Business and industry fire

Fire can have a devastating toll on businesses, destroying livelihoods and negatively impacting the community. They can also cause significant loss of infrastructure, income, productivity and stock. In devastating instances loss of life, injury, unemployment and bankruptcy can be the result of a fire.

It is important steps are taken to maintain a safe workplace and mitigate the risk of fire in your business. Some ways Businesses can protect themselves from fire include:

False fire alarms

DFES is committed to reducing the number of false fire alarms attended to each year.

A false fire alarm is when DFES attends a premises in response to an alarm where there is no fire. False fire alarms disrupt the community; cause complacency and business down time due to evacuations, and divert responders away from genuine emergencies, which could potentially lead to loss of life and property.

DFES is legally required by the Fire Brigades Act 1942 to attend to a call of fire. False fire alarms can be broken down into two groups: those that are Direct Brigade Alarms (DBAs) and those that are generated by privately monitored alarms.

In the 2019/20 financial year, firefighters responded to over 8,500 false fire alarm activations, which equates to approximately 23 false fire alarm attendances each day.

False fire alarm fee - fact sheet (PDF - 1.1mb) Managing false fire alarms - fact sheet (PDF - 565kb)

Application to waive a false fire alarm fee

If you believe you have been incorrectly charged a fee for an attendance to a false fire alarm, please complete the application to waive a false fire alarm (PDF) and submit along with any supporting documentation to DFES within 21 days from the date that appears on the false fire alarm fee invoice (see conditions below). This is in accordance with Section 36ZL(1)(d)(i) Fire and Emergency Services Act 1998.

Your application will be assessed and you will be informed in writing of the outcome via the email address or mailing address provided on the application.

If you require assistance in implementing strategies to minimise false fire alarm activations, visit our Smoke Alarms page for more information or speak to a registered and certified alarm installer.

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