● Minimize false alarms and unwanted fire alarm signals, recognizing complete elimination is impossible.

● False alarms exceeding one per 25 detectors per year warrant preliminary investigation.

● Higher rates require in-depth investigation by a qualified party.

● Number of detectors

● Environment

● Building activities

● Control over third-party activities

● Electromagnetic fields

● Building occupancy

● Malicious actions

● Benign environments: ≤1 false alarm per 100 detectors annually.

● Industrial sites: ≤1 per 75 detectors annually.

● Modern systems: ≤1 per 50 detectors annually, except in severe environments.

● Systems with >40 detectors: >1 false alarm per 20 detectors annually.

● Systems with ≤40 detectors: >2 false alarms annually.

● Mitigate all false alarms and maintain records.

● Fire and rescue authorities may take action against consistently high false alarm rates.

The following recommendations are applicable.

● In-depth investigation required if:

a) Average rate exceeds one false alarm per 20 detectors annually.

b) Three or more false alarms originate from any single detector or manual call point.

● In-depth investigation required if:

a) Three or more false alarms occur in any rolling 12-month period.

32 Acceptable rate of false alarms