What to do if…
your burglar or fire alarm system is sounding and you cannot silence it or verify why

What to do now

1. Get to a safer position first. If fire, smoke, heat, fumes, or a gas smell is possible, leave by a safe route, stay out, and call 999. If you think an intruder may be inside and leaving would put you closer to danger, get behind a locked door with an exit route and call 999.
2. Do a fast danger check from where you are. Look, listen, and smell for smoke, burning, unusual heat, fumes, breaking glass, forced doors or windows, voices, movement, or fresh damage. Do not roam through the property to investigate.
3. If fire is possible or you cannot quickly rule it out, act as if it is real. Get everyone out, close doors behind you if you can do so safely, stay out, and call 999. If you must pass a closed door, feel it with the back of your hand first; if it is warm or hot, do not open it.
4. If an intruder or break-in is possible, do not go looking. Move away from the suspected area, keep yourself and others out of sight if you can, and call 999 if a crime is happening now or anyone may be in immediate danger.
5. If you are confident it is cooking steam, dust, or another nuisance smoke alarm, try only safe, simple steps. Use the alarm’s hush or silence button if it has one. Ventilate the area only if you are confident there is no fire. If the alarm continues, sounds again, or you cannot identify the cause, treat it as unresolved: leave and call 999.
6. If it is your intruder alarm and you are safe, use only known controls. Enter the known disarm code once or follow the labelled installer instructions. If the panel shows a zone, door, window, or tamper message, note it from the keypad rather than walking around to inspect it.
7. Contact the right person once you are safe. If the system is monitored, call the alarm company or monitoring centre and say you cannot silence or verify the cause. If you have a keyholder, ask them to attend only if it is safe and appropriate.
8. If you are in rented or managed housing, report it after safety is dealt with. Contact your landlord, agent, housing provider, concierge, or building contact. If the alarm is communal or interlinked, follow the building’s emergency instructions.
9. If it is a neighbour’s or business alarm, separate danger from nuisance. If you see smoke, fire, forced entry, or a crime happening now, call 999. If there is no immediate danger and it appears to be a misfiring audible intruder alarm, you can usually report it through the local council noise nuisance route; processes and powers vary across the UK.