“We Thought It Was Just Another False Alarm”

 It’s time we treat false alarms not as minor annoyances, but as the dangerous warning signs they truly are.

Another devastating fire — this time in Grande Prairie — has displaced dozens of residents and, sadly, it echoes a troubling pattern we’ve seen far too often.

According to news reports, several residents stated they didn’t evacuate immediately when the alarm sounded. Why? Because they’d “heard so many alarms before.” This isn’t surprising. In fact, it’s a well-documented but rarely discussed problem in building safety.

Frequent false alarms desensitize people. The more often alarms go off without an actual emergency, the more likely occupants are to treat future alarms as routine noise — not the life-saving warning they are meant to be.

This is not a new phenomenon. We’ve seen it in high-rises across Ontario, in residential towers and commercial buildings alike. Repeated alarms — often caused by poor maintenance, outdated systems, or avoidable human error — chip away at occupant trust. And when a real emergency hits, people hesitate.

If you're a property manager, building operator, or condo board member, ask yourself:

·         How often do alarms go off in your building without cause?

·         When was the last time you reviewed your fire alarm incident logs?

·         Have your residents or tenants started tuning them out?

Fire alarms are only effective if people trust them. That trust must be earned and maintained.

What Can Building Owners Do About False Fire Alarms?

False fire alarms are more than a nuisance—they’re a reputational, operational, and financial liability. They strain emergency services, disrupt resident trust, and signal that building systems or procedures may not be functioning as intended. For condo corporations and building owners, here are practical steps to get ahead of the problem:

1. Investigate Every Alarm — No Exceptions

Every fire alarm activation, even when there’s no visible smoke or fire, must be treated seriously. Whether staff are on-site or responding remotely:

• Require an incident report for every alarm. This creates a record that supports investigation, accountability, and pattern recognition.

• Don’t normalize false alarms. Repeated dismissals lead to complacency and risk. Instead, engage your Fire Consultant to determine root causes.

• Document systemic issues, such as recurring alarms tied to mechanical failures, construction dust, or resident behavior.

2. Communicate With Your Residents After Each Alarm

Residents are your partners in safety. Failing to follow up after an alarm can lead to confusion, mistrust, or worse—non-compliance in a real emergency.

• Send timely updates to residents after every alarm. Let them know if it was false, and what actions are being taken to prevent recurrence.

• Use digital tools, like property management platforms or building apps, to streamline communication.

• Educate residents on alarm triggers—such as cooking smoke or propped-open suite doors—to reduce human error.

 3. Conduct Annual Fire Alarm Review

 Buildings conduct monthly, at times quarterly and annual fire testing, but few pause annually to ask: What’s really going on with our alarms?

• Analyze trends in alarm activations. Are they coming from specific units? Certain times of year? Construction zones?

• Engage your Fire Consultant or Engineer annually to review fire alarm logs and provide a root cause analysis and recommendations.

• Use data to advocate for upgrades or operational changes—backed by evidence, not just opinion. More often than not, you can save money during these reviews.

4. Upgrade Outdated Systems

Many nuisance alarms stem from aging fire detection technology that’s no longer reliable in modern living environments.

• Budget for lifecycle replacements. Don’t wait until the system fails—proactively invest in replacements before the end of life cycle.

5. Understand the True Cost of False Alarms

False alarms can trigger response fees from fire services, result in elevator shutdowns, disrupt operations, residents / occupants, and pause operations in commercial and retail units.

• Track costs over the year: service calls, downtime, after-hours staffing, fire department invoices.

• Some municipalities allow appeals or cost recovery plans if you can demonstrate action has been taken.

• Share these numbers with your board or ownership group to gain support for corrective investments, and more importantly, share the stats of fire alarm reductions and cost avoidance providing evidence of your efforts.

6. Invest in Technology to simplify Incident Tracking

Modern problems need modern tools. Use technology to take control of your building’s fire safety data.

• Implement platforms like SafeBuildings.ca to log every fire alarm activation, instantly complete reports - with photograghs of the alarm status and details, track cause and corrective action.

• Automate reminders for alarm maintenance and post-incident follow-up.

• Maintain a digital record of due diligence—critical in the event of future investigations or insurance claims.

False alarms are predictable and preventable—if you treat them like real events. The more proactive and transparent your building management becomes, the more trust you build with residents, contractors, and regulators.

National Life Safety Group is a dedicated team passionate about providing real solutions to protect people, operations, assets, and reputations.

We specialize in integrating Fire Engineering, Safety, and Emergency Management strategies that enhance resilience, ensure compliance, and drive meaningful results for our clients.