08/2006

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service is using WPC Software's dynamic Tocsin Fire system to help implement the CFOA (Chief Fire Officers Association) policy on Remotely Monitored Fire Alarm Systems (RMFAS), and reduce the time it spends responding to false alarms.

The new system provides WFRS with a central resource for all information related to automatic fire alarm systems, offering instant access to data at the click of a button.

Fire safety support officer Richard Buxton said: "Forty-five per cent of the calls we receive are false alarms which prevents us from using our resources effectively.

"Tocsin Fire will enable us to improve our response to genuine automatic fire alarms and helps give us a better picture of what we can expect to find when we arrive."

He continued: "If alarm systems are unreliable and building owners refuse to maintain them to the required standard, they are more likely to have a false alarm. In these circumstances it may not be appropriate to send several fire engines under emergency blue light conditions immediately to the building, putting road users and firefighters at unnecessary risk and wasting valuable resources."

CFO William Brown added "Attending false alarm is very draining on our resources. By using the data that will now be available to us, we can continue to reduce the number of false alarms and further reduce risk in Warwickshire."

For more information phone Zena James on 0117 908 1484 or click here for a copy of the Warwickshire Case Study.