Changes to how Burnham-On-Sea fire crews responds to automatic fire alarms came into effect on 4th November 2025, following a public consultation earlier this year.
The updated policy at Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service aims to reduce false callouts and ensure crews are available for genuine emergencies.
Between 2020 and March 2025, automatic fire alarms triggered nearly 58,000 alerts across the region, but only 1.7% were classed as actual emergencies. The service says this placed a strain on resources and impacted its ability to respond swiftly to real incidents.
The following changes were implemented from 4th November 2025:
- Industrial and commercial – 24 hours non-attendance to automatic fire alarms unless confirmed signs of fire.
- Retail and public assembly – 24 hours non-attendance to automatic fire alarms unless confirmed signs of fire (maintaining out-of-term-time cover for schools).
- Residential – phased approach to introduce non-attendance to automatic fire alarms during daytime hours, unless confirmed signs of fire.
Within the residential category, the Service will:
- exempt care homes, houses of multiple occupation, and sheltered accommodation
- carry out a phased approach, starting with prisons, boarding schools, and hospitals that are not exempt.
Chief Fire Officer Gavin Ellis thanked those who took part in the consultation and said the changes will help crews focus on emergencies and prevention work.
“We will always attend if someone reports a sign of fire — this is about reducing unnecessary responses to automatic alerts,” he said.
The revised policy builds on a change introduced 12 years ago, when the Service stopped attending automatic fire alarms at non-domestic properties during weekday working hours unless fire was confirmed.
The changes are expected to save the whole service over £178,000 annually and bring additional benefits including reduced fuel consumption, lower carbon emissions, and increased time for firefighter training and community safety work.
Business owners are reminded of their responsibility to maintain effective fire detection and reporting systems. More details are available here.
