A Critical Review on the Application and Problems Caused by False Alarms

With the widespread application of automatic fire alarm systems in various types of buildings, the problem of fire false alarms has gradually become prominent, which not only causes resource waste, but also may reduce users’ trust in the alarm system, thereby affecting the efficiency of emergency response in actual fires. According to data from a certain fire cloud platform, 99.85% of the suspected fires predicted by its system are false alarms. Although existing models can recognize most fire accidents, the accuracy of fire alarm recognition is only 0.15%, due to loose judgment logic, which still requires a large amount of manpower to verify alarms. This article analyzes a large amount of false alarm data and explores the main causes of false alarms, including environmental interference, equipment failure, and improper human operation. By using a fire dynamics simulator (FDS) to establish fire simulation models under different data settings, horizontal and vertical multi-scene fire simulation data are obtained. The study combines simulation and platform data to form a fire and false alarm dataset using a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) and deep neural network (DNN) deep learning techniques to learn the deductive rules of the fire scene, establish a two-stage judgment model, and gradually, accurately, judge the results. By quantifying the precision, recall, and F1 score of the model, a deep learning model designed to accurately identify genuine fire alarms while filtering out false ones is proposed that can significantly reduce the false alarm rate. The results indicate that the model can identify 1705 false alarms out of 2255 highly suspected true alarms identified by existing systems in multiple practical scenarios and eliminate 75.61% of false positive alarms. On the premise of ensuring an authenticity recognition rate greater than 98%, the accuracy of fire alarm recognition increased from 0.15% to 28.85%, which will significantly reduce the workload of staff verifying alerts, and has good practical value.

The aim of this study was to determine the involvement of emergency medicine physicians at academic medical centers across the United States as well as their background training, roles in the hospital, and compensation if applicable for time dedicated to preparedness. A structured survey was delivered by means of email to 109 Chairs of Emergency Medicine across the United States at academic medical centers. Unique email links were provided to track response rate and entered into REDCap database. Descriptive statistics were obtained, including roles in emergency preparedness, training, and compensation. Forty-four of the 109 participants responded, resulting in a response rate of 40.4%. The majority held an administrative role in emergency preparedness. Formal training for the position (participants could select more than 1) included various avenues of education such as emergency medical services fellowship or in-person or online courses. Of the participants, most (93.18%) strongly agreed that it was important to have a physician with expertise in disaster medicine assisting with preparedness. The majority of responding academic medical center participants have taken an active role in hospital emergency preparedness. Education for the roles varied though, often consisted of courses from emergency management agencies. Volunteering their time for compensation was noted by 27.5%.

BackgroundChildren with disabilities and their families are at higher risk during emergencies and disasters, which is often attributed to the lack of disability inclusion in emergency response as well as disparities in preparedness. This disparity speaks to a need for emergency preparedness that centers children with disabilities and their families. The purpose of this study was to elicit the perspectives of health professionals (nurses, occupational therapists, social workers), disability advocates, and public safety personnel (e.g., fire fighters, police officers, emergency management administrators) on what would enable these types of professionals to support family-centered emergency preparedness for families who care for children with disabilities. One goal of this research is to provide recommendations for practice and policy to improve safety outcomes for children with disabilities and their families in emergency situations.MethodsThis study consisted of 46 qualitative interviews with nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, public safety personnel, and advocacy organization representatives about their role in emergency preparedness for families of children with disabilities. Qualitative content analysis was used to identify themes from participants’ responses.ResultsParticipants expressed interest in family-centered emergency preparedness, and stated that greater awareness, more education and training, increased networking between professions, and institutional support would enable their involvement.ConclusionsThese findings have implications for the importance of interprofessional collaboration in supporting family-centered emergency preparedness for families of children with disabilities. Stronger interprofessional networks would help overcome many of the barriers identified by participants, and advocacy groups appear to be well-positioned to bridge the gap between these professionals and their areas of expertise.

Introduction: Fire hazards are an extreme risk to occupants of high-rise buildings. Little attention has been paid to emergency and evacuation preparedness among people living in high-rise buildings. This paper reports on emergency fire preparedness among residents of a high-rise building that has experienced multiple fires in the past.Methods: An exploratory qualitative pilot study was conducted using key informant interviews. Six residents participated. Themes on preparedness for fires and emergency evacuation were extracted.Results: Findings indicated varying levels of preparedness for fires and emergency evacuation among residents. Factors influencing residents’ emergency preparedness included fire risk perception, owner or renter status, and building-level emergency preparedness. Fire alarms were considered to be an ineffective evacuation cue. Severe cues such as seeing fire or smoke were more likely to prompt evacuation. Participants provided a series of suggestions to keep high-rise residents safe during fire emergencies.Discussion: The study revealed fire preparedness knowledge, decision-making processes, and actual behaviors of residential high-rise occupants who experienced a fire emergency in their building. Main findings of the study are discussed in two themes: influences on fire emergency and evacuation preparedness, and evacuation decision-making and response to fire. Results from this pilot study will be used as the basis for a follow up study involving residents from multiple high-rise buildings.Keywords: disaster, emergency preparedness, evacuation, fire, hazard, high-rise building, pilot study, qualitative research

Cardiac arrest is a critical medical emergency with a high mortality rate that requires immediate and appropriate action to increase the chances of survival. One key factor in improving survival outcomes is the involvement of bystanders, particularly young people, in providing Basic Life Support (BLS). This community service activity was carried out to improve the knowledge and practical skills of youth organization members (Karang Taruna) in Kota Bambu Subdistrict, West Jakarta, in recognizing and responding to cardiac arrest using BLS procedures. The activity adopted the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) approach. The planning stage involved the preparation of materials and training tools for both theoretical and practical learning. The implementation phase included a 45-minute health education session covering the basics of BLS, especially cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), followed by hands-on training. Participants were divided into small groups and guided through practical CPR simulations using manikins, facilitated by six trained nursing students. The activity was conducted on June 14, 2025, and attended by 57 participants, with 27 actively participating in the CPR practice session. The evaluation stage revealed a notable increase in the participants’ understanding and ability to perform CPR effectively. This indicates that community-based BLS training can be a powerful tool in improving emergency response at the grassroots level. In addition to raising awareness, the activity also empowered the youth as first responders in their community, strengthening their role in emergency preparedness and response. The follow-up stage emphasized the importance of sustainability through continued collaboration between local health professionals and community organizations. In conclusion, BLS education and training programs for youth can significantly enhance community resilience and are recommended for broader implementation in other regions.

The EU Response to COVID-19: From Reactive Policies to Strategic Decision-Making.

In this study, we studied smoke and CO alarm concentrations to develop a combination detector for both smoke and CO. The derivation of smoke and CO alarm concentrations involved examining CO concentrations by smoke concentration using a sensitivity tester, typically employed for the type approval of photoelectric smoke detectors. Fire alarm and false alarm tests were performed to analyze smoke and CO concentrations further. In the fire alarm test conducted with polyurethane foam, generating black smoke with a reduced light scattering effect in the smoke chamber, no fire alarm was triggered, although the fire alarm concentration of the existing photoelectric smoke detector of sensitivity type 2 was set at 15 %/m. The measured smoke concentration reached only up to 10.2 %/m. Conversely, in the false alarm test with sliced pork belly and mackerel, false alarms occurred as the smoke concentration exceeded 15 %/m. The determined smoke and CO alarm concentrations for the combination detectors were established at 7.5 %/m for smoke (continuously for 10 s) and 15 ppm for CO (continuously for 10 s). Applying these concentrations in subsequent tests revealed an improved performance. In the polyurethane foam fire, where the existing smoke detector failed to operate, a fire alarm was issued at 328 s with the newly derived concentrations. For smoldering wood, the combination detector issued a fire alarm 305 s faster than the existing smoke detector. Furthermore, in the false alarm test with hamburger patty, sliced pork belly, and mackerel, the adaptability of false alarms was enhanced.

Emergency response is more than just awareness. It may become necessary for employees to participate in the response to certain major incidents. Fire alarms, active shooters, earthquakes, and hurricanes involve every occupant of a building. Most employees, when presented with the idea that they are necessary and part of the team during emergencies, will respond eagerly and proudly. In Commercial construction, doors are used to separate floors and transitional spaces so that fire and smoke can be contained during evacuation. Doors that are propped open are useless and could cause an emergency exit to become unusable. Patrol of the facility should also include observing, identifying, and closing doors that have been propped.

Due to their access to medically underserved and vulnerable populations, community health centers (CHCs) can play an essential role in emergency response. CHCs often fill this role in partnership with other local health resources, such as local health departments (LHD). Little research has been done to understand the success of these partnerships as it relates to emergency planning and emergency response. This study compares CHC and LHD personnel regarding past, present, and future collaborative preparedness and response activities. Surveys were distributed electronically to 1,265 clinical and clerical staff at LHDs and CHCs in 23 states who met the study criteria. Of the 522 respondents, 287 (55%) reported having engaged in collaborative preparedness activities in general, with CHCs more likely to report partnering than LHDs. LHDs were more likely than CHCs to report taking part in specific preparedness activities, such as planning activities (91, 79%), (chi(2)(1, N = 280) = 7.395, P < 0.05), mass dispensing drill/exercises (65, 42%), (chi(2)(1, N = 279) = 14.019, P < 0.001), and communication drill/exercises (69, 47%), (chi(2)(1, N = 280) = 13.059, P < 0.001). This study suggests that collaborations between CHCs and LHDs in general are occurring, but these general collaboration are not being translated into participation in functional drills or exercises. Additional efforts to ensure a more comprehensive partnership between CHCs and LHDs in emergency preparedness are warranted.

ABSTRACTMuch research in emergency preparedness is dedicated to exploring differences in behavior based on sociodemographic attributes. It has been suggested that these differences may be partially explained by cognitive threat appraisals; however, this relationship is rarely tested empirically in the literature. This study investigates the mediational role of cognitive threat appraisals on the relationship between sociodemographic attributes and anticipated emergency response in a representative sample of the Canadian public (n = 1502). Findings reveal that a number of sociodemographic characteristics such as gender, age, education, and income were significantly related to anticipated emergency response. Cognitive threat appraisals—including two measures of risk perception for terrorism threats—were similarly found to differ significantly by sociodemographic attributes, and were significantly related to anticipated emergency response. However, with the exception of gender, these differences in risk perception did not significantly explain the sociodemographic differences in anticipated response. These results suggest that while individual-level differences in appraisal are important considerations in emergency preparedness and response, further research should consider the broader contextual factors relevant to at-risk demographic groups to better explain these relationships. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.

Emergency exercises involving the health community are considered an important and integral part of emergency preparedness activities. However, little is known about whether these exercises are effective at improving individual and/or organisational preparedness for responding to emergencies. This paper reviews and summarises published evidence on the effectiveness and benefits of exercises to prepare health emergency professionals for responding to emergencies and disasters. A literature search strategy was designed to identify the relevant publications from four major medical databases (Medline, Embase, Global Health and CINAHL). Studies meeting our inclusion criteria were analysed in detail (N=86). Both qualitative and quantitative data were reviewed. Data analysis involved a descriptive summary and a thematic analysis.Health emergency preparedness exercises were found to be effective (post exercise) at improving participants’ knowledge of emergency activities, policies and procedures and improving overall competence and confidence. Other immediate individual benefits included improved perceptions of preparedness and improved understanding of individual roles and roles of partners. Whether these improvements persist over time and translate into improved emergency response is not clear. The most commonly reported post-exercise organisational benefits were: identifying gaps or limitations in plans, protocols or procedures and providing opportunities to share lessons. Only a few identified studies reported the long-term impact of exercises on job practices and on real emergency response. Published evidence of exercises impact on individual and organisational levels of emergency preparedness and response over the long term is very limited. The majority of the studies included (n=65, 76%) were US-based.

16 - The Clinical Engineering Department Role in Emergency Preparedness

Classification of social media posts in emergency response is an important\npractical problem: accurate classification can help automate processing of such\nmessages and help other responders and the public react to emergencies in a\ntimely fashion. This research focused on classifying Facebook messages of US\npolice departments. Randomly selected 5,000 messages were used to train\nclassifiers that distinguished between four categories of messages: emergency\npreparedness, response and recovery, as well as general engagement messages.\nFeatures were represented with bag-of-words and word2vec, and models were\nconstructed using support vector machines (SVMs) and convolutional (CNNs) and\nrecurrent neural networks (RNNs). The best performing classifier was an RNN\nwith a custom-trained word2vec model to represent features, which achieved the\nF1 measure of 0.839.\n

In the occasion of outdoor warehouse and large scale indoor warehouse, the currently widely used infrared and smoke sensors for fire alarm may can not work properly for various kinds of interferences and noises, which is prone to error fire prediction or omission prediction and other problems. Based on the design of reliable flame recognition algorithm, the paper constructed practical fire alarm system based on multi-source information fusion. The system used time-division multiplexing technology to combine temperature sensor, photoelectric smoke detector and infrared CCD image detector into multi-source fire disaster detector group. It also utilized multi-source information fusion decision-making method to complete task of accurate prediction of fire level and alarm, which improves the reliability of fire alarm and decrease the false alarm rate.

Effective multiagency coordination is important for timely emergency response to minimise loss of lives and property damage. During emergencies, multiple agencies, such as the fire department, paramedics, police, government agencies, and nongovernmental organisations often respond. Without clear leadership and a well-defined command structure, there is the risk of duplication of roles, wastage of resources, confusion, and loss of lives. The study evaluates the leadership and command structures in multiagency coordination during emergency response in Nairobi County, Kenya. It focuses on how leadership adaptability, accountability, and decision-making processes affect the efficacy of multiagency coordination during emergency response. It uses a descriptive survey research design, questionnaires, and key informant interviews to collect data from key emergency response agencies in Nairobi County, Kenya. A sample of 316 respondents was selected through purposive and simple random sampling techniques. The findings show that 72.1% of respondents agree that leaders demonstrate accountability and transparency. However, there are challenges in adapting to rapidly changing emergencies, with political interference occasionally interfering with the established command structures. Further, 67.5% of respondents agree that decision-making processes are generally transparent, but inconsistencies arise when individuals bypass the Incident Command System (ICS). The study recommends enhancing the enforcement of the ICS to ensure streamlined decision-making, adaptation, and accountability through targeted training. This will result in more efficient multiagency coordination and timely emergency response in Nairobi County, Kenya, and beyond.