Automatic Fire Alarms - What the Numbers Tell Us!

Automatic fire alarms within the Indian River Fire District account for 20% of the incident responses since January 2022.  

With the increased population in corporate and community developments within the Indian River Fire District, one in every four or 20% of the fire incident notifications to the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company are directly associated with an automatic fire alarm (AFA).

Automatic fire alarms (AFA) account for a large percentage of “false alarms and nuisance activations (in all occupancy types, not just homes) and are becoming a more common occurrence. 

False alarms or nuisance alarms are problematic to both the fire service and the building occupants.

False alarms tie up fire department resources unnecessarily. Nuisance activations interrupt other activities and may lead people to ignore these early warnings of a smoke alarm.

National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) statistical data on false alarms is broken down into categories: 1) malicious or mischievous false calls; 2) fire alarm system malfunctions; 3) unintentional calls; and 4) others.

Illustrated are reasons behind these false smoke alarm incidents. The most common or main causes are:

• Poor building maintenance

• Inappropriately placed and installed detectors – like placing smoke detectors in an area where there is excessive air movement due to mechanical heating, ventilation or open windows can cause false alarms

• Dirty detectors that are not frequently cleaned and serviced

• Steam and aerosol sprays (like deodorants and hair sprays)

• Cigarette smoke and candles

• Damaged fire alarm systems.

• Cooking fumes detected by a detector in an adjacent area. For example, a smoke detector located in a corridor outside a kitchen can cause the detector to go off due to burnt food.

• Not using the right type of detector to protect an area.

• Building works can cause electrical disturbances and affect the fire alarm system.

• Pesky small insects that can enter the smoke detector and interfere with the alarm

Though these are some of the main causes, they are not the only ones; however, as you can ascertain, many of these causes are preventable with increased awareness.

Steps to reduce false fire alarms can be implemented to ensure that the frequency of false alarms is reduced.

• Do not smoke near detectors and do not directly spray aerosol spray at smoke

• Switch on exhaust fans and open vents or windows before cooking, showering, or using strong chemicals at home.

• Know where the detectors are installed and take measures to avoid false fire alarms.

• Ensure that bathrooms and kitchens are ventilated and appropriate fan/ventilation is installed.

• Make sure that safe cooking practices are followed and if the alarm near the kitchen is too sensitive and activates every time you cook, make sure that the sensitivity is adjusted accordingly.

• Understand that dust and fumes can build up on the detectors and cause false alarms - keep them cleaned accordingly.

• Maintain and service fire alarms regularly.

• Try upgrading the smoke detectors to a smart smoke detector.