7th June 2023
From 1 July 2023, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will stop attending automatic fire alarm (AFA) call outs to commercial business and workplace premises, such as factories, offices, shops and leisure facilities – unless a fire has been confirmed.
Dutyholders with responsibility for workplace premises should safely investigate a fire alarm before calling 999, as our control room operators will now be asking for confirmation of an actual fire, or signs of fire, before sending the nearest resource.
Signs of fire include: visual flame, smell of smoke, smell of burning, or any other fire alarm signal – other than a single smoke detector.
This change does not apply to sleeping premises, such as hospitals, care homes, hotels or domestic dwellings who will continue to get an emergency response.
More information on how to prepare your business for these changes and your responsibilities as a dutyholder can be found online here.