Debate on fines plan for false fire alarms

The fire service is considering charging commercial organisations £350 plus VAT where fire crews have had to attend more than three false alarms in a 12-month period.

Last year the fire service attended 228 non-domestic premises which had more than three false alarms.

These call-outs would have resulted in 1,663 charges, generating around £600,000 in charges for the service.

A report to the fire authority said introducing charges would “create a large amount of debate within the business community of West Yorkshire and may have a significant impact on small to medium enterprises.”

Yesterday councillors agreed to consult local and national organisations on the idea.

Ian Bitcon, of the fire service, said: “West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is committed to ensuring provision of a service to the communities of West Yorkshire that is efficient, meets local needs and provides good value for money.”

A fire service spokesman said since 2011 the number of false alarms had dropped considerably, but added: “However, there are still a large number of calls that continue to be received and these have a significant impact and drain on fire service resources thereby affecting the ability to respond to real emergencies.”

The consultation, which is due to start in June this year, will involve the local business community and any other organisations likely to be affected by the proposals.

Labour councillor Tracey Austin, who is chairman of the fire authority’s community safety committee, said: “The proposals are not to make a profit but only to recover the costs incurred as a result of attending repeated false alarms caused by poorly maintained or defective automatic fire alarm systems.”