Queensland businesses hit with $11 million in false alarm charges

Queensland businesses have forked-out more than $11 million in false fire alarm call-outs including one Gold Coast hotel that has had 11 call-outs since it opened nine months ago.

Queensland businesses have been billed more than $11 million for ‘unwanted alarms’ after the fire brigade attended about 34 false call-outs per day in 2018.

The call-outs were triggered for a variety of reasons by the automatic Fire Detection and Alarm Systems (FDAS) at commercial properties.

Under the conditions of the alarm monitoring agreement, the QFES charges $1,297.95 for an ‘unwanted alarm’ call-out.

In total there were 12,536 false alarms, however, only 9380 businesses were invoiced at a total cost of $11.89 million, said QFES manager compliance and prosecutions Mark Halverson.

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Businesses are not charged for an initial false call but if a FDAS falsely triggers within sixty days of a previous unwanted alarm then a premises is billed, he said.

“It’s the lowest (average) it has been and it’s a combination of education and the fire service working with building managers to reduce alarms,” Mr Halverson said.

“The average was about four per building per year three to five years ago.”

QFES manager compliance Mark Halverson.

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The fire brigade attends an average of 2.4 unwanted call-outs per commercial building each year in Queensland, Mr Halverson said.

Hitting about five times the unwanted alarm average is the new Gold Coast hotel Mantra at Sharks at Southport.

It has had 11 call outs in nine months of operation with the latest unwanted alarm at 1.09am on January 2.

Mantra Shark’s management said the majority of the call-outs were a result of “guest activity”.

Under the QFES agreement, the hotel would most likely have been billed more than $10,000 for unwanted alarms although Mantra’s management would not confirm the total.

“In most cases, the hotel’s fire alarm and subsequent evacuation was triggered by guest activity,” said a hotel spokesman

“We have stringent fire procedures in place and our systems worked well to ensure guest safety and minimal impact on our guests. The safety of our guests, team members and community is our highest priority.”

There are a number of comments on hotel review sites about mentioning early morning false alarms at the Mantra at Sharks.

“Overall good experience at the Sharks, however false fire alarm went off around 6am on a weekend morning … still a good place to stay at and close to Surfers Paradise,” wrote one guest who rated the hotel an eight out of 10.

Steam from showers or baths have been known to trigger automatic Fire Detection and Alarm Systems (FDAS) at commercial properties and result in an unwanted call-out. Photo: The Courier Mail

Mr Halverson wouldn’t comment directly about the hotel but said any premises that had 11 call-outs in less than a year “was well above the average and that was a concern for QFES”.

He said there was a variety of reasons for FDAS being triggered including cooking fumes and steam generated by hotel baths and showers.

“You may have a fault in a detection system, work activities in the area, like hot work, cutting that causes dust or someone may drill through the wall and through the wiring of the alarm system,” Mr Halverson said.

QFES also conducts a “pragmatic test” on new apartments and accommodation complexes, which are fully contained or used for short-term rentals, before they open.

“Where there are cooking facilities within a room the fire service actually conducts tests to ensure the use of the cooking facilities are unlikely to cause an alarm and this is conducted before the building is ever occupied,” he said.

Besides attending more than 12,000 unwanted alarms at commercial properties, fireys attended 46 calls for audible alarms at domestic houses but no property owners were billed.

In all QFES attended 1807 residential structure fires, 480 commercial structure fires and 143 commercial structure fires received via FDAS.