SOUTH Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service were called out to more than 4,500 ‘false alarms’ over the last year increasing the workload on already stretched services across the town.Home Office figures show the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended 4,520 fire-related false alarms in 2023/24 up from 4,392 the year before.Nationally, fire services attended 254,000 false fire alarms last year, a four per cent rise on 2022/23, and the highest figure since 2011/12.False fire alarms are when fire and rescue services attend a location believing there is a fire incident when there is not.The Fire Brigades Union stressed it is ‘vital’ to attend and investigate all fire alarms, even false, to protect people and properties, and said they must not be used to cut fire service funding.FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “Firefighters don’t go to false alarms, they only come back from them.“Automatic alarms are fitted in commercial premises so that firefighters can respond quickly and prevent fires from spreading while buildings are unoccupied.“Fires are not always obvious, and fire crews are trained and equipped to detect and tackle them early.“Businesses must ensure that alarms are maintained and functioning to avoid accidental call outs.“False alarms must not be used to justify dangerous cuts to the fire service.“Responding to and investigating alarms is vital for protecting livelihoods, properties and lives.”False alarm incidents equated to almost a third 32 per cent of all the 14,117 they attended over the 12-month period.It means that services were called to an average of 12 false alarms every day.Last year, 58 per cent of fire-related false alarms were due to fire alarm or firefighting equipment errors, 39 per cent were made in good faith, and three per cent were maliciously activated.A Home Office spokesperson said: “Public safety is the highest priority for our dedicated firefighters.“It is essential people regularly check fire alarms and have procedures in place to ensure they are maintained in an efficient state, working order and in good repair.”South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue has confirmed that a total of 675 false alarms were raised in Barnsley between November 2023 and October 2024 - a different time frame to the Home Office figures.A spokesperson told the Chronicle: “False alarms - also known as unwanted fire signals - have always made up a proportion of the incidents our firefighters attend. Many are caused by faulty detection systems, or things like steam, cigarette smoke or cooking setting off alarms.“False alarms cause disruption to people and businesses and also potentially divert fire engines from other, emergency incidents.“We work closely with organisations to reduce false alarms.“We will not automatically attend false alarms in certain premises and have the option to charge repeat offenders for our attendance.“But ultimately, we need premises and responsible persons to help us by regularly testing their alarm systems and educating people on what to do if an alarm goes off.”