28:32 PM »

OK, point taken, but what i am trying to say is that if the bells drop but there is no apparent cause, staff should not be ringing up saying it a false alarm just because they can't see any flames or smoke. It still needs to be investigated. In our area (just speaking for myself here) we have had instances where the above has occured. Of course we say that we are responding anyway because we have to reset the alarm. Now we have certain premises educated and everybody knows the protocol (from both sides) as to what needs to happen.

PF_ · « **Reply #9 on:** June 06, 2006, 05:31:07 PM »

Hey mate, whats this warm orangey stuff with a black cloud like substance coming out?

I dunno, havent done my formal fire training either.

Toast · « **Reply #10 on:** June 06, 2006, 05:35:41 PM »

People ring up and call it a false alarm when there is no apparent cause?

We've only had people call us and inform us that its false when its *obviously* false, eg: burnt food/contractors

CFS_Firey · « **Reply #11 on:** June 06, 2006, 05:36:59 PM »

Sure, no worries mengcfs. I thought you meant they couldn't tell at all, but i totally agree, particularly with sensors in the ceiling space... It makes it even worse when they re-set the alarm before you arrive!

rescue5271 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 06, 2006, 08:18:46 PM »

i am sick of brigades being paged to a fixed alarm that i look after but they do not role an appliances but instead call up and ask the staff if its a real call...since when is a fixed alarm not a real job? time brigades looked at the SOPS and followed them,sooner or later it will be a working job and it will be there head/body in court not the CFS.......

mengcfs · « **Reply #13 on:** June 07, 2006, 11:26:28 AM »

Quote

It makes it even worse when they re-set the alarm before you arrive!

Yes, have had that trouble before. Depends on the panel, but a fix we found was that we got maintenance to drill holes thru te perspex cover on the door. That way all the staff have to do is stick a pen thru the hole which is lined up with the isolate button. That way there is no need for them to open the door and reset the system but they can still stop the bells and whistles, and we still know which area we need check.

Camo · « **Reply #14 on:** June 07, 2006, 02:50:42 PM »

Quote from: rescue5271 on June 06, 2006, 08:18:46 PM

i am sick of brigades being paged to a fixed alarm that i look after but they do not role an appliances but instead call up and ask the staff if its a real call...since when is a fixed alarm not a real job? time brigades looked at the SOPS and followed them,sooner or later it will be a working job and it will be there head/body in court not the CFS.......

I know of a couple of brigades around here that actually the captain responds straight to the alarm and the rest go to the truck. I guess in a way its a good thing but in others maybe not.

But all fixed alarms in the Gambier CFS area (Except Tarpeena) are dual responsed with MFS anyway so there is always an appliance on its way.

pumprescue · « **Reply #15 on:** June 08, 2006, 08:03:15 AM »

Blinky I could not agree more.
If your not sure send all trucks priority one and one arrival give a sitrep and a possible down grade. Unless you are responding to a line fault you should always head out P1 and treat everything as real. Some of the biggest fires in SA have been fire alarms to start with (Mitcham Shopping Centre), after all that is why these systems are put in place.
If these rogue captains want to risk the lives of the community they are looking after be my guest, but I often wonder if you told these premises that your paying all this money to have a monitored fire alarm just to get Joe blogg captain rock up by himself. They expect a fire appliance and professional firefighters to deal with it....

CFS_Firey · « **Reply #16 on:** June 08, 2006, 12:18:40 PM »

How much do they pay for us to monitor their alarms? I don't think I've ever seen money from the premises we monitor...

probie_boy · « **Reply #17 on:** June 08, 2006, 12:54:33 PM »

i heard we're gonna start fining people for carelessly setting off their alarms

Toast · « **Reply #18 on:** June 08, 2006, 04:42:31 PM »

We do, 3xcalls to the same alarm, same sensor in x period of time. So, its really not harsh.

Alan (Big Al) · « **Reply #19 on:** June 08, 2006, 05:24:12 PM »

We've had 14 calls to the same alarm this year and only two were justified calls.

They now get a bill for $250 +gst for any unjustified calls.
I know it's been mentioned before on here about billing people but it stops them being careless and broken alarms get fixed a lot quicker now...

rescue5271 · « **Reply #20 on:** June 08, 2006, 05:35:46 PM »

CFS does not have the power to charge for fire alarm calls,once all alarms are cut over to the firemon system all billing will be done by SAFECOM at a rate of $150:00 per call.the site is allowed 3x free calls before they are billed with in a 60 day period.......

Camo · « **Reply #21 on:** June 08, 2006, 05:41:20 PM »

does this mean you have some competition with selling your alarms Bill or do you still sell them but hook them up through the CFS?

CFS_Firey · « **Reply #22 on:** June 08, 2006, 05:49:58 PM »

Quote from: rescue5271 on June 08, 2006, 05:35:46 PM

CFS does not have the power to charge for fire alarm calls,once all alarms are cut over to the firemon system all billing will be done by SAFECOM at a rate of $150:00 per call.the site is allowed 3x free calls before they are billed with in a 60 day period.......

How does that work, aren't SAFECOM and the CFS the same organisation? Or do you mean CFS brigades can't charge?
I heard that the new act (SAFECOM act) allows us to charge for calls...?

medevac · « **Reply #23 on:** June 08, 2006, 06:00:55 PM »

hmmm... no idea...

but im guessing since all alarms are to be monitored by CFS as a state level, then the alarms will be charged at a state level... which in turn would answer you CFS_Firey, that yes; under the fire and emergency services act we could charge for alarm calls... and they are it would seem, if everyone is correct...

camo; i shouldnt think it would matter who fits/supplies the alarm, they are all going to be monitored from the one place though...

CFS_Firey · « **Reply #24 on:** June 08, 2006, 06:05:27 PM »

Does this apply to private alarm calls as well, or just alarms monitored by the fire service?

Author Topic: Fire alarms (Read 10694 times)

PF_

Toast

rescue5271

PF_

Toast

rescue5271

pumprescue

probie_boy

Toast

rescue5271