Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service Plan 2012 to 2015

Number of calls to false alarms from automatic fire-detection systems

All fire and rescue services receive a large number of calls from automatic fire-detection systems. On average, over 97% of these calls turn out to be false alarms. We have been working with business owners to reduce the number of these calls.

The graph, showing the number of calls we received for every 1,000 non-domestic properties, shows that we have had real success in reducing the number of calls.

During the past year we have seen a 6% reduction in the number of calls we receive from automatic fire-detection systems compared with 2009 to 2010, and a 46% reduction in the number of these calls since 2005 to 2006.

Key to graph

• Red line = Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
• Blue line = National average

Number of hoax calls we attend

When we attend an unwanted fire alarm or false call, it means that our resources are not available to deal with life-threatening incidents and other genuine emergencies. For most of these calls the caller has good intentions (they think there is a real emergency).

But some of these calls are hoax calls (where the person making the call knows that there isn’t a real emergency).

It is a crime to make a hoax call to a fire service. We work closely with the police and phone providers to identify anyone who makes a hoax call.

Our control-room staff are skilled at identifying possible hoax calls and challenging the callers.

Key to graph

• Red line = Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
• Blue line = National average