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Alarm tests

bristolvr3

Hello everyone.

Today (Wednesday 13th November), I was at my workplace, doing some data input work. In the late morning, me and my colleagues were told that the intruder and fire alarms were being tested. However, the tester never told me how many test alarms there would be, or how long the testing would be going on for.

Several test alarms were sounded. On each occasion, the alarm would literally make me jump. Even my colleagues were distracted like I was. Sudden, uncontrolled noises of any description would normally frighten me, yet I somehow carried on working as hard as I normally do. However, if the emergency alarm sounded in real life, I would keep calm, save my work if I can, and follow all the necessary evacuation instructions.

I was really worried that all those intermittent alarm tests would upset me, bring me to tears, or even stop me from working, but I kept calm, and everyone in my quite small office was OK. I remember when occasional alarm tests and mock evacuations were carried out during my 1980s and 1990s school days. I would not want my hard work interrupted, but any alarm test or mock evacuation is essential for safety reasons.

Do any of you have any similar experiences?

  • Does anyone have any views regarding fire practices in primary schools?  Our son's school insisted on carrying out alarm test without any warning, he hates alarms, sirens and car horns, they hurt him.  He was shaking and crying uncontrollably during the practice.  He was then upset late into the night, and awake again during the early hours. School insist he cannot gave pre warning to put on ear defenders, or to know that it may happen. What are others' experiences?  I feel that if it were a real fire, the upset caused by that would obliterate any upset by an alarm.  It seems very officious and cruel to do this to him.

  • In a small building, such as a small office, a high street shop, a coffee shop, or even aboard a bus or train for that matter, it is virtually impossible to avoid getting a sudden shock from those sudden, unexpected alarms. They are essential for safety and security purposes, but they can make me jump. However, in a larger building, such as a large supermarket, a football stadium or a railway station, there's more room to move around, and any alarms would not make me jump quite so much.

    In any case, either one of my work colleagues would give me support and assurance, or public address announcements would be made, where available. At school, even at such a young age, I did not want any of my lessons interrupted or delayed in any way, although I soon admitted that the mock fire drills etc were important. Any fire drill would be rather awkward in a large school, a large university, a large workplace or whatever with hundreds of people in it.

  • I find all kinds of alarms (fire, car, house etc) uncomfortable, though cannot judge whether i'm more sensitive than the general population. they do startle me and I hate being too close to the source.

    It is interesting that in many public buildings the "refuges" set up for wheelchair users and other disabled to wait, in event of a fire, are usually next to the fire alarms. The reason is that the alarm locations have incorporated intercoms so that disabled people waiting in these refuges can communicate with the emergency services. But how then are they supposed to communicate when right next to the alarm, and unable as a consequence to hear or make themselves heard? Not to mention the intense discomfort.

    Seems the technos haven't got round to the idea of having separate intercoms so the refuges don't have to be next to the alarms.

    Many years ago I lived in Camberley where I think it was every Monday at 11 they tested the alarms for a Broadmoor escape (indeed one major escape took place during the practice alarm).

    I normally heard this at work, but one time I was off sick and I was living in an attic flat which unknown to me was right next to the local test alarm. The noise was incredible and I still remember the pain trying to crouch down in a stairwell covering my ears.