Food steam triggers fire brigade operation in Brake: false alarm in the retirement home!

Food steam triggers fire brigade operation in Brake: false alarm in the retirement home!

In a retirement home in Brake there was a false alarm from the fire alarm system at lunchtime. The Hafenstrasse volunteer fire department, the rescue service and the police responded after the alarm was triggered. City Fire Chief Bernd Kempendorf confirmed that the alarm was caused by food steam rising from a warming container under a smoke detector. After a short reconnaissance, the operation was canceled because there was no danger. This shows once again how sensitively modern fire alarm systems can react to various vapors. NWZ Online reports on the quick measures and the ultimately good news: everything was fine.

But what actually happens when the fire department has to be called out due to a false alarm? Many people may be concerned about possible costs. But the all-clear can be given here: As long as there is no intentional or grossly negligent false alarm, the municipalities will not be required to reimburse costs. If in doubt, it is better to alert too early than to take a risk, say the experts. Smoke detector life saver informed that in case of doubt the fire department always has the last word and can decide how to react to the situation.

Smoke alarms in Germany: A success story

In Germany, smoke alarms are now a matter of course, a fact that was unthinkable more than three decades ago. Thanks to intensive educational work by the fire departments and political measures, all residential buildings are now legally required to be equipped with these devices. This legal obligation has contributed significantly to safety, especially for older citizens who are known to be at higher risk. Loud DFV The number of fire victims fell by an impressive 59 percent between 1990 and 2022.

However, it is important to be aware that smoke alarms do not extinguish fires and do not guarantee correct behavior in the event of a fire. They are a first step in warning, especially for the elderly and helpless people who are particularly vulnerable. In 2023, 324 people died as a result of fires, unfortunately more than 70 percent of these victims were over 60 years old. This underlines the importance of the issue and the need to always be vigilant and take appropriate action.

The rapid response of the fire brigade and police in the current case shows once again how important well-functioning alarm systems are - even if they occasionally trigger a false alarm. Ultimately, the advice remains: When in doubt, it is always better to act too much than too little!