Official Statistics

False alarms dataset guidance

Updated 23 August 2024

Applies to England

Publishing Incident Recording System data on the fire and rescue service at an incident level:

Frequency of release: Annual

First publication: 12 September 2019

Latest update: 25 July 2024

Forthcoming releases: Home Office statistics release calendar

Home Office responsible statistician: Helene Clark

Press enquiries: pressoffice@homeoffice.gov.uk

Telephone: 0300 123 3535

Public enquiries: firestatistics@homeoffice.gov.uk

1. Background

Data quality

Incident records in the Incident Recording System (IRS) are the responsibility of and quality assured by fire and rescue services (FRSs). The Home Office and FRSs work together to improve the data within the IRS and minimise any inconsistencies or errors. However, as the IRS was not designed with record level datasets in mind, a very small number of previously unidentified inconsistencies have been discovered (see project overview for further detail).

IRS incident records are a judgement call of the lead fire officer at the time of the incident. The quality of the information provided by fire and rescue services is variable and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed, especially at a record level, for instance some records involve estimation by those in attendance.

Dataset rationale

The Home Office receive requests regarding false alarms. This dataset provides this information but not at such a precise level that personal data could be identified and/or linked from other datasets.

Dataset definition

The false alarms dataset covers incidents attended by FRSs that were fire and non-fire false alarms in England. The Home Office only has jurisdiction for fire policy in England, and therefore has published incident data for England only.

A false alarm is where the FRS attends a location believing there to be a fire or non-fire incident, but on arrival discovers that no such incident exists, or existed. If the appliances are ‘Turned around’ by Command and Control before arriving at the incident, then the incident is not classed as having been attended and does not need to be reported.

Malicious false alarms are calls made with the intention of getting the FRS to attend a non-existent fire or non-fire incident, including deliberate and suspected malicious intentions. There is an option to select ‘service not required’ in this category.

Good intent false alarms are calls made in good faith in the belief that the FRS really would attend a fire or non-fire incident.

Fire-false alarm due to apparatus are calls initiated by fire alarm and fire-fighting equipment operating (including accidental initiation of alarm apparatus by persons or where an alarm operates and a person then routinely calls the FRS as part of a standing arrangement, that is, with no ‘judgement’ involved, for example from a security call centre or a nominated person in an organisation).

The data in this dataset is consistent with records that reached the IRS by 15 May 2024.

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2. Variable by variable - scene setting

Variable Name: FRS_TERRITORY

Variable Description: The FRS in which the false alarm took place

IRS Question: 1.6

The fire and rescue service (FRS) refers to the territory in which the incident took place, not necessarily the FRS which responded. Occasionally an FRS will respond to an incident “over the border”, because of this, users should be careful about making general comments about particular FRSs as some incidents may have been attended by other FRSs. This dataset only covers incidents that took place in England.

Variable Name: E_CODE_TERRITORY
Variable Description: The E Code of the FRS
IRS Question: 1.6 (based on)

The standard National Statistics code (E Code) of the fire and rescue service (FRS) in FRS_TERRITORY.

Variable Name: FINANCIAL_YEAR
Variable Description: The financial year the false alarm took place
IRS Question: 2.1 (based on)

A financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March. Record level information is published from the financial year 2010 to 2011 - although the IRS began in April 2009 there are a few minor issues with the the financial year 2009 to 2010 records which mean that while statistics at higher levels are robust some of the incident level records are not of a sufficient quality to publish. Incidents are allocated to financial year depending on the time of the call, which is usually collected through automatic systems, so for example an incident where the call was made at 23.59 on March 31 2010 but the incident was closed at 01.34 on April 1 2010 would be allocated to the financial year 2009 to 2010 not the financial year 2010 to 2011.

Variable Name: WEEKDAY_WEEKEND
Variable Description: Whether the false alarm took place on a weekday or a weekend
IRS Question: 2.1 (based on)

The weekend is defined as starting at 6pm on Friday evening and running until 6am on Monday morning. Incidents are allocated to this variable depending on the time of the call, which is usually collected through automatic systems.

Variable Name: DAY_NIGHT
Variable Description: Whether the false alarm took place in day or night
IRS Question: 2.1 (based on)

Incidents are allocated to this variable depending on the time of the call, which is usually collected through automatic systems. “Night” is defined as starting at midnight and running until 6am, “Morning” runs from 6am to midday, “Afternoon” from midday to 6pm and “Evening” from 6pm to midnight.

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3. Variable by variable - situation

Variable Name: FALSE_ALARM_MAIN_TYPE
Variable Description: The type of false alarm
IRS Question: 3.4

The ‘false alarm’ dataset covers all false alarms. This variable includes the high-level fire false alarms recorded as due to apparatus, good intent and malicious and non-fire false alarms recorded as good intent and malicious.

Variable Name: FALSE_ALARM_TYPE_LEVEL1
Variable Description: The type of false alarm
IRS Question: 3.4

This variable includes the next level of false alarm categories. See tables FIRE0104 and FIRE0902 for full list.

Variable Name: FALSE_ALARM_TYPE_LEVEL2
Variable Description: The type of false alarm
IRS Question: 3.4

This variable includes the lowest level of false alarm categories. See tables FIRE0104 and FIRE0902 for full list.

Variable Name: LOCATION
Variable Description: Location of the false alarm
IRS Question: 3.2

The ‘false alarm’ dataset includes all location types for where a false alarm has occurred. The definitions for these variables are consistent with those used in the dwelling fires dataset and the other building fires dataset with the other locations consisting of the remaining property types.

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4. Variable by variable - resourcing

Variable Name: VEHICLES
Variable Description: The number of fire service vehicles that attended the incident
IRS Question: 6.2

The total number of FRS vehicles that attended the incident. This includes all types of vehicle, for example hazardous materials units, fire boats and canteen vans would be included in this total. Large numbers are grouped for ease of use and to reduce the personal data risk of incidents being matched across datasets. For example there is likely to be few incidents attended by 47 vehicles and this could be matched to other datasets containing this variable but grouping these in the “15 or more” grouping makes this impossible.

Variable Name: VEHICLES_CODE
Variable Description: A code to help users analyse data
IRS Question: 6.2

Because some of the options in the vehicles variable contains letters (for example, 15 or more) this code has been added after feedback from users to aid analysis. 99 is used for “don’t know”.

Variable Name: PERSONNEL
Variable Description: The number of fire crew and officers that attended the incident
IRS Question: Combination of 6.1 and 6.4

The number of FRS personnel that attended the incident on fire service appliances or by other means (for example, their own vehicle, on foot). Large numbers of personnel are grouped for ease of use and to reduce the personal data risk of incidents being matched across datasets. For example, there are likely to be few incidents attended by 147 officers and this could be matched to other datasets containing this variable but grouping these in the “40 or more” grouping makes this impossible.

Variable Name: PERSONNEL _CODE
Variable Description: A code to help users analyse data
IRS Question: 6.2

Because some of the options in the personnel variable contains letters (for example, 40 or more) this code has been added after feedback from users to aid analysis. 99 is used for “don’t know”.

Variable Name: RESPONSE_TIME
Variable Description: The time between the call being made and the first fire vehicle attending the scene
IRS Question: Combination of 2.1 and 6.8

The time of the call is defined as when first call was received to Command and Control. If the call was received by one FRS and relayed to another, then the time of the call to the first FRS is used. Both of these variables are usually collected through automatic systems.

Variable Name: RESPONSE_TIME_CODE
Variable Description: A code to help users analyse data
IRS Question: Combination of 2.1 and 6.8

Because all of the options in the response time variable contains letters (for example, 1 to 2 mins) this code has been added after feedback from users to aid analysis. 99 is used for “don’t know”.

Variable Name: TIME_AT_SCENE
Variable Description: The time between the first fire vehicle attending the scene and the incident being closed.
IRS Question: Combination of 6.8 and 2.6

An incident is closed when the last FRS appliance, vehicle or officer left the scene of the incident. Both of these variables are usually collected through automatic systems.

Variable Name: TIME_AT_SCENE _CODE
Variable Description: A code to help users analyse data
IRS Question: Combination of 6.8 and 2.6

Because all of the options in the time at scene variable contains letters (for example, 0 to 15 mins) this code has been added after feedback from users to aid analysis.