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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

School alarm - I'm desperate

23 replies

Changingusernameagain · 14/08/2022 08:10

My house backs onto a school (my children go there) that is currently closed for summer holidays and the alarm has been going off since 2am. I'm struggling to cope with the noise anymore as it is so loud. I've had to close my windows in a heatwave to try and get sleep but it didn't work.

What can I do? I've tried 101 out of desperation but they said not a police matter. The environmental noise agency arent open until Monday and no one is answering the phone at school on a Sunday morning obviously.

So please I'm begging you... what can I do?

OP posts:
Groovee · 14/08/2022 08:11

We can normally phone the out of hours number to the council and they sort it.

Sims400 · 14/08/2022 08:12

Is there a local Facebook group for your area, or even the PTA? Sometimes they have contacts

Original poster
Changingusernameagain · 14/08/2022 08:12

I'm not on Facebook. Will look at council website now

OP posts:
Meltingsocks · 14/08/2022 08:12

Use the school Twitter account?

KangarooKenny · 14/08/2022 08:13

So the school might be/ have been burgled and it’s not a police matter ?

Crazydogmumma · 14/08/2022 08:14

If it is a Local Authority School- can you ring the out of hours number? The Local Authority should hold emergency contact details for the headteachers and will be able to get a message to them. This is what happens in my Local Authority.

Beamur · 14/08/2022 08:14

Out of hours Council number. There will be a caretaker for the school who can turn it off.

Whatoflife · 14/08/2022 08:14

If you go to the school gate is there an emergency or caretaker number displayed?

cansu · 14/08/2022 08:14

Is it part of an academy trust? If so contact them. They should be able to contact the key holder.

Original poster
Changingusernameagain · 14/08/2022 08:19

You guys are wonderful! I just phoned the out of hours number for the council (which I never knew was a thing!) And they've made it stop!! Thank fucking god

OP posts:
Floydthebarber · 14/08/2022 08:19

Yes, look at out of hours council. Call the main number if you can't see an emergency one and it will usually have instructions of where to call.

GetOffTheRoof · 14/08/2022 08:24

KangarooKenny · 14/08/2022 08:13

So the school might be/ have been burgled and it’s not a police matter ?

Unless OP has seen evidence of a break in attempt then no - the police won't come out. You've no idea how many calls a day they get to faulty alarms.

itsgettingweird · 14/08/2022 08:27

I though alarms were usually attached to a central system that then alerted nominates people to attend?

If they don't - why did I think that?

And if they are why isn't this one?

Kind of seems pointless to have an alarm that no one will respond to and police won't attend without evidence of it being a break in.

AMIAMIBU · 14/08/2022 08:28

Sims400 · 14/08/2022 08:12

Is there a local Facebook group for your area, or even the PTA? Sometimes they have contacts

Good idea!

duckme · 14/08/2022 08:29

The school should have an alarm call out company, they should come out whenever the alarm is activated. I'm surprised they haven't, or at least contacted the site manager to check things over.

AMIAMIBU · 14/08/2022 08:29

Changingusernameagain · 14/08/2022 08:19

You guys are wonderful! I just phoned the out of hours number for the council (which I never knew was a thing!) And they've made it stop!! Thank fucking god

Sorry missed this update! Great!

Original poster
Changingusernameagain · 14/08/2022 08:30

I've reported the school to the noise agency because this has been happening for a long time. The school say the alarm company deal with it out of hours but no one ever does. So obviously no one is taking responsibility for it. I agree it seems silly to have an alarm that no one reaponds to.

OP posts:
SageYourResoluteOracle · 14/08/2022 08:39

My partner is an electrician specialising in fire and security systems. This is what he’s just said: alarms aren’t always monitored (this is entirely optional) but that a security alarm should deactivate after a max of 20 minutes. If it’s gone on for longer, it’s likely to be a fire alarm which doesn’t have a shut-off time as usually sounders are inside the building. BUT because it’s a school, there will be sounders in the playground. Again, it’s entirely optional whether a school fire alert system is connected to the fire brigade (ie monitored) or not. Things you never knew you never knew! 😀

Original poster
Changingusernameagain · 14/08/2022 08:41

@SageYourResoluteOracle that's really interesting! I bet it is a fire alarm then.

OP posts:
GetOffTheRoof · 14/08/2022 08:42

itsgettingweird · 14/08/2022 08:27

I though alarms were usually attached to a central system that then alerted nominates people to attend?

If they don't - why did I think that?

And if they are why isn't this one?

Kind of seems pointless to have an alarm that no one will respond to and police won't attend without evidence of it being a break in.

It costs money for it to be remotely monitored. Lots of people and businesses are out of contract for that so it just makes a noise to put off a burglar if there is one. None are directly hooked up to the police anymore unless the police installed a panic alarm for someone and even then most of them are monitored by a private company

Alarms are so frequently a false alarm - someone setting them off entering or leaving a building, an open window or door, pets, birds trapped, forgotten pass codes etc....

Monitoring can be expensive, and usually the company will try to contact a keyholder first and only call the police or the alarm is confirmed - ie its been set off more than once in different areas of the building, suggesting a person on site who isn't responding to their calls.

SageYourResoluteOracle · 14/08/2022 08:47

He is a font of technical knowledge but I shan’t tell him that, lest he gets a big head!! He’s also just said though that the school should still have someone out to investigate what’s causing the alarm to trigger so frequently. Could be a water leak or could even be tiny flies. Mind now blown and coffee needed…

Arbesque · 14/08/2022 09:11

I would be kicking up a fuss with the school. They can't just shrug their shoulders and leave residents to cope with over sensitive or faulty alarms, while they sleep soundly elsewhere.

itsgettingweird · 14/08/2022 09:16

Thanks getoftheroof

I'm glad I wasn't entirely imagining it but can fully understand why companies don't have the fiancés these days to pay for remote monitoring.

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