Residents 'on edge all the time' over false alarms
BBCResidents of an apartment block say they are "on edge all of the time" due to faulty alarms going off day and night.
Heat alarms were installed in St James Walk in Cheltenham two years ago to address safety concerns following the Grenfell disaster.
But they go off regularly - once three times in a day - despite no sign of fire, causing one resident who has had PTSD to say the alarms trigger her symptoms.
MetroPM, which manages the building, said it was taking a number of steps to reduce the number of alarms, but added: "The temporary alarm system is a critical life-safety measure and must remain in place and be tested regularly until the cladding remediation works are completed."
Charlotte Elvin has lived in the apartment block, one of the tallest buildings in the town, for eight years and has been logging every time the alarms go off - with eight instances in December, including three in one day.
"It's been hideous," she said. "It goes off at any time of the day, so it can be three o'clock in the morning. We've had it 10 o'clock at night and it's so incredibly loud.
"You're on edge all of the time," Elvin said, saying her heart rate jumped to 130BPM after an alarm went off.
"I've got PTSD from other bits and pieces and those alarms now trigger me," she added.
The residents say the alarms are overly sensitive and should only sound in the case of extreme heat.
Occupants have to wait for the fire brigade to come and turn the heat alarms off, meaning they can be sounding for a significant amount of time.
"Because they are going off so often you don't take them seriously," said Rebecca Kent, adding that they do not always evacuate the building when the alarms ring.
"That could obviously have a very negative effect if it was to be fire," said Kent, who has lived in he building for six years.
Those living in the block say there has been little to no communication from the management company on the issue.
The residents the BBC has spoken to part-own their flats with Guinness Homes but the housing association said ultimate responsibility for the safety of the building lies with MetroPM.
The building has temporary fire alarm systems linked to every apartment.
MetroPM said it was working to put a system in place to "protect everyone" while working to "minimise unnecessary disruption".
Phase one of that work is due to begin at the end of January.
The management company said it was aiming to reduce the number of alarms sounding by working with engineers to identify and resolve recurring faults, monitoring system performance closely and providing residents with advanced notice of scheduled testing.
They added: "We encourage residents not to tamper with any fire safety equipment within their apartments. Not only can this reduce protection for that apartment and the wider building, but it can also create faults that cause further disruption for everyone."
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