False fire alarms 

Did you know that teams at the Service de sécurité incendie de Laval (SSIL) mobilize more often for false fire alarms than they do for fire alarms that pose a real danger to the public?

False alarms and their consequences 

A false fire alarm is an alert that causes firefighters to mobilize when there is no fire, no risk of fire and no danger. False fire alarms entail several consequences:

• Mobilizing SSIL resources 
• Increasing response times for real emergencies 
• Raising the risk of incidents during emergency responses 
• Reducing occupants’ trust in alarm signals 

Fines may be applied in the event of negligence related to a false fire alarm.

Eight ways to prevent false fire alarms  

Whether in a house or an apartment building, alarms too often are triggered by mistake or  inadvertently, or intentionally. You can prevent false fire alarms as follows:

1. Stop the fire alarm from being activated maliciously

• Cover manual fire alarm stations with certified protective boxes  that activate the alarm as soon as they are manipulated.
• Apply a tamper gel marker to devices so that a person who triggers an alarm without reason  can be identified.
• Install video surveillance equipment to identify the person at fault.
• Inform residents or family members that triggering a manual alarm station without a valid reason will result in a fine being applied.

2. Protect your devices against accidents

• Install certified protective covers.
• Do not hang anything from fire prevention equipment.

3. Practise vigilance when carrying out work   

• When performing work, make sure the smoke detectors in the work area are protected from dust and particles, and notify the central fire alarm station of your renovation dates.
• Place a note in plain view on the fire alarm panel, explaining that the system is connected to a central fire alarm station that must be notified before renovation work is started.
• Take the appropriate measures to avoid needless alarm signals and remind apartment building occupants not to contact 911 unnecessarily.  

4. Keep your alarm system dry

• Be careful not to trigger an alarm when washing with water. Manual alarm stations in particular are prone to being accidently activated during cleaning.
• Since water infiltration can trigger an alert, maintain your home to limit the risk of a leak or an infiltration.
• Temporarily or permanently protect detectors with protective boxes, if applicable.

5. Install your alarm system in compliance with the applicable code

• Fire alarm systems must be installed in compliance with the building code and standard S-524. Non-compliance with these requirements may lead to fire alarms being activated.  

6. Pay special attention to smoke and water vapour 

• Cooking fumes can trigger a smoke alarm. For that reason, it is important to avoid venting cooking fumes in the direction of the alarm system.
• Vaping or cigarette smoke can trigger a smoke detector.
• In certain cases, consider moving a detector placed in an inappropriate location conducive to false fire alarms (e.g., furnace room, kitchen, or a location too close to a ventilation opening).

7. Prevent freezing in winter and inadequate maintenance of automatic sprinklers 

• Make sure sprinklers are adequately protected against the cold and that heating systems function properly. Underwater or wet sprinkler mains exposed to freezing are susceptible to breaking, which can cause significant damage and trigger a false alarm.
• A poorly maintained sprinkler system (excess pressure pump / non-functional compressor, poorly adjusted control device, flowmeter not time-controlled) can trigger false alarms.
• Sprinkler systems must be maintained by qualified staff to ensure that they are in proper working order.

8. Learn to identify signs of a defective fire alarm system

• When the cause of the alarm cannot be identified, check to see if your system is defective by having it inspected by a specialist. Various factors can contribute to system failures, including dust accumulation, obsolescence, humidity, a connection problem, a programming error, damaged wiring, or a power surge.

Tips to prevent the activation of a home alarm system 

Installation and maintenance

• If possible, make sure smoke detectors are installed far from sources of smoke or water vapour.
• Favour photoelectric smoke detectors for superior performance, as they are less sensitive to smoke and vapour.
• Replace your smoke detectors every 10 years.
• Frequently clean the outside of smoke detectors to remove dust. 

How to program your System to prevent false alarms 

An alarm system installed indoors can be programmed to minimize false alarms:

• Configure your device so that there is a 30-second delay before the system communicates with the remote monitoring centre. 
• Once the alarm is initiated, you have 60 seconds to enter your access code to cancel the alarm and avoid its transmission to the remote monitoring centre.

In other words, you have 30 seconds to press any key on your keyboard (initiation) and 60 additional seconds to enter your code if you are sure that the alarm is false.