Des Moines Fire Alarms May Be Disabled Due To Extended Power Outage

Press release from the City of Des Moines:

August 11, 2020

DES MOINES, IOWA - Most fire alarm systems are designed with a battery backup of 24 hours. This means many commercial systems may soon run out of backup power and be left inoperable until power is restored. In the interim, businesses without power are advised to conduct a fire watch until power is restored and alarm systems are again fully functional.

"Fire watch" is defined as a dedicated person walking the building or affected area of the building to look for fire. This person should have a log sheet (to document the fire watch) and a communication device (e.g. cell phone) to notify 9-1-1 of a fire or emergency if discovered.

For further information or for an example log sheet, please see the DMFD fire watch form.

CONTACT Lt. Chris Clement, DMFD Public Information Officer (515) 283-4508

This press release was produced by the City of Des Moines. The views expressed here are the author’s own.