Material Detail

We all have heard the story of the boy who cried "wolf," in which a sheepherder continually calls for help for a nonexistent wolf attack on his flock. After repeated false alarms, the villagers no longer responded to his cry--even when a real attack finally occurred. Disaster eventually happens after complacency sets in. Have we in the fire service fallen for the same scenario with regard to automatic fire alarm responses? Do we casually answer these electronic calls for help after growing used to the many times we have responded and there was no emergency? Even though the majority of automatic fire alarm calls do not lead to full-blown structure fires, we must not fall victim to the "boy who cried `wolf`" syndrome concerning these types of responses. Becoming more familiar with the different types of automatic fire alarm systems--focusing on those found in strip malls, townhouses, garden apartments, large covered malls, and private residences--will make us better prepared to mitigate automatic fire alarms within these occupancies.