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Derry, MA, Town Council Mulling Alarm Ordinance

Property owners in Derry, MA, with faulty alarm systems could soon start paying for their mistakes.

The Town Council is mulling over an ordinance that would charge property owners a $50 fee if their alarm systems create too many false alarms. It's part of a plan to create new revenue in a poor economy. Derry fire Lt. Brett Scholbe estimates it could bring in as much as $11,000 per year.

But even more important than the revenue would be the incentive for property owners to fix their faulty systems.

"If the service is up to date and working properly, there shouldn't be an issue," Scholbe said.

Property owners with fewer than 125 smoke detectors would be allowed three false alarms per year. Larger alarm systems would be allowed five false alarms per year, according to the proposal.

False alarms are most common at small businesses with old alarm systems not properly maintained. Although the Fire Department responds to false alarms at schools and homes, Scholbe said they weren't the problem.

Charges would only be levied against property owners after the Fire Department determined the false alarm was triggered by a faulty system, Scholbe said.

Although the Fire Department is responding to fewer false alarms now than in the past, he said it was still a good ordinance to pass to make sure fire resources weren't wasted.

Most of the larger commercial buildings and schools have improved their alarm systems over the last few years to reduce the number of false alarm calls, Scholbe said.

"We're seeing less of them," he said.

Charging for false alarms is nothing new and some other local communities are already collecting fees.

Plaistow fire Chief John McArdle said his department can charge anyone $50 after three false alarms. The fines increase dramatically after that. The next false alarm costs $100 and after that, the penalty is the cost of the firefighters and trucks that respond to the call.

"If it gets to be the fourth and the fifth time, they're just not paying attention," McArdle said.

Still, McArdle said he would rather not bill anyone. He said he would prefer to have the property owner use the money to fix the faulty system.

In Londonderry, a town with lots of commercial properties near the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, fire Chief Kevin MacCaffrie said there is no penalty for false alarms, but it's something that will likely come up in the fall when the department reviews its fees.

"It's in our minds as well," MacCaffrie said.