By Wayne Rothbauer
Should we stay or should we go? is a dilemma every fire department faces when personnel respond to an activated fire alarm and find nothing burning. Do you search the entire structure a second time? Or do you reset the alarm panel and return to quarters? What is your department's policy if you are unable to rest the alarm panel? Following is an account of an activated fire alarm the Hoffman Estates (IL) Fire Department responded to in September 2000 and what we learned.
Our department responded to an activated fire alarm in a one-story office building located within a 15-building complex. Our normal response to such a call is one engine, one truck, and one squad. The building's fire protection consisted of smoke detectors, pull stations, and a sprinkler suppression system.
If you are a current subscriber,login hereto access this content.
If you would like to become a subscriber, please visit ushere.
