False fire alarms increase strain on fire service resources

As reported by Personal Injury Claims UK, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service has responded to 67,125 false fire alarms since April 2019, equating to between 12,000 and 15,000 incidents per year.

These false alarms place a financial and operational burden on the service, with daily averages exceeding 30 incidents.

In 2023/24 alone, the service responded to 14,696 false alarms, marking an increase from the previous year.

In 2020/21, numbers had dipped due to pandemic restrictions, with 12,338 incidents, but these steadily rose again following the lifting of restrictions.

Costs associated with false alarms

False alarms are not only disruptive but also costly.

According to the figures obtained by Personal Injury Claims UK, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service has incurred costs between £5.5 million and £7.5 million annually over the last five years due to false alarm callouts.

Factors contributing to false alarms include faulty or poorly designed equipment, poor maintenance, and environmental factors such as steam, dust, and aerosols activating alarm systems.

Fire service impact and public safety concerns

The fire service warns that responding to false alarms can have serious implications.

As stated by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue: “Fire service attendance at false alarms also means that firefighters are not available to attend real emergency calls and are disrupted from carrying out important training, emergency planning and other key activities.”

In addition to the strain on resources, false alarms can lead to complacency among businesses and the public.

The fire service explained that repeated false alarms may reduce the effectiveness of fire safety systems, as people may become desensitised to the warnings.

Nationwide false alarm trends

The issue of false fire alarms extends beyond Greater Manchester.

Nationwide, they make up 38% of incidents attended by fire services, contributing to a £1 billion annual cost to the UK economy, according to a study by BRE Group.

These false alarms disrupt services and potentially place public safety at risk, especially if emergency resources are diverted away from real emergencies.

The fire service continues to address this challenge by raising awareness of proper alarm maintenance and reducing avoidable triggers.

False fire alarms cost Greater Manchester fire service millions annually: Summary

Since 2019, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service has responded to 67,125 false fire alarms, costing the service between £5.5 million and £7.5 million annually.

The incidents have increased in recent years, with 14,696 responses recorded in 2023/24.

The fire service attributes these false alarms to factors such as faulty equipment and environmental triggers.

These unnecessary callouts place strain on resources, potentially compromising the ability to respond to genuine emergencies.

Nationally, false alarms account for 38% of fire service callouts, costing the UK economy £1 billion annually.