Tips for disputing unwanted false alarms
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Maintenance Essentials policy is to provide clients with the skills and tools necessary to address (and hopefully eliminate) unwanted alarm charges from fire authorities.
Most Australian states have enacted legislation to enable the fire brigade levy fees and charges against the owner or occupier of a fire alarm system if there was no reasonable excuse for a false alarm being given.
Each fire authority is different however they all will want to verify that the building owner or agent is pro-actively managing the following;
- Contractors/Subcontractors
- Maintaining systems and equipment
- Inspection & testing
- Systems are up to date & continuously improving
- Notify your maintenance contractor to get support to resolve the root cause of the unwanted alarm.
Before you write to the fire brigade to dispute your unwanted alarm charges you need to gather the following facts and information;
- Copy of Fire Brigade Entry Advice
- Copy of all related Fire Brigade correspondence including reference number
- Date & time of the unwanted alarm
- Any mitigating circumstances that may have caused the unwanted alarm.
It is also wise to collect other information pertaining to this incident such as How did the incident happen? Is this the first time an alarm of this nature has occurred?
Your letter to the fire brigade
The letter disputing the unwanted alarm charge should be written as soon as practical after you receive the fire brigade claim.
- Follow the instructions that accompany the claim, addressing each of the points in your letter.
- Attach supporting information to substantiate your claims.
- Illustrate how you have implemented strategies that effectively reduce or eliminate unwanted alarms.
Finally be thorough, the assessment group or committee needs to understand the strategies you have employed to effectively eliminate the cause of the false alarm and that it will not reoccur again.
- NOTE: While these tips help you dispute a false alarm charge, they should not be substituted for a thorough false alarm elimination strategy.
