Security Industry News >> EMERgency24 Inc.

Large Herkimer, NY, Employers Balk a False Alarm Fines

Two major Herkimer, NY, area employers want village officials to reconsider a local law that charges property owners when the fire department deploys to alarms deemed to be false or a nuisance.

After receiving bills for 10 such fire alarms each in February alone, both Herkimer County Community College and Valley Health Services reached out to the village board for an explanation.

The bill came to $1,350 for HCCC’s nuisance calls, costing $150 each after the first each month being a free warning. 

The VHS fines totaled $2,100, with the amount set by the false alarm fee schedule: One free warning each month, $100 for a second alarm and $250 for a third and each additional false alarm per month.

During its Monday meeting, village board members instructed village Attorney Nicholas Macri to respond to letters from HCCC and VHS. Village officials said they are unable to negotiate the fees as they are set in the law passed unanimously by the village board in February.
Comment on the issue from HCCC was unavailable Tuesday, and VHS officials did not return a request for comment.

Village fire Chief John Spanfelner, who is responsible for enforcing the law, declined to comment on the fees and their relation to how much each fire department response costs the village. 

The aim of the law is to protect taxpayers from the cost of the fire department responding to repeated false alarms or nuisance calls, Mayor Mark Ainsworth said at the meeting. 
The false alarm fee had been in place prior to the February vote that set the village’s fee schedule and law. The amount was raised but village officials were unable to provide the prior cost. 

But the “nuisance” call fee was added this year. Village officials during prior discussions on the new fee mentioned frequent alarms at HCCC that are set off by burnt food and steam from showers. 

Village board members gave Spanfelner the authority to determine which alarms or emergency calls are deemed a “nuisance.” 

Macri has said relying on the chief’s experience avoids impacting public decisions on calling the fire department. The village does not want people, fearing a possible fine, waiting for a fire to get out of hand before calling for help, he added. 

Ainsworth at Monday’s meeting described the fees as a way to lower the number of false and nuisance alarms. Frequent fire alarms at an HARC facility had dropped to just one last month, he said.

The number of false alarm fees billed to HARC was not available Tuesday.
Spanfelner said in a phone interview the law’s goal is to have property owners correct issues with alarm systems or causes of frequent nuisance calls.