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The six-week consultation launched today (Monday 21 October 2024) with an online questionnaire.
We’re inviting feedback from local businesses, the public, and our staff to help guide how we respond to automatic fire alarm activations in non-domestic buildings moving forward.
Between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2024 our firefighters attended 9,295 non-domestic AFA activations, however 98.9 per cent of them did not involve a fire.
Since July we have been piloting a new approach, which has seen a drop in the number of times our firefighters respond to these types of false alarms.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuffley said:
“As the senior project sponsor, I am thrilled to announce the launch of our consultation on our future response to AFAs.
“The decision to consider changes to our AFA response is not taken lightly. It stems from a review of current practices and the potential benefits of a more tailored and risk-based approach, which started as a pilot initiative in July this year.”
The pilot approach does not involve any changes in response to high-risk or domestic buildings (for example hospitals, hotels and care homes), and firefighters continue to be sent as an emergency response to 999 calls, confirmed fires and to automatic fire alarm notifications from residential homes.
However, for low and medium-risk buildings (such as shops, offices, leisure centres, colleges, sports grounds, libraries, and health centres) we have stopped automatically sending a pump in response to calls generated by AFA systems unless a fire is confirmed via a 999 call, or there are visible signs of a fire at the location.
“It’s our aim to enhance our service delivery, reduce unnecessary disruptions, and ensure that our resources are used where they are needed most. By gathering and evaluating data through the pilot, and seeking your views through this public consultation, we believe we can shape a more effective and responsive service.
“Your input is invaluable to us, and we are eager to hear from a diverse range of voices. Whether you are a member of the public, a business owner, or a stakeholder to the fire and rescue services, your perspective will help us make informed decisions that benefit everyone.
“This feedback will be instrumental in guiding our future policies and ensuring that our response strategies continue to serve our communities in the best possible way. I would encourage everyone to participate and share your views. Together, we can create a safer and more effective response that meets the needs of our community.”
The consultation will run until Monday 2 December. You can take part here.
You can find out more about the pilot, our rationale for proposing the change, the supporting data, and the types of buildings this relates to in our supporting information pack which is available online, or as a pdf.
If you require a hard copy print version of the questionnaire, or our supporting information pack:
Please send an email to:
or write to:
AFA Consultation, c/o BFRS Communication Team,
Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service Headquarters,
Stocklake, Aylesbury, HP20 1BD.
You can also use our online Contact Us form.
Please remember to include a return name and address with your request, and outline if you wish to receive a copy of the document or the questionnaire, or both.
This consultation will remain open until 11.59pm on Monday 2 December.
A summary of all responses to the consultation will be reported to Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority (BMKFA) and fully considered before any final decisions are taken.
