From October 2024, London Fire Brigade will introduce a new policy for automatic fire alarms (AFAs) in commercial buildings.
In this post we’ll outline what the new policy entails and discuss any steps you may need to take to ensure your business stays safe.
We have a team of experts on hand to help who can advise on the risks you might face as a business. They can also help you to understand your insurance requirements. Contact us on 020 8290 9080 or email business@anthonyjones.com.
New London Fire Brigade Automatic Fire Alarm Policy
London Fire Brigade has announced that they will no longer attend to AFAs in most commercial buildings between 7.00 am and 8.30 pm, unless they receive a call reporting a fire.
This policy extends to office blocks and industrial estates, but schools, residential buildings, and certain other types of building are exempt. You can read the full exemption policy.
Why Has London Fire Brigade Introduced This New AFA Policy?
In 2023 – 2024, London Fire Brigade responded to 52,000 calls from AFAs, which constituted 40% of all the incidents they attended. Apparently, 99% of these callouts were false alarms.
London Fire Brigade refer to such false alarms as Unwanted Fire Signals (UwFS). Obviously, they want to spend as little time as possible responding to false alarms.
They claim that this new policy will give them “more time and resources to focus on other priorities, such as increasing fire prevention in your community and freeing up our fire fighters to go to real emergencies.”
How Will the New AFA Policy Work?
First, you can rest assured that London Fire Brigade will still respond to AFAs between 8.30 pm and 7.00 am. It’s only during daylight hours that you may need to take action. If your AFA is triggered during daylight hours, all you need to do is call 999 to confirm that there’s an emergency at your premises. Do this, and London Fire Brigade will respond. But if you take no action, neither will they.
How the New AFA Policy Affects Risk Assessments and Incident Reponses
London Fire Brigade recommends that you review your fire risk assessment plan to accommodate this new policy. You should ensure that people across your organisation understand the new situation, and the action they will need to take if necessary:
- Make it part of your emergency plan to investigate any AFAs triggered on your premises.
- If you confirm that a fire’s broken out on your premises, your first priority should be to safely evacuate the building.
- There should also be a process for appointing a person to call 999 to confirm the fire’s broken out. Don’t end up in a situation where everybody assumes that someone else has made the call!
London Fire Brigade has a range of resources for workplaces, which could help you communicate this policy across your organisation.
Do I Need To Tell My Insurer About This Situation?
Your insurer may have calculated your business insurance policy on the basis that you have an AFA on your premises. They may have assumed that an AFA will reduce your business’s risk of fire. As such, if your business premises will be affected by this new policy, it may be a good idea to inform your insurer.
We have a team of experts on hand to help who can advise on the risks you might face as a business. They can also help you to understand your insurance requirements. Contact us on 020 8290 9080 or email business@anthonyjones.com.
