Bid to cut problem of false fire calls

Instead of routinely attending every one they hope to introduce a call-screening pro-cess.

They insist such a move would not compromise safety - and that it would reduce disruption to other duties.

This type of alarm represents about 31 per cent of all calls received by the North Yorkshire brigade and the trend, both locally and nationally, is upward.

At the moment all calls to automatic fire alarms get the same response as if a person had made the call, regardless of whether evidence shows certain premises to be responsible for a high proportion of false calls.

In a report to the fire authority, deputy chief fire officer Nigel Hutchinson said the effect was to divert resources away from where they might be needed for a true 999 situation.

He said: "It is also extremely disruptive in terms of eroding the time available to deliver community safety and fire prevention services."

The Government wants all brigades to reduce the problem and its advice is that strategies should include varying, restricting or even removing attendance to such calls.

However, the North Yorkshire brigade believes the latter course would not strike the right balance of safety and risk and wants to vary attendance through call-screening.

"The proposals do not affect the actions which occupants should take, which is to evaluate the premises or move to a place of relative safety on hearing the alarm," said Mr Hutchinson.

"Rather, the proposals ensure a proportionate response to automatic fire alarms considering the likelihood of there being a fire."

He said that the move also reduced the risk to other road users from several fire appliances making an emergency response.

"As intelligence in certain premises is collated over time, with regard to the frequency of unwanted signals, the attendance can be gradually but safely stepped down," said Mr Hutchinson.

The fire authority is being asked to endorse such a move after consultation has been carried out.