Falsely reporting an incident, like pulling a fire alarm station as a prank, is considered a felony. This means you can be punished with prison, probation, or a fine as the penalty. Despite this, fire alarm systems continue to be the target of criminals and vandals, especially in locations like schools and public hospitality areas. Thus, having additional security measures for these locations can protect your system where it counts and potentially save lives. Important fire safety equipment, like fire sprinklers, detectors, pull stations, and fire extinguishers are often the targets for malicious action. The abuse of these systems are so pervasive that sprinkler vandalism has even been cited as a reason not to include a sprinkler system at all.
The malicious activation of fire alarms refers to activating a pull station or call point for reasons other than a fire emergency. Malicious activation of your alarm is one type of fire alarm system vandalism or misuse. There are various motivations for carrying out malicious activation of the fire alarm system, ranging from pranks to inciting panic and chaos. In schools and universities, young people may trigger a fire alarm to escape their classes, as a prank, and to seek attention from their peers or on social media. Criminals may also activate fire alarms as a diversionary tactic during thefts and other criminal activities. These activations may allow them to escape or distract emergency services.
Regardless of their motivations, there are several consistent factors that can influence vandalism or malicious activations. For one, public access to fire alarm system equipment, especially in locations without security or surveillance is a big risk factor for vandalism. Second, high traffic areas with a large number of people passing through can lead to higher rates of fire alarm system vandalism. Fire alarm system vandalism is prevalent in environments like schools, universities, prisons, construction sites, hotels, and malls that have low security and transient public access.
Fire alarm system vandalism includes the intentional act of damaging, tampering, or misusing that components of a fire alarm system. It does not encompass instances where the fire alarm system is activated in conditions that would indicate a fire emergency is taking place.
There are tragic consequences involved with the vandalism of fire alarm system equipment. When vandals damage or tamper with equipment, there is a change that your system will not be able to function in a real emergency situation. Also, sometimes vandalism will result in a costly false alarm. These false alarms not only disrupt normal operations, but they waste the time of emergency services, create mistrust in the fire alarm system itself, and can result in fines or a loss in reputation for your institution. Even worse, people can injure themselves while trying to escape a building following the panic caused by the false activation of an alarm. This means it is more important than ever to ensure that the components of your fire alarm system are adequately protected.
Code Requirements surrounding pull station covers largely depend on your local AHJ’s preferences. However, regardless of your requirements, pull station covers offer many benefits. Having a pull station cover will keep your devices clean, free of debris and accidental activation. More importantly, having a cover with a sounder or a lock can serve as a physical deterrent to vandalism. The more difficult it is to tamper with your fire alarm equipment, the less likely someone is to engage in vandalism at all.
Integrating your fire alarm system with other security systems, like CCTV, is a great way to increase accountability for manual station activation. For example, if a fire alarm activates, nearby cameras can record the incident, allowing security to identify who triggered the device. In general, centralized monitoring is another important deterrent for vandalism and theft of fire safety equipment. Identifying who triggers an alarm adds an additional layer of accountability that encourages the fair use of fire alarm equipment. If you want to add more security to your system, STI has recently released the G3 / GF series of push buttons, which optionally come with a built-in camera. As a result, you can enjoy an additional level of authentication without configuring your CCTV system.
Keep Reading: What is Supervisory in a Fire Alarm System? >>
After the misuse of pull stations, the vandalism of fire extinguishers are the second largest concern for businesses and organizations. Fire Extinguishers are often easily accessible, spread throughout public buildings to protect vital escape routes. The malicious actions towards extinguishers can range from removing security tags to theft. Fire extinguisher cabinets can provide a physical deterrent to theft and damage. However, for additional protection you can use STI’s Fire Extinguisher Theft Stopper to trigger a self-contained alarm when the equipment is used. Protecting your fire extinguishers will help you to ensure your occupants are protected while they are escaping from a burning building.
In most cases, your smoke detectors will be located in areas that aren’t easily accessible, such as on the ceiling or walls. However, this is not always the case in some high risk locations like schools or construction sites. in some instances, detection devices can be reached by determined individuals and may be damaged or tampered with. Protect your expensive detection devices by using detector wire guards and protectors.
STI steel web stoppers prevent damage and misuse for your smoke detection devices. Their Web Stopper line is UL listed and constructed of 9-gauge steel. The steel wire also has a coating of polyester, which offers protection from corrosion and the elements for outdoor use. Space Age Electronics also offers their own detector guards, including the SSU03508 VDG guard, which is a low profile detector guard that still allows particles to enter the detector in normal conditions.
Notification devices are an essential component of a fire alarm system, which warns and instructs occupants during a fire emergency. When these devices are vandalized, early fire warnings are hindered or not sent to occupants at all. Both strobes and sounding devices are important for ensuring a prompt evacuation and to minimize panic or confusion.
Protect your audio and visual equipment by including wire guards, video surveillance, or tampering detection with event logging. Tampering detection allows you to know when your devices have been modified or damaged, so you know when to apply repairs or maintenance to your devices. If you want to go even further, you can add physical protection to your devices with a wire guard. STI offers wire guards for detectors.
Protecting fire alarm systems from vandalism is essential for maintaining occupant safety and quick emergency responses. Malicious activation or damage to components like pull stations and smoke detectors can lead to costly disruptions and put lives at risk. By using security measures such as surveillance cameras, protective covers, and tamper detection, organizations can reduce vandalism and preserve the integrity of these important systems for when they are needed most.
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