Madison,
WI, council members introduced a new ordinance on Tuesday, the one-year anniversary of a fire that killed a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse student and injured three others.
Alderman Mike Verveer says he toured the burned house and saw smoke alarms laying on top of a refrigerator with the batteries removed.
The new ordinance would require landlords to install smoke alarms with non-removable, lithium-ion batteries or connections to the building's power supply in all bedrooms and on every floor by Aug. 15.
Homeowners could use 9-volt, battery-operated smoke alarms manufactured in the last 10 years.
City Ordinances in Covington, KY, require every residential rental property in the city to be equipped with “at least one approved carbon monoxide alarm in operating condition within 15 feet of every room that is used for sleeping purposes.”
According to an e-update newsletter distributed by the City of Covington, the owner of the property is required to provide and install all of the required alarms. This requirement includes providing alarm batteries, too, before a tenant moves in.
“Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Overview Carbon monoxide (sometimes referred to as CO) is a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning material containing carbon,” says the newsletter. “Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause brain damage and death. You can't see it, smell it, or taste it; but carbon monoxide can kill you.”
Some other tid-bits provided include:
Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America. This odorless, tasteless, and colorless gas is known as the "Silent Killer." The Centers for Disease Control estimates that carbon monoxide poisoning claims nearly 500 lives, and causes more than 15,000 visits to hospital emergency departments annually.
Carbon monoxide is produced by common household appliances. When not properly ventilated, carbon monoxide emitted by these appliances can build up.
Early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, such as headaches, nausea, and fatigue, are often mistaken for the flu because the deadly gas goes undetected in a home. Prolonged exposure can lead to brain damage and even death.
Bessemer City, NC, council members want the city to stop footing the bill for false fire alarms by fining repeat
business offenders.
"Every time there is an alarm, the firemen are paid," said City Manager Allan Farris.
This year, the fire department has responded to 21 false alarms, seven of those came from the Dole Fresh Vegetables and four from Bessemer City High School. Farris proposed a penalty structure that imposes fines for anyone with more than two false alarms in a year.
"If you have several in one place, then there's a problem," said Farris.
The proposed payment structure would charge $50 for the third, fourth and fifth false alarm; $100 for the sixth and seventh; $250 for the eighth and ninth; and $500 for 10 or more consecutive calls.
If that plan were already in place, Dole would already owe $350. The high school would have a bill of $100.
Ted Saunders, Bessemer City High School principal, said he wasn't aware of the problem and doesn't feel responsible for alarms that sound when battery packs die or dust particles trip the system.
"I don't believe we've been negligent this year," Saunders said.
Saunders questioned how false alarms are determined and why a decision would be made without contacting the alleged offenders.
"I would hope we would be able to weigh in on that (decision)," said Saunders.
Before recommending the plan, Farris spoke with several city managers across the state. Many city councils have implemented such fines to make business owners accountable for up-to-date and accurate equipment.
Council asked Farris to create an ordinance that he would present at December's City Council meeting.
In an attempt to address the number of false alarm incidents to which the Arcadia,
CA, Police Department responds, the City Council recently made changes to the city’s security alarm ordinance.
If your home or business is equipped with a security alarm, please be aware of the following changes to the alarm ordinance that are now in effect:
1. Each home or business is required to pay a $40.00 annual (365 days) permit fee.
2. Any home or business that registers three false burglary alarms in a 365-day period will be charged $200.00; four false burglary alarms in a 365-day period will be charged $300.00; and if a home or business registers five or more false burglary alarms in a 365-day period a $400.00 charge will apply to the fifth and all subsequent false alarms in that period.
3. Any home or business that registers two false robbery or panic alarms in a 365-day period will be charged $200.00 for the second and all subsequent false robbery or false panic alarms.
4. Any home or business that registers seven or more false alarms in a 365-day period is subject to deactivation by the City. To reactivate the alarm the owner/operator must show proof of correction to the alarm system and pay a reinstatement fee of $200.00, after review by the City.
A false alarm is any alarm that signifies a burglary, robbery or panic emergency when those incidents or emergencies are not actually taking place.
Jeremy Blalock, New Bern
(NC) Fire and Rescue fire specialist, said firefighting associations are lobbying for a law requiring that the detectors be placed in homes and businesses that operate gas furnaces, fireplaces, gas water heaters, indoor grilling, gas stoves, gas refrigerators, gas clothes dryers and gas portable heaters.
Carbon monoxide is tasteless, colorless and odorless. Exposure to low levels can make a person sick over time. Higher levels are fatal.
Those suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning may be nauseated, experience flu-like symptoms, experience headaches, experience dizzy spells, confusion, fatigue and irritability. "It's like you want to go to sleep, and if you do you may never wake up," Blalock said.
He said carbon monoxide robs a person of what he needs most - oxygen.
He said an expert should be called to inspect gas appliances, gas logs and flue and chimneys.
"If you use fossil fuel, you need a detector," he said.
Blalock said warming up a car should not be done in a garage, even if the garage door is open.
He said the best defense against the deadly carbon monoxide is a detector.
He said the prices range from $10 to $50.
Under a local ordinance, the borough of Naugatuck, CT, slaps fines on people or businesses who have too many false alarms. But there are 17 businesses and residents who have frequent alarms and are not paying the fines.
In an effort to recoup the money, the Board of Mayor and Burgesses will hire an attorney or debt collection agency.
"We feel that if the ordinance is going to have any teeth to it, the people who aren't going to respond need to know that there are consequences," said Police Chief Christopher Edson.
Police did not have the names of violators available on Monday.
Edson said the borough is willing to work with people who cannot afford to pay fines.
The ordinance that allows police to charge for too many alarms has been on the books for years, but was never implemented until March, when Edson and the Police Commission decided the false alarms were soaking up too much police manpower. The ordinance states there is no charge for the first two false alarms; a $50 charge for a third; a $75 charge for a fourth and $100 for each false alarm in excess of four.
He said the goal is not to generate revenue, but to encourage alarm owners to have their systems maintained and repaired.
Several people appeal their fees to the Police Commission, which reviews each appeal thoroughly, said Commissioner Steve Smith.
"When it's a frequent occurrance that seems like it could easily be corrected by the owner or the alarm company, we implement those fines," he said. "We are trying to encourage alarm companies to be responsive to this too."
The city of Yukon, OK, will begin issuing fines next year to residents and business owners who have frequent false alarms at their buildings.
Residents and business owners will be allowed two false alarms per calendar year.
The third and fourth false alarms will result in a $50 fine. Those who have five or more false alarms will be fined $100.
Police spokeswoman Klare Ly said there has been a recent increase in false alarms in the city.
Ly said when individuals periodically test their alarms, they sometimes fail to notify the police department. Police officers are dispatched when the alarm is triggered.
The fines will take effect Jan. 1. If the fines aren’t paid within 30 days, the alarm permit will be revoked.
The fine will be waived if the alarm is triggered because of inclement weather.
The city also is increasing alarm permit fees Jan. 1 from $25 to $50. The permits will be valid for one year.
A $10 renewal fee must be paid annually.
Permit registration forms are available at the Yukon Police Department, 100 S Ranchwood Blvd.
Business and homeowners in Dundee, FL, with malfunctioning security alarms might want to take some time to get them fixed.
The Town Council unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday that allows fees to be charged to those whose alarms summon law enforcement officers when there isn't an emergency that requires their presence. The fees were effective upon the ordinance's approval.
Interim Town Manager Joe DeLegge said the town was asked by the Polk County Sheriff's Office to enact the ordinance so it would mirror the one the County Commission passed in 1997.
Diane Dodge, the alarm control compliance officer for the Sheriff's Office, said the ordinance has already been passed by other municipalities that contract with the Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services. These communities are Frostproof, Eagle Lake, Fort Meade and Polk City.
Fines escalate quickly after the first offense, which doesn't result in a fine. The second offense within 365 days doesn't generate a fine unless the alarm was defective the first time and the homeowner did not fix it.
Fines range from $50 for the third offense to $500 for the 10th offense or higher occurring during a 365-day period.
Dodge said the fines are charged for false alarms no matter how long it takes the deputies to arrive at the home or business.
After the Sheriff's Office receives a third false alarm call, a citation similar to those issued during a traffic violation is sent by registered mail to the business or homeowner. The fines are paid through the Clerk of the Court office.
Dodge said the Clerk of the Court retains a processing fee from the fine. The city and the Sheriff's Office also receive part of the fees.
Having been in charge of alarm control compliance for 12 years, Dodge said she has watched the number of false alarms decrease from 24,781 in 1997 to 11,585 in 2007.
"More and more people are getting their alarms fixed before they get fined because they can't afford the fines," Dodge said. "But I have some large companies that are charged $500 and they pay it every week."
Carrie Eleazer, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office, said the county began noticing the high volume of false fire and security alarm calls in 1997, when it began a Proactive Community Attack on Problems program that involves compiling and analyzing information everyday.
In studying these statistics on a countywide level, officials discovered they were responding to a high number of false alarms and they found ways to lower the number of emergency responses.
"We try to address problems as they happen before they become bigger problems," Eleazer said. "We want to figure out what (residents) need."
She said these needs may require a referral to other agencies for need-specific help or they could just require a new alarm system.
The International Association of Fire Fighters
(IAFF) is urging households to change more than just smoke alarm batteries when Daylight Savings Time ends November 2. The IAFF also recommends changing to a photoelectric smoke alarm. About 90 percent of homes are equipped with ionization smoke alarms.
"More than 3,000 people die each year in the United States and Canada in structure fires, and we need to do everything we can to reduce that number," IAFF General President Harold A. Schaitberger said. "Using better smoke alarms will drastically reduce the loss of life among citizens and fire fighters because it will mean earlier detection of fires and result in faster response by emergency crews."
The IAFF in August said federal, state and provincial officials should require that all relevant building standards and codes developed in the United States and Canada include a mandate for the use of photoelectric smoke alarms. Research has demonstrated that photoelectric smoke alarms are more effective at warning of smoke from smoldering fires than ionization smoke alarms. With earlier warning, people have more time to escape a burning structure and call 911 sooner. Photoelectric smoke alarms also are less susceptible to nuisance alarms. To prevent nuisance alarms, citizens often disable smoke alarms, placing themselves, others in a home or building and fire fighters at greater risk.
Photoelectric smoke alarms contain a light source and a light-sensitive electric cell. Smoke entering the detector deflects light onto the light-sensitive electric cell, triggering the alarm. These alarms are more sensitive to large particles given off during smoldering fires -- the kind of fires that typically occur at night when people are asleep.
Ionization smoke alarms have a small amount of radioactive material, and establish a small electric current between two metal plates, which sound an alarm when disrupted by smoke entering the chamber. But the technology leads to a delayed warning in smoldering fires that can lead to greater loss of life among people and fire fighters in a burning structure as a result of a more developed fire. A delayed warning during a smoldering fire, especially at night, can incapacitate people who are sleeping and lead to death as fire spreads.
No home should be without a smoke alarm, and ionization alarms should continue to be used until a home can be equipped with photoelectric alarms.
The International Association of Fire Fighters, headquartered in Washington, D.C., represents more than 292,000 full-time professional fire fighters and paramedics who protect 85 percent of the nation's population.More information is available at www.iaff.org
Recognizing the need to reduce requests for police response to baseless alarm activations, Glen Mowrey of the Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC) appeared before
the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association (CPCA) to discuss initiatives begun by several states to manage and reduce the number of false burglar alarm activations. CPCA then tasked their Private Security Committee to develop an overall approach to alarm management and to create the model ordinance.
The result was the adoption of the model ordinance by CPCA which provides for direct alarm reduction initiatives, encourages multiple call verification and encourages installation of alarm control panels which meet or exceed ANSI SIA-CP-01 standards for all new installations and panel replacements.
Additionally, a sub-committee of the Private Security Committee was created to present this ordinance to towns throughout Connecticut as a proactive solution to false alarm dispatches.
Bob McVeigh, chairman of the Industry Affairs committee for the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association, said, "This is a win-win for police, consumers and the alarm industry. This ordinance makes it easier for towns in Connecticut to adopt a position on false alarm dispatches because, through the ordinance, all of the legwork has been done. Many thanks to the CPCA who has shown their willingness to work with alarm dealers and citizens within their communities."
Echoing McVeigh's enthusiasm, Chief Tom Sweeney of the Glastonbury Police Department said, "Statewide implementation of the model ordinance, coupled with effective alarm management follow through, has the real potential to eliminate over 100,000 needless dispatches each year."
Throughout the past four years, twelve state chief's associations have established alarm management programs to address false alarm dispatches. These states include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
"We're excited that the CPCA adopted this ordinance because it creates a relationship between alarm companies and the police, which allows us to work together toward a positive solution to false alarm dispatches," said Glen Mowrey, SIAC representative. "We're definitely moving in the right direction."
In Michigan, the Holland City Council approved Wednesday, Oct. 15, the first reading of an ordinance allowing the police department to charge for false security alarms.
The policy doesn’t charge for the first three false alarms of the year. For alarms four through six, the charge is $50 for each alarm. The next three alarms costs a business $75 each. Charges for false alarms No. 10 and beyond would be increased from $75 to $100 each.
In March, the city council approved a fine system for false fire alarms. A similar policy for false security alarms has been in place for 20 years, but officials recently discovered the police policy has no city ordinance to back it up, City Manager Soren Wolff said.
The final reading is Nov. 5.
Sanbury,
PA, residents whose home or business is equipped with an alarm system now face fines for redundant false alarm situations, officials said Monday.
An alarm ordinance passed by the Mahoning Township supervisors -- Chairperson Christine DeLong, Vice Chairman Ronald Miller and Supervisor William Earlston -- now requires residents to register their alarm systems and face penalties for potential false alarms.
Solicitor Rick Shoch said the scale of fines rise for each incident: a warning notice will be distributed for the first two events; events three and four result in a $100 fine; events five and six will result in $150 fines; events seven and eight a $200 fine; event nine a $250 fine; and from event 10 and on owners face a $300 fine.
Shoch said the ordinance will take effect Jan. 1, 2009.
A
Kentucky law that went into effect on July 15 is designed to set up clear guidelines for contact protocol when an end user activates a personal emergency response system (PERS).
Proponents of the law say it will help Kentuckians get the appropriate emergency aid they need in a timely manner. Senate Bill 57, or the "Christine Talley Act," regulates PERS providers by allowing their customers to specify that 911 be the first call the monitoring station makes when a PERS device is activated. A civil penalty of not more than $10,000 per violation could be assessed against providers who knowingly violate the new law.
Hardcopies of the Christine Talley Act can be obtained by contacting the Legislative Research Commission, Public Bill Room, Capitol, Frankfort, KY 40601. The PERS law can also be found online at
here.
Signed by Gov. Steve Beshear on April 14, 2008, Senate Bill 57 was introduced by Sen. Tom Buford (R) on January 8, 2008. Sen. Buford said that the Christine Talley Act was an important piece of legislation. "There were really no guidelines. [PERS providers] are selling these products interstate, in our state, internationally, and there were no guidelines for a protocol, no guidelines for who is responsible if something doesn't happen." Sen. Buford said that the new law provides much needed regulation. "So we put in some legislation that ramps this thing up to where these [PERS providers] now have some direction of what will be the minimums of what will be requested of them."
A statement from the office of the Kentucky Attorney General explained, "contracts after 2008 must include certain provisions, and PERS providers must notify customers with contracts existing before January 1, 2009, that they have the option to change their call list." The mandatory PERS service contract provisions are that the customer must be allowed to: designate 911 as the first place to be called; choose the order for contacting those on the call list; specify that 911 be called if the customer does not verbally respond when the PERS provider attempts voice-to-voice communication; and provide that if the customer does not designate 911 as the first call, 911 will by default be called after the PERS provider has tried without success to contact the people on the customer's call list. The law also requires PERS providers to relinquish pertinent information, like the customer's name and address, to 911, and to call the people on the customer's call list after 911 has been called, unless otherwise verbally specified by the customer at the time.
Sen. Buford said lack of regulation of PERS providers is a problem when something goes wrong and contacting the proper people in a timely fashion becomes a matter of life and death. It was such a lack of legislated protocol, Buford said, that likely contributed to the death of one of his constituents in 2007. "People were purchasing these devices, particularly seniors, and they felt some security in this device, that if they hit this button, someone would take care of their emergency need. But in [Christine Talley's] case, it was discovered the responsibility ended by the time she put her check in the mail."
On Memorial Day, 2007, Christine Talley died after suffering a heart attack. Talley owned and used a PERS device from Phillips Lifeline. However, the monitoring company first attempted to contact Talley, who was unable to respond, before attempting to contact the other people on her call list. According to Sen. Buford, Lifeline didn't contact emergency responders until after Talley was found by her son and taken to the hospital, nearly an hour after the initial activation of the PERS device.
EMERgency24, an industry leading central-station alarm monitoring company, donated $1,000 through its Responder Reward program to the Ohio Township Volunteer Fire Department in Indiana on behalf of Five Star Security Systems of Newburgh, Indiana.
The Responder Reward donation was made to acknowledge the important roles emergency responders and alarm-system installers play in keeping our communities safe by protecting lives and minimizing property damage. A perfect example of how the two work together took place in a new home adjacent to Victoria National Golf Club, in Newburgh, Indiana.
Six months after a family moved into their dream home, it could have been lost to a fire had it not been for the robust security system designed by Five Star and the fast response by the Ohio Township Volunteer Fire Department after being dispatched by EMERgency24. The fire started when materials on the kitchen island ignited after the family’s cat stepped on a button, turning on burners of the flat-top range.
There were two factors that helped save the curious cat and minimize damage to the million-dollar home. First was the installation of a heat detector in the kitchen when a smoke detector would have satisfied code requirements. The second factor was immediate dispatch by EMERgency24.
“A fire doubles in size every 60 seconds,” said Chad Bennett, owner of Five Star Security Systems and Assistant Chief of the Newburgh Volunteer Fire Department. “The heat detector provided an early alarm because that type of device looks only for heat. The fire would have had to burn much longer to set off smoke detectors installed in other areas of the home. At the same time, if the alarm system was not monitored by EMERgency24, the fire would have continued to grow until a neighbor saw smoke billowing out of the eaves. At that point, there would have been much more damage. The overall effectiveness of the alarm system is enhanced many times over with a monitoring service. This is a cost worth paying for.”
EMERgency24, headquartered in Chicago since its founding in 1967, is a nation-wide provider of central-station alarm-monitoring services with branches in Detroit, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. The company monitors 165,000 subscribers’ accounts.
About the Responder Reward Program
The purpose of the Responder Reward Program is to recognize firefighters who put out blazes and to highlight criminal apprehension when the police respond to EMERgency24 dispatches triggered by monitored alarm systems. "The EMERgency24 Responder Reward Program was developed to thank police officers and firefighters for the invaluable services they provide in communities across America," said Patrick Devereaux, Senior Vice President of EMERgency24. "Police officers and fire fighters responding to alarms is a vital function that makes our communities safer."