New fire alarm regulations
By February 2022, every home in Scotland needs interlinked fire alarms – so when one goes off, they all go off.
If you own your home, it’s your responsibility to make sure you have these fitted. You can find out more on the Scottish Government web page www.mygov.scot/firealarms
If you have a specialist smoke/heat alarm, linking to our telecare system or the alarm centre, please do not remove this. You need telecare smoke and heat detectors as well as the standard interlinked alarms.
If we have fitted a telecare system in your home, you will receive a leaflet and letter with more information.
If you want to find out more:
Email ATEC24.alarms@edinburgh.gov.uk
Call 0131 469 5981.
Community Alarm and Telecare Service
The ATEC24 Community Alarm and Telecare service is for people who may need a bit of help to stay safe in their home. We do this by giving you alarm equipment. If your alarm is activated, it alerts our team of monitoring and response officers. They will then contact you or your family/friends to make sure you are safe and well, and if not will send out highly trained emergency responders in an emergency. The monitoring and response team can respond 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They can also help you with any enquiries, worries and concerns that you may have.
Some of the alarms that could help you include:
- a pendant to wear round your neck to enable you to call for help
- a fall detector if you or the person you care for is unable to call for help when they fall
- an epilepsy monitor to support you if you have seizures
- a door exit monitor to help you or the person you care for if they may be at risk if they leave their home
- bed monitors to make sure you are safe during the night
- smoke or heat alarms linked to ATEC24 to call the emergency services if you are unable to do this on your own
- equipment for sight and hearing loss.
If we provide you with alarm equipment, you may have to pay for it. You will also need to purchase a keysafe for outside your home or arrange to give us access to your home if you need help.
To talk to someone about getting an alarm in your home, contact Social Care Direct.
Important information about telecare call handling
ATEC24 will be temporarily transferring telecare call handling to London Borough of Newham Council for up to 12 months commencing late March/early April 2022.
All telecoms suppliers will be switching off analogue lines by 2025 to be replaced by digital lines. This is because we need to replace our current analogue Alarm Receiving Centre with a digitally based Alarm Receiving Centre. The call transfer will allow us the time to make this change.
When you press the button on your alarm, the person on the other end of the call who checks if you need help, will be based in London. The London based call handler will notify the Edinburgh response staff who will come to your home to help you.
When your alarm is faulty and needs to be changed or needs a battery replacement, Edinburgh staff will help with that.
If you have any questions about the temporary telecare call transfer you can contact our team on 0131 469 5981 or email atec24.alarms@edinburgh.gov.uk.
If you get an alarm from us, there may be a charge to you. We will carry out an assessment to see if you can afford to pay. The current costs for alarms are:
- standard alarm (pendant or fall detector) – £5.80 per week, £301.60 per year
- enhanced alarm (bed occupancy, door sensor) – £8.40 per week, £436.80 per year
- two alarms for two people in the same household – £7.54 per week, £392.08 per year.
If you have any questions about paying for an alarm, please contact the charging enquiries team.
0131 529 6706
If you have general enquiries about the Community Alarm and Telecare service, please contact us directly:
If you would like to find out more about products and equipment you can buy yourself, you can visit AskSARA . AskSARA is an online self help guide for older and disabled people.