Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Fire Alarms Standard Operating Guideline PDF

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Standard Operating Guideline SOG 100-03 Fire Alarms Issue Date: 05/21/2018...

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Standard Operating Guideline SOG 100-03 Fire Alarms Issue Date: 05/21/2018 Effective Date: 06/21/2018 PURPOSE: The purpose of this standard operating guideline is to establish procedures for response to fire alarms. AUTHORITY:  Fire Rescue Administrator SCOPE: This standing operating guideline shall apply to all Emergency Operations personnel. PROCEDURE: These guidelines provide a basic framework for most incidents. 1. Response a. Upon dispatch to an automatic fire alarm, units shall respond Code 1. b. Company Officers may use discretion to respond Code 3 based on available or updated information from the Communications Center. c. If the Communications Center is notified by a monitoring company, that a fire alarm was a false alarm and a proper code was given, then all responding unit(s) shall cancel. d. If the Communications Center is notified by a business or homeowner that there is no emergency, then all responding unit(s)shall continue Code 1 to verify. 2. Arrival a. An arrival report shall be given per SOG 210-01 Communications and a check of the building for fire, smoke or water flow shall be conducted. b. Access should be gained when the interior of the building is not readily visible from the exterior. c. Forcible entry should be utilized when no key or key holder is available, and there are indications that an actual fire may be present. d. The alarm annunciator panel should be located, and a check should be made for pull stations or smoke detectors that have been activated. e. After a thorough search of the building for a fire conditions, a fire alarm may be silenced. f. DO NOT RESET A FIRE ALARM SYSTEM! SOG 100-03 Fire Alarms Page 1 of 2  3. Water Flow Alarms a. Units dispatched to automatic fire alarms that are reported as water flow alarms shall respond Code 3 and adhere to the following; i. When there is no indication of fire from Side Alpha, or after locating the annunciator panel, personnel shall: 1. Perform a 360-degree size up 2. Locate the outside risers 3. Check the system to see if water is actually flowing (pressure gauges, water gong alarm, etc…). ii. If a water flow is confirmed, personnel shall gain access to the interior of the structure, in order to accurately evaluate the cause of the alarm. 4. Gaining Access a. All buildings in the county that are equipped with fire alarm systems are also required to maintain building access keys in a Knox Box. b. If a building with a fire alarm system is found to not have a Knox Box or is not operating properly, please advise the appropriate area inspector within Bureau of Safety Services. c. During an emergency or non-emergency incident, if the proper keys are not in the Knox Box, the Company Officer should determine if a key holder can respond in a timely manner, or if there is an immediate need to force entry. 5. Notification to Communication Center a. If a building representative is present, advise them of the problem and turn the building over to them for appropriate action. Advise the Communications Center of the same. b. If no building representative is present, advise the Communications Center that the alarm has been silenced. The Communications Center shall notify the monitoring company to contact the building representative that the system needs to be serviced. Supersession History 1. SOG #2011, issued 06/07/1994 2. SOG #2011, issued 10/01/2012 3. SOG 100-03, clerical 05/01/2018 4. SOG 100-03, issued 05/21/2018 SOG 100-03 Fire Alarms Page 2 of 2