West Australians who repeatedly trigger false fire alarms will be fined $750 from next year after frustrated firefighters needlessly raced to more than 10,700 fake emergencies last financial year. WA is the only State not to issue fines for repeated false alarms, which the Department of Fire and Emergency Services spent more than $8 million responding to in 2013-14. Businesses used to be the worst, but the department said the proliferation of high-rise apartment complexes had increased the problem significantly, to the point crews now responded to an average 29 false alarms a day.
Call-outs to cooking fumes and steam from showers are as much in the department’s sights as poorly installed detectors and shoddy alarm maintenance. Perth Fire Station and volunteer Fire and Rescue Service crews around Northam will take part in a pilot program in the first half of next year. From July, the department plans to give premises three false alarms a year before issuing $750 fines for the fourth and each subsequent false call-out. (Source: Security Today)
There were 10,725 false alarms across WA in 2013-14 and more than 2400 so far this financial year. Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Wayne Gregson said crews had to respond to each alarm as if it were genuine and it was clear some people did not take the issue seriously enough. “It is not uncommon for DFES crews to respond to the same premises multiple times within 24 hours,” he said. “I am concerned about the risk and exposure to my firefighters and members of the public when you have got vehicles driven unnecessarily under emergency conditions.”
Mr Gregson said there was anecdotal evidence that companies contracted to monitor alarms did not always contact occupants before calling triple-0
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