Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) has announced a change to how it responds to Automatic Fire Alarm (AFA) activations, coming into effect from 1 August 2025.
From this date, the fire service will no longer automatically attend AFAs in commercial and non-residential buildings between 8:00am and 6:00pm unless there are confirmed signs of fire. This includes properties such as shops, offices, leisure centres, and libraries.
The change follows a public consultation and reflects figures showing that more than 97% of AFA calls were false alarms, often triggered by things like aerosol sprays or cooking fumes. In 2023 alone, nearly 6,500 false alarms were attended by HIWFRS crews.
Buildings where people sleep—such as homes, flats, care homes, hotels, and hospitals—will still receive an automatic response at all hours. Exceptions also apply to some heritage sites and educational institutions during holidays.
Area Manager Phil Barrett said:
“This change will help strengthen our response to more urgent incidents and enable the service to better utilise resources across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.”
The move is aimed at reducing unnecessary disruption for businesses and freeing up firefighters for real emergencies and community fire prevention work. Many neighbouring fire services already operate under similar policies.
To help businesses prepare, HIWFRS is running a series of free webinars for Responsible Persons and owners of affected premises on 30 May and 27 June. For more info and to book a webinar go to Business webinars – Hants Fire.
For guidance on the changes and fire safety responsibilities go to Automatic Fire Alarms – Hants Fire.