First reported 25 Aug 2017•Latest report 16 Jun 2026
Definition
What this concern includes
Includes failures to distinguish fault and fire signals, operate audible or visual alerts, transmit alarms, notify responsible staff, initiate an emergency call or escalate after a fire condition is detected.
Not included
Excludes absence, coverage or detection-timing of prison in-cell fire detection when no alert or escalation failure is asserted; those belong to the prison fire-detection parent.
Excludes general fire prevention, evacuation, suppression, staffing or training where alarm and escalation are not deficient.
Excludes response failures after a clear and reliable fire alarm has been received unless part of the same escalation system.
Excludes non-fire notification systems.
Reports
6
Distinct published reports
Individual concerns
10
A report can raise multiple concerns
Date range
2017–2026
First to latest report issue date
Stated actions
26
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Birmingham City Council1
Chartered Trading Standards Institute1
Crown Premises Fire Safety Inspectorate1
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy1
Devon County Council1
East End Homes Limited1
East London NHS Foundation Trust1
Guinness Care and Support Limited1
HM Prison and Probation Service1
Hotpoint UK Appliances Limited1
Local Government Association1
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham1
London Borough of Wandsworth1
London Councils1
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government1
London borough council2
Ministerial department2
Professional membership body2
English county council1
English metropolitan district council1
Executive agency1
Fire safety inspectorate1
Healthcare site1
Local-government membership body1
Multi-service care provider1
National fire and rescue body1
NHS trust1
Prison or young offender institution1
Private limited company1
Product safety regulator1
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
Birmingham and Solihull
Concerns raised3
Failure to ensure operators distinguish fault and fire notifications and escalate appropriately
Lack of a clear procedure for handling fault and fire signals received in quick succession
Failure to ensure correct ordering of sprinkler fault and fire signals
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.7
Action
Update procedures so duplicate or successive notifications are individually acknowledged, assessed, actioned and escalated.
Stated by Birmingham City CouncilStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 14 August 2026.
Action
Issue written instructions and deliver verbal briefings reinforcing separate assessment of each notification and verification of its wording and classification.
Stated by Birmingham City CouncilStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 14 August 2026.
Action
Add mandatory electronic pop-up reminders requiring operators to acknowledge review of notifications before continuing call handling.
Stated by Birmingham City CouncilStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 14 August 2026.
Action
Obtain written confirmation from all operators that they have read, understood and will comply with revised procedures.
Stated by Birmingham City CouncilStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 14 August 2026.
Action
Continue individual operator discussions through supervision to reinforce learning and maintain compliance with revised procedures.
Stated by Birmingham City CouncilStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 14 August 2026.
Action
Review training and operator competency arrangements, embedding learning on alarm distinctions, individual assessment and escalation through procedures, briefings and supervision.
Stated by Birmingham City CouncilStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 14 August 2026.
Action
Continue reviewing training requirements and operator competency arrangements through continuous improvement and TSA accreditation processes.
Stated by Birmingham City CouncilStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 14 August 2026.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Position
The sprinkler notification transmitter was correctly configured and wired, so the signals were not sent in the wrong order because of installation error.
Stated by Birmingham City CouncilDisputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
Rutland and North Leicestershire
Concerns raised3
Failure to keep aspirating fire detection system fault buzzers operational
Failure to protect aspirating fire detection system control panels from deliberate tampering
Lack of central oversight of aspirating fire detection system faults
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.14
Action
Complete 19 of the 26 fire-safety actions identified in the strategic action plan.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation ServiceStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 9 October 2025.
Action
Install a replacement fire panel after discovering that the existing panel had been tampered with.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation ServiceStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 9 October 2025.
Action
Issue a national instruction requiring prison maintenance teams to keep fire-safety equipment efficient and fully operational.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation ServiceStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 9 October 2025.
Action
Use maintenance-response data to assure that fire-panel fault alerts are unsilenced and remaining issues are rectified.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation ServiceStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 9 October 2025.
Action
Introduce a daily morning-meeting feedback system for discussing and reporting fire faults and tracking follow-up.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation ServiceStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 9 October 2025.
Action
Conduct post-fire visits and inspections to identify fire safety and management failures at HMP Stocken.
Stated by Crown Premises Fire Safety InspectorateStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 9 October 2025.
Action
Serve enforcement action-plan notices on responsible duty holders addressing fire alarm faults, detector tampering, training, drills, maintenance, monitoring and spare components.
Stated by Crown Premises Fire Safety InspectorateStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 9 October 2025.
Action
Monitor compliance with served notices and conduct a follow-up visit to HMP Stocken in January 2026.
Stated by Crown Premises Fire Safety InspectorateStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 9 October 2025.
Action
Create and use a revised inspection aide memoire specifying detailed checks of fire detection, warning, maintenance and anti-tampering arrangements in prison residential wings.
Stated by Crown Premises Fire Safety InspectorateStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 9 October 2025.
Action
Restrict access to fire-alarm-panel keys to authorised maintenance and health-and-safety personnel.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation ServiceStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 9 October 2025.
Action
Commission fact-finding investigations into possible staff involvement in fire-equipment tampering.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation ServiceStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 9 October 2025.
Action
Mandate that tampering with fire equipment is a disciplinary offence and will be investigated.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation ServiceStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 9 October 2025.
Action
Communicate staff fire-safety responsibilities, reporting requirements and disciplinary consequences through meetings, blogs, briefings and senior-team correspondence.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation ServiceStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 9 October 2025.
Action
Replace fire-alarm systems on I and K wings and the Care and Separation Unit, with networking to the Control Room.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation ServiceStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 9 October 2025.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Position
Crown bodies cannot be prosecuted under the Fire Safety Order, although enforcement notices remain available where continued non-compliance creates significant safety risks.
Stated by Crown Premises Fire Safety InspectorateUnable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
Inner North London
Concerns raised1
Failure to provide monitoring of the fire alarm in the flats
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
London (East)
Concerns raised1
Absence of functioning fire detection and warning in maisonette halls or landings
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Inner West London
Concerns raised1
Failure to escalate fire-alarm activations to the fire brigade within 30 seconds
This report raised 12 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Plymouth, Torbay and South Devon
Concerns raised1
Failure of smoke detectors to alert a fire station
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.5
Action
Use Care Act assessments, risk-based analysis and care planning to identify and address fire risks through support or assistive technology.
Stated by Devon County CouncilStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 25 August 2018.
Action
Inform DCC care management staff about incident learning and remind them to consider alternative alerting options in similar circumstances.
Stated by Devon County CouncilStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 25 August 2018.
Action
Inform NHS and DCC staff using the community equipment service about incident learning and available assistive-technology alerting solutions.
Stated by Devon County CouncilStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 25 August 2018.
Action
Raise incident learning and alternative alerting options through local and countywide management forums.
Stated by Devon County CouncilStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 25 August 2018.
Action
Share incident learning and alerting options with the Provider Engagement Network, including reminders about robust risk assessment and escalation of concerns.
Stated by Devon County CouncilStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 25 August 2018.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
Position
The Fire Service does not have facilities to monitor individual properties or respond directly to smoke-detector alerts.
Stated by Devon County CouncilDisputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
Position
The most suitable fire-risk technology must be agreed with social services, the individual and other relevant parties.
Stated by Guinness CareRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
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Includes failures to distinguish fault and fire signals, operate audible or visual alerts, transmit alarms, notify responsible staff, initiate an emergency call or escalate after a fire condition is detected.
