Asda - 370 stores
False alarms cost retailers’ time and money
370 ASDA stores cannot be wrong!
To protect shoppers and staff from possible harm, it is necessary to treat every fire alarm as real - but preventing unnecessary evacuations is highly desirable.
The AlarmCall system from Call Systems Technology has proved to be very effective and has therefore recently been implemented into all ASDA’s UK stores
Objectives
False fire alarms are a major frustration for large food retailers. Because they must evacuate customers and staff in case the alarm is genuine, each evacuation can cost as much as £20,000 per site in lost sales and wasted food stuffs - and they also risk customer goodwill.
“ASDA’s main concern is that false alarms are both upsetting and annoying for customers, since they are rushed out of the store unnecessarily” said an ASDA Environmental Health Manager.
Fresh and frozen foods left in customers’ trolleys and awaiting shelf replenishment in uncooled containers will need to be thrown away if left for 20 to 30 minutes during an evacuation.
Evacuations may cause more shrinkage because they present an opportunity to the dishonest to make a quick getaway with abandoned and unguarded goods.
They also cause lost production, delays to deliveries and restocking while staff members wait outside the store and reduce shoppers’ time in store and therefore their potential purchases.
Preventing unnecessary evacuations saves considerable sums.
Solution
Developed with the support of Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue, the AlarmCall system gives trained Fire Investigators three minutes to verify alarm activations before the fire panel goes into full alarm.
Results
ASDA has implemented CST’s system across all its stores and false evacuations have reduced by half. The system reduces the number of unnecessary evacuations by equipping fire investigators to distinguish real emergencies from localised problems and false alarms.
There are safeguards within the fire alarm panel to determine if there is a real fire or if two device heads are activated simultaneously.
Fire investigators carry alphanumeric pagers which are connected wirelessly to the AlarmCall. Public safety and ASDA’s bottom line are the winners! system. AlarmCall locates precisely where an alarm was raised and sends its location to the pagers so that an investigator can investigate the nature of the alarm.
To find out more information call CST on 020 8381 1338
