What happens when an alarm receiving centre reports a fire alarm activation?
If an alarm receiving centre calls 999 to report a fire alarm activation, the call will be handled by our Control Room.
The Control Room operator will take the caller through our AFA call filtering process, where they will ask a series of questions, including:
- whether there are any signs of fire
- whether someone has investigated the cause of the alarm
- whether the building is commercial or residential
- what the building is used for
The answers will help us decide the most appropriate response. We will then tell you whether we will attend.
What if the building is unoccupied?
If a building is unoccupied, the responsible person should have arrangements in place with their alarm receiving centre to check fire alarm signals before they are passed to London Fire Brigade.
We will continue to respond to fire alarm activations between 8.30pm and 7am.
Can alarm receiving centres identify which device activated the alarm?
This depends on the fire alarm system and the arrangements in place.
The responsible person should make sure the alarm receiving centre can tell the difference between a false alarm and a confirmed fire.
During daytime hours, London Fire Brigade will only attend fire alarm activations in commercial buildings if:
- a fire has been confirmed, or
- the building is exempt from this policy.