Twelve fire and rescue services have modified their policies on responding to automatic fire alarms, according to the Fire Industry Association.

The FIA conducted desk-based research which found that most fire services had call challenging in place, but would still attend even if the automatic call could not be verified by a phone call.

The 12 fire services listed by the FIA are: Hampshire; Berkshire; Essex; Norfolk; Northamptonshire; Staffordshire; Warwickshire; West Midlands; West Yorkshire; Cumbria; Greater Manchester and Lancashire. Kent Fire and Rescue plans to require verification of automatic calls from 2012.

The association will be mounting a media campaign to inform local businesses of the changes to their fire and rescue service’s policy on attending automatic fire calls. It will recommend that businesses review their fire risk assessments and contact their detection and alarm maintenance company to review their system if needed.

Earlier this year, Graham Ellicott, the FIA’s chief executive, warned that charging for false alarm attendance could seriously compromise fire safety.

“If people decide to turn fire detection and alarms off because the alternative is a fine, this is a very dangerous route to take,” he said.

The FIA also sent a letter to all fire chiefs urging them not to deviate from to the CFOA Policy for the Reduction of False Alarms and Unwanted Fire Signals.