An alarming increase in false alarms had Fire Chief Larry Gabruch asking town council to consider a fee or fine for unwarranted responses.
The Battleford Fire Department responded to 22 false alarms in 2010, compared to nine in 2009 and four in 2008.
Gabruch said the main culprit is the increase in monitored alarm systems. He added there are a variety of causes for a false alarm, including dust build-up on sensors. Gabruch said many alarm companies are reluctant to call to confirm an emergency before alerting dispatch.
"What's frustrating from our point of view is this robotic, mindless approach that they're just going to roll the call and there's someone on the other end to pay," he said.
Gabruch said of the 22 false alarms, three were at the same residence and it's not uncommon to have multiple false alarms at the same location.
"I can think of a daycare where we've gone two times per year for the last three years," said Gabruch.
He added in some cases the alarm company has called the residence, but the resident didn't answer because the number comes up as long distance.
Gabruch explained false alarms can be expensive for the fire department because firefighters are paid for a minimum of two hours for every call.
He estimated the cost of false alarms to be over $10,000 in 2010.
Gabruch said there is a "cry wolf" scenario developing in Battleford and although he would like to discourage false alarms because of the cost to the taxpayer, sometimes it's better to be safe than sorry.
"You want to encourage safety, not discourage it," he said.
Although Gabruch seemed to put the brunt of the blame on monitored alarms, he did note the switch to the dispatch in Prince Albert has a role in the false alarms.
He recounted a situation where a fire was falsely reported at St. Vital School and it was revealed the caller was more than a block away.
"The dispatch agency did not endeavour to ask sufficient questions," said Gabruch.
Gabruch said the fire department is working with the Prince Albert dispatch to address the issue, but may consider other options if the problem remains unsolved.
"They are not the only dispatch agency available to us," said Gabruch. "It's important that these dispatch agencies do not take the position that they have a monopoly."
Although Gabruch pined for the days when the Battlefords had their own dispatch who were familiar with the area and local slang such as "The Flats," he asserted the current dispatch agencies still provide an important service to the province.
Gabruch finished by saying, "the best news of all is we have no fatalities or fire injuries to report for 2010."
This is an accomplishment, as Gabruch pointed out, since Saskatchewan has the highest per capita rate in the country for fire-related fatalities.
In the last 10 years, there have been only two fatalities, which occurred in 2007.
In 2010, there was an estimated $75, 000 worth of fire damage, with the fire department responding to 10 residential fires, five grass fires, four carbon monoxide calls and eight vehicle accidents.
