Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service is urging building occupants and owners to ensure their fire detection and alarm systems are properly maintained and managed.
Over a seven-day period, firefighters have responded to 66 fire alarms where there is in fact no fire or other emergency.
"Most people would assume the fire and rescue service isn't as busy outside of the dry season in the Top End, or the southern bushfire season, which we are currently experiencing in Central Australia. However, fundamentally we're a service that serves and protects the community 24/7 within our 26 emergency response areas which includes extinguishing fires, responding to serious injury and fatal road crashes, and protecting life and property from hazardous material incidents and other emergencies that may occur," said Assistant Chief Fire Officer Joshua Fischer.
"Our firefighters have been extremely busy this Top End wet season due to unwanted activations of fire alarms. These false alarms are generally caused by weather, accidental activation and poor building maintenance.
"Fire alarms have occurred in buildings throughout the Territory, where the NT Fire Alarm System Transmission (NTFAST) has been activated and the closest fire station responded."
In some of these incidents, fire detection and alarm systems which have not been properly maintained activated for no reason, said Mr Fischer.
Building owners and their representatives must ensure that their fire detection and alarm system, and the entire site it protects, is managed effectively to provide fire safety and to mitigate unwanted fire alarms.
For more information about your requirements as a building owner, visit https://www.pfes.nt.gov.au/fire-and-rescue-service/ntfast
