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Berlin, CT, Residents Warned of Scam Calls from Fake Fire Marshal

Berlin, CT, residents need to be on the alert for a scam artist, the fire marshal said March 23, 2009.

Fire Marshal Steven Waznia said a Berlin resident reported that someone call him claiming to be from the fire marshal's office and asked for personal information. He said the questions were about fire and burglar alarm systems, and whether they were tied in to the Berlin 911 Call Center.

The Berlin man reported that the caller claimed to be the town's fire marshal, but that he didn't believe him.

"It was looking for, does he have a fire alarm system, a security system? Is it wired to the town hall? Is it wired to the public safety communication center?" Waznia said. "And that's the kind of information we don't want people giving out. 

When the concerned homeowner stopped by Town Hall, Waznia said the call didn't come from his office.

"We don't conduct surveys, and if we did, we'd do it in person with the proper credentials," he said.

The fire marshal said he advised the homeowner to go ahead and make a report to Berlin police, because making a call like that is against the law.

"They could be subject to arrest for criminal impersonation for impersonating a public official," Police Capt. Gary Klett.

No one's sure exactly what led to the call, Waznia said, but guesses range from sales pitches to a sinister plan.

"It could have been a sales person trying to get information to sell a new system, but it could have been anybody," he said.

"They could be trying to case out your house to see if they should burglarize it or any number of other things," Klett said.

Police and fire marshal said homeowner should keep that type of information private.