The New Zealand Fire Service (NZFS) has released a statement warning contractors to take care when working on building sites and premises, as their direct actions could cause an unwanted activation of a fire alarm system. This could potentially land them a charge of $1000.
Figures released by the NZFS show that over one third of all incidents last year were reported as false alarms, defined by a call attended by a fire brigade where there was no genuine fire or other emergency requiring intervention.
The cost of unwanted false alarms can be high. A fire crew attending a false alarm can’t attend a genuine emergency, so if a genuine fire emergency occurs at the same time there may be a delay in response by emergency services.
If a fire brigade attends a false alarm callout, the time it takes to forcefully evacuate a building or site can cost businesses thousands of dollars in lost time and productivity.
In 2006, these false alarms cost New Zealand businesses $46.2 million dollars. As call rates have increased in the last decade, this cost is suspected to have gone up significantly.
Queenstown has the highest rate of preventable false alarm callouts across the country, and that number needs to be reduced.
If you are a contractor working onsite or in a building with a fire prevention system, please refer to the below check list to help combat the high volumes of unwanted false alarms.
For further information, refer to the New Zealand Fire Service website www.fire.org.nz or phone your local fire region office.
Richard Hawke
Queenstown Area Manager
