Major change announced for Devon fire crews’ response to alarms from November

From November, Devon fire crews will no longer automatically attend most fire alarm call-outs, unless there are clear signs of fire, the Fire Service has announced.

The move comes after nearly 60,000 automatic fire alarm call-outs in the past five years, with fewer than 2 per cent proving to be real emergencies.

Chief Fire Officer Gavin Ellis said: “These changes will help us to keep our fire crews available for real emergencies and prevention work rather than attending false alarms. We will always attend if someone has reported a sign of fire. The changes are only to what we will do in response to an automatic alert, not a report of a fire.”

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From 4 November 2025:

• Crews will not attend alarms at shops, businesses, or public buildings unless fire is confirmed. Schools will still get cover in term time.
• Residential buildings will see a phased change. Care homes, houses of multiple occupation and sheltered housing are exempt. Prisons, boarding schools and some hospitals will be included in the new rules.
• Crews will always attend alarms at houses and flats, or anywhere with a known night-time sleeping risk.

The Service says the move will save nearly £180,000 a year, cut fuel use, and give firefighters more time for training and community fire safety work.

For West Devon, this means local businesses and schools will need to make sure they have appropriate procedures in place to confirm a fire before they call 999.

Mr Ellis added: “We will also always attend single domestic properties, such as houses, or where there is a known night-time sleeping risk.”

The Fire Service says they have listened to local feedback before making this decision, and stressed that if anyone sees signs of fire, they should always call 999 immediately.