1. Introduction

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (NYFRS) is committed to protecting the communities it serves through the efficient, effective and proportionate deployment of resources.

Automatic Fire Alarm (AFA) systems play a vital role in life safety and property protection; however, where these systems generate repeated false alarms or Unwanted Fire Signals (UwFS), they can place unnecessary demand on operational resources, reduce appliance availability, increase environmental impact and create avoidable disruption.

This policy sets out the Service’s strategic approach to reducing UwFS, improving fire safety standards, and ensuring that attendance to AFA actuations is based on risk, evidence and community need.

2. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to:

• Reduce the frequency of false alarms originating from fire detection and alarm systems.
• Minimise unnecessary emergency mobilisations to UwFS incidents.
• Maintain the availability of fire appliances and personnel for genuine emergencies.
• Improve standards of fire safety management within regulated premises.
• Promote ownership and accountability among Responsible Persons.
• Establish a consistent and transparent operational response model.
• Provide a framework for intervention, enforcement and, where lawful, cost recovery.
• Support environmental sustainability through reduced unnecessary vehicle movements.

3. Scope

This policy applies to:

• All NYFRS employees.
  • Operational personnel.
  • Fire Control personnel.
  • Protection staff.
• Temporary workers, contractors and agency staff acting on behalf of the Service.
• External stakeholders where relevant to AFA management.

Operationally, this policy applies to premises regulated under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 where Automatic Fire Alarm systems are installed.

This policy does not apply to:

• Single private domestic dwellings, except where emergency attendance is otherwise required.
• Confirmed fires or incidents where persons are believed to be at risk.
• Any incident where Fire Control receives credible information indicating an emergency.

4. Definitions

Automatic Fire Alarm (AFA):

Any fire alarm signal transmitted automatically by a fire detection or alarm system.

Unwanted Fire Signal (UwFS):

A fire alarm signal resulting in Fire and Rescue Service attendance where no fire exists and where the cause includes malfunction, poor management, accidental operation or inappropriate system design.

Confirmed Fire:

An incident where fire, smoke, heat, persons at risk or other credible indicators of emergency are reported.

Responsible Person:

The person(s) defined under Article 3 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 with legal responsibility for fire safety management.

Sleeping Risk Premises:

Premises where occupants may be asleep and less able to self-evacuate, including hotels, care homes, hospitals and similar environments.

5. Legislative and Regulatory Framework

This policy has regard to, but is not limited to:

• Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 (Section 18C – charging powers where applicable).
• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
• Civil Contingencies Act 2004.
• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
• Relevant Home Office and NFCC guidance.
• BS 5839 series (Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings).
• Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR where information is processed.

6. Strategic Alignment

This policy supports:

• Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP)
• Fire and Rescue Plan
• Operational Response Standards
• Protection Strategy
• National Fire Chiefs Council priorities
• Core Code of Ethics for Fire and Rescue Services

7. Policy Statement

NYFRS will adopt a proportionate, risk-based approach to responding to Automatic Fire Alarm actuations. The Service will prioritise attendance where there is credible evidence of fire, life risk, vulnerability, firefighter safety concerns or significant community impact.

The Service will not routinely mobilise to certain categories of unconfirmed AFA signals where evidence demonstrates that attendance does not represent the best use of public resources.

NYFRS will actively work with Responsible Persons to reduce false alarms and improve standards through education, engagement, enforcement and, where appropriate, charging.

8. Operational Response to Automatic Fire Alarms

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service will adopt a risk-based, intelligence-led and proportionate approach to Automatic Fire Alarm activations.

The Service recognises that fire alarm systems remain an important life safety measure. However, evidence demonstrates that most alarm signals received from non-sleeping premises do not involve fire. Routine attendance to every unconfirmed actuation can divert resources from genuine emergencies and reduce county-wide resilience.

In line with approaches adopted by several Fire and Rescue Services, including regional FRS, NYFRS will not mobilise to unconfirmed alarm actuations from non-sleeping premises unless additional information indicates a heightened likelihood of fire.

High Risk Premises

Certain premises will remain subject to attendance arrangements recognising increased life risk or strategic importance. These may include:

• hotels and hostels
• hospitals and healthcare premises
• residential care and supported living settings
• educational campuses where risk assessment requires
• heritage properties
• high-risk industrial premises
• premises with High or Very High SSRI
• premises identified through local risk assessment

Low Risk Premises

Premises classed as non-sleeping premises include offices, retail units, warehouses, factories, industrial premises, leisure facilities, community buildings and similar environments where occupants are normally awake and capable of self-evacuation.

Unconfirmed automatic fire alarm signals from such premises will not receive an emergency response.

Attendance will normally be made only where:

• the fire is confirmed by a caller, occupier, keyholder, security staff or monitoring centre;
• multiple detector activations are identified through the Alarm Receiving Centre or building fire alarm management system;
• reports indicate smoke, flames, heat, smell of burning, sprinkler activation, evacuation difficulties or persons at risk;
• site intelligence or known risk information suggests precautionary attendance is necessary; or
• Fire Control determines mobilisation is justified based on available information.

This reflects that single detector actuations are frequently caused by accidental operation rather than genuine fire.

Common Causes of UwFS

• Cooking fumes
• Steam
• Dust from contractors
• Aerosols
• Insects
• Poor maintenance
• Detector siting issues
• Testing errors
• Accidental manual call point activation

Confirmed Fire

Where fire is confirmed, or there are credible signs of fire, the normal emergency attendance standard will apply regardless of premises type.

Fire Control Discretion

Fire Control personnel always retain discretion to mobilise resources where information is incomplete, contradictory or suggests an emerging risk. Public safety remains the overriding consideration.

9. False Alarm Reduction Strategy

NYFRS will maintain a structured programme to reduce UwFS through:

Education and Engagement

• Advice to Responsible Persons.
• Post-incident engagement visits.
• Guidance on maintenance and management.
• Promotion of alarm investigation procedures.

Monitoring and Intelligence

• Analysis of repeat premises.
• Incident trend monitoring.
• Geographic and sector-based performance review.

Proportionate Intervention Framework

Trigger	Indicative Action
Every attended UwFS	Level 2 Fire Safety Check – Post Incident Engagement (PIE)
2 incidents in 3 months	Advisory contact with Responsible Person (Capabilities letter)
3 incidents in 6 months	Formal engagement or fire safety audit (Protection team)
4 incidents in 12 months	Charging review and/or enforcement consideration

10. Managing Unwanted Fire Signals 

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service will adopt a holistic and progressive approach to reducing false alarms and unwanted fire signals, consistent with principles used by other Fire and Rescue Services.

The Service recognises that persistent false alarms often indicate wider failings in fire safety management rather than isolated technical faults. Repeated UwFS may suggest deficiencies in system design, maintenance standards, detector siting, contractor control, staff competence, alarm investigation procedures or management oversight.

Accordingly, NYFRS will seek first to improve compliance through engagement and education.

Following attended UwFS incidents, operational crews may provide immediate advice to the premises representative. Where repeated incidents occur, the Protection Department may contact the Responsible Person and request evidence of corrective action such as servicing records, review of detector placement, staff training, amended procedures or updates to the fire risk assessment.

Where incidents continue, the Service may undertake a targeted fire safety audit or inspection.

Where serious or persistent deficiencies are identified, formal enforcement action may be considered in accordance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Service Enforcement Policy.

11. Charging for Persistent Unwanted Fire Signals

The Localism Act 2011 brings into force changes to the Fire & Rescue Services Act 2004. Three sections have been added, Sections 18A, 18B and 18C. These allow Fire and Rescue Authorities to charge for responding to a report of a fire where the call is made within the following circumstances:

• There is a report of a fire.
• The premises are not domestic premises.
• The report is false.
• The report is made as a direct or indirect result of warning equipment having malfunctioned or been mis-installed.
• There is a persistent problem.

The levy issued for the attendance to a false alarm will be as per the Special Service Cost recovery, (which is updated annually and available on our website) and will be charged per actuation.

For the purposes of the Policy a persistent problem is defined within NYFRS as having more than four actuations within a rolling twelve months.

Where legislation permits, NYFRS may recover costs associated with persistent false alarm attendance.

Charges will be levied in accordance with the approved scale of charges and associated financial procedures.

Any charging decision will be fair, evidence-based, documented and subject to appeal.

12. Monitoring, Assurance and Review

The Service will monitor:

• Total number of UwFS incidents.
• Appliance time committed to UwFS.
• Repeat offending premises.
• Reduction trends following intervention.
• Impact on response availability.
• Income recovered through charging (where applicable).

This policy will be formally reviewed annually, or sooner where required due to legislative, operational or organisational change.

This policy was updated on 01/07/2026