An unwanted alarm means the activation of a fire alarm system where, after we investigate, we find that the condition or situation would not have resulted in any danger to the premises and/or occupants from fire.

Currently we do not charge for attendance at unwanted alarms when it considers the cause to be beyond the control of the building owner. This is limited to malicious actions, extreme weather conditions or smoke from another location. However, where the cause is considered to be avoidable, then a charge is levied.

In recent years, we have responded to an increasing number of unwanted alarms. These unwanted alarms are a result of a fire alarm system either not performing to Australian Standards, or not being maintained to a performance standard thus preventing unnecessary fire alarm system activations. If a fire alarm system is designed, installed and maintained correctly it should be able to differentiate between a fire and normal activity in the building. Callouts to unwanted alarms are having a significant impact on our resources.

We charge for attendance at unwanted alarm activations to encourage building owners/occupiers to be continually proactive in managing fire alarm systems, thus reducing unwanted alarm activations.

The following alarm situations are deemed to be non-chargeable:

• Fires detected by an operating fire alarm system.
• Operation of the alarm system caused by external factors i.e. smoke/heat from another source/incident that is external to the subject premises property boundary and outside the owner/occupiers control.
• Alarms generated by extreme weather conditions.

The purpose of a free unwanted alarm recognises that sometimes accidents may happen. The free unwanted alarm provides the building’s owner/occupier with an opportunity to address the cause of the unwanted alarm (within a 60 day period) to ensure that no further unwanted alarms occur in the future.

Some body corporates and building owner/occupiers have in place a policy regarding unwanted alarm activations and subsequent payment of our attendance charge. Their policies may advocate the practice of asking a tenant, holidaymaker, or person causing false or malicious fire alarm activation to pay our invoice – this is a practice called ‘on-billing’.  

The decision to ‘on-bill’ is that of each building’s adopted management policy. It is not a decision made by us.  We do not endorse the passing on of these attendance charges to tenants unless they are engaging in reckless or negligent behaviour. It is incorrect of the owner/occupier to attribute the ‘on-billing’ of an unwanted alarm account to us. 

It is not our role to advocate to body corporates or the building owner/occupier a particular policy approach, however we do recommend the pre-emptive development of an unwanted alarm policy. We suggest communicating the policy to guests as they arrive; via display in their room, presentation on the in-house television guest-welcoming segment or announcement over the in-house PA (particularly at strategic times of the day). In addition, we recommend body corporates or owner/occupiers advise security, administrative and cleaning staff of the nature of the policy.  Brochures in multiple languages depicting appropriate messages about minimising unwanted alarms might be helpful to some holidaymakers.

Above all, we recommend body corporates and building owner/occupiers take steps to address the reason why the unwanted alarm occurred in the first place. Ensuring proper building and fire alarm system design, fit-out, and maintenance programs may assist in avoiding unwanted alarms.

The premises owner or account holder can submit an OM201 Application to Dispute an Unwanted Alarm Activation Invoice. The customer must submit the application with supporting documentation to our Financial Operations and Systems Support within 60 days form the invoice date. Please download the OM21 Form. Unwanted Alarm Officers can be contacted via qfes.alarms@qfes.qld.gov.au or 1800 449 992.

We appreciate a telephone call to Firecom with advice about the status of events associated with the fire alarm activation. Firecom can then forward this updated information to the responding fire crew en route. Information about the status of the emergency at the subject building allows our attending officer to more efficiently manage the mobilisation of resources dependent upon the specifics of the information received.

However, our responding crews are legally obligated to continue to the scene and investigate the reason for the alarm activation. Please note, this may result in a chargeable unwanted alarm activation, regardless of notifying Firecom.

When a worker is engaged to perform work in a building fitted with an automatic fire alarm system, it is recommended that precautions are instigated to ensure no unwanted alarms occur as a result of the worker's activities. Management of workers on a particular building site is the responsibility of the nominated/identified building manager. Suggested precautions include:

• Isolation of the fire alarm zones in which work is being undertaken. It is recommended that a person is tasked as a safety watch whilst the fire alarm zone is isolated, as procedures equal to or greater than what the system being isolated provides must be in place to cover the isolation.
• Using only qualified/reputable maintenance companies.
• Meeting contractors at the entry point and provide a formal induction briefing as per a prepared policy.
• Establishing the consequences of causing an unwanted alarm with workmen including responsibility for payment in the event of an unwanted alarm. If the unwanted alarm management policy states that the expectation that a contractor will meet any consequential charges invoiced to the property – this should be clearly advised. We does not issue chargeable alarm invoices to contractors or building occupants.
• Taking particular care with workers using grinders and gas cutting equipment, as gases may drift to other non-isolated zones in the area.
• Clearly allocating the responsibility for reinstating the alarm system following the completion of work. 
• All contractors to sign in/out at Centre Management/Security Office/Reception.
• The type of work that the contractor is to undertake is clearly identified.
• Complete Works Permit or Hot Works Permit (If both works are being undertaken then only the Hot Works Permit needs to be completed)
• Security/Centre Management/Staff to inspect the area before any work commences.
• Identify Hazards and develop prevention measures for those hazards.
• Install detector covers when work that may produce products that can contaminate smoke detectors is undertaken.
• Security/ Staff to conduct random inspections to ensure compliance to procedures.
• Centre Management/Security/Staff to inspect area prior to contractor leaving.
• If area is deemed OK, remove covers from devices deisolate zone/area (allow time for detector to clear before deisolating.)
• Centre Management/Security/Staff to undergo specific training to isolate and deisolate alarm system as accidental activations have occurred during isolating and deisolating.

Please note – we advise that detectors that are located in a work area where they may be contaminated by dust etc. must be protected by properly designed covers for the duration of the works.

Body corporates and building owner/occupiers can seek advice related to the performance of a prescribed fire alarm system from a number of sources including fire alarm technicians, consulting architects, engineers and experienced builders. Performance advice contacts can be researched through industry technical publications or a number of industry associations.

Our Community Safety Operations staff can provide advice on the existing systems operating standard and the suitability of any proposed fire alarm system variation. We are not equipped to provide advice of a technical nature other than interpretation and application of the Building Code of Australia Part E2 – Smoke Hazard Management. We are however, well equipped to provide practical advice about the effects of the building design, and the subsequent potential of the installed fire alarm system, i.e. in terms of its potential to incur unwanted alarms or not. 

It is essential to recognise that the success of any installed fire alarm system is dependent upon its relationship to the subject building’s holistic design features.

The building owner/occupier should contact the body corporate, building senior management, automatic fire alarm technician, consulting engineer, and/or certifier requesting an options paper report of the choices about how to improve the performance of the fire alarm system.  Options may include:

• installing a quality fire alarm system that is better suited to building design features
• undertaking a regular, thorough maintenance program; one developed by qualified engineers, architects or fire alarm specialists. We reinforce that maintenance also includes regular staff training and a proactive company policy on how to educate clients and the public about living with fire alarm systems. This program must be documented
• developing a ‘test and replace’ plan for detectors. Faulty detectors are often a cause of unwanted alarms
• a quality fire alarm system installed in the first instance will, in the long-term, be the most satisfactory outcome for industry, long-term developer, tourist industry, owner/occupier, community and us.

Firstly, our Fire Alarm and Building Design Guidelines for the Reduction of Unwanted Alarms (UA Guidelines) must be addressed in any application to us for assessment of a Fire Detection and Alarm System that is a Special Fire Service, and

To ensure alarm systems best suited to building design features are installed, we highly recommend that the developer of a project:

• establish, evaluate, and document the proposed building demographic – i.e. the people who will live, work, visit or use the facility
• conduct an analysis of the buildings internal/external design in light of the environment (e.g. prevailing wind, air-borne matter, landscaping, humidity, rainfall etc.), and evaluate the effects upon a range of prescribed integrated fire safety equipment components
• review the internal design features that may generate an effect on the automatic fire alarm system as a result of how people interact with the facility components
• review specific internal design features for each room (e.g. bathroom - steam from shower, heat from clothes dryer, overflow from bath water, kitchen - cooking appliances etc.), together with proximity of smoke detectors and ventilation/ extraction systems
• evaluate the building air management system, and the prevailing natural air flow (accentuated by doors opening to strong breeze) does not take cooking fumes across smoke detectors
• uses the most up-to-date appropriate range of approved components incorporating specifications that have been professionally considered for installation
• develop a brief for the consulting engineer and architect that includes a directive about the outcomes expected to be delivered in terms of the performance of the prescribed automatic fire alarm system in the short, medium, and long-term
• build in contingencies for change of building use etc.

• Understand your fire alarm system – particularly the type and location of detectors.
• Ventilate steam and fumes away from smoke detectors, particularly from bathroom and kitchen areas.
• Ensure your Fire Maintenance Company inspects the Fire Indicator Panel’s relays on a regular basis. These relays (which is what signals us) can cause erroneous alarm signals.
• Ensure staff and visitors are aware the building is protected by an automatic fire alarm system and provide them with these tips:
  • Check toaster setting prior to use, don’t walk away from a toaster that has been reset to further darken toast.
  • Do not leave any cooking appliance unattended.
  • Do not open internal hallway doors to ventilate cooking fumes or shower steam, if hallway detectors are linked to the fire alarm panel.
  • Be mindful of shower steam, condensation from laundry appliances near smoke detectors.
  • Do not smoke or vape near smoke detectors, or where smoke/fumes can travel near smoke detectors.
  • Do not direct aerosol spray at smoke detectors or use excessive aerosol sprays near smoke detectors.
• Manage work activities that produce dust, heat, smoke etc. to ensure a detector is not activated.
• Ensure management is aware of any works occurring within the premises and understand their responsibility to isolate detectors in the work areas or ensure appropriate dust covers are utilised.

We currently allow each monitored automatic fire alarm an initial 'no charge' unwanted alarm call in a continuous 60 day period. A second or subsequent alarm within 60 days will be chargeable. After each chargeable unwanted alarm activation, the 60 day count resets.