Roddy you are right. The fire detection system should be fixed so the system works not cost money.
There are many different systems and set ups. Some (properties) have sprinklers only, some detectors only, some only common areas, some is everything and some you can’t even fathom linked back to a monitoring company which sends the signal to FRNSW.
Servicing companies do get it wrong and if you are getting ‘unwanted’ alarms costing money then the servicing company should be contacted to provide a system that doesn’t give ‘unwanted’ alarms.
I have lots of examples of poor service costing owners $100000s (that’s right hundreds of thousands) a year in fines.
“FRNSW has a team of dedicated Alarms Assessment Officers who can give advice on strategies to minimise unwanted alarms. For further information phone the FRNSW Fire Safety Compliance Unit on 02 9742 7400 or email alarms@fire.nsw.gov.au.”
copied from FRNSW website.
Hope this helps. FRNSW first introduced fines along time ago ($250) so people would fix the problem. Once they had fixed it they could reclaim their fines. The Baird government put an end to that. I will stop now..