posted on Monday, June 29, 2009 8:23 AM
by
klehan
Saginaw Township, MI, to Fine for False Alarms Caused by Fire Maintenance
Fifty times or so every
year in Saginaw Township, Michigan, on-call paid volunteer fire crews hustle to false alarms at businesses, said Fire Chief Jim I. Peterson.
It usually happens when a fire sprinkler company doesn't shut off an alarm or notify emergency authorities in advance of maintenance work or a test, officials said.
"They're just needless runs," Peterson said.
That's about to get a little more costly for those on the receiving end of the fire run.
Saginaw County's largest suburb has imposed a minimum fine of $250 when contractors or service workers fail to turn off or trip alarms and the Fire Department shows up.
"It's preventable," said Assistant Chief Linda Schluchter.
A tenant or an alarm system owner will face a warning on a first violation, a $150 fine the second time and $250 for a third offense.
Schluchter said the township makes a distinction between contractors who frequently work with alarm systems and, for example, group homes or hospitals that are required to carry out annual fire drills but aren't accustomed to notifying the Fire Department beforehand.
"Rather than give them an immediate punishment, we wanted to make sure we give them some consideration," she said.
Peterson had no figures on the typical cost of a false alarm, though a fire engine pumper run can cost about $200 an hour, he said.