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Penalty too low to compensate for false fire alarms: Mono’s deputy mayor

March 6, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

The Town of Mono may revisit its means to deal with false alarms to emergency services.

False alarms shouldn’t be subsidized by the taxpayers, said a Mono resident who called himself Al Thick in an emailed question to council during its Feb. 25 meeting. He asked if Mono council would consider an amendment to the false alarm bylaw to charge for all false alarms.

“I believe that we do now charge after the third false alarm,” Mayor John Creelman said. “We have some forbearance when it comes to somebody accidentally setting off their alarm. But if it happens more than three times, we do in fact charge.”

Fred Simpson, the town’s clerk, said the bylaw states that two or more false fire alarms to a given property in 12 months carry a $3,000 penalty.

“How often do we actually invoke it?” Creelman said.

“Not very often,” Simpson said. “We track them very closely, but it’s not that often. I don’t have an actual number for how many in the last year that we charged.”

Simpson said he would provide council with the number of charges.

“Council amended that a number of years ago to say within a 12-month period,” Simpson said. “So it’s not a calendar year. It used to be.”

Councillor Melinda Davie said it’s good the question was broached as more residents have properties wired with alarm systems.

“I would wonder whether there’s decreasing amounts of false alarms as people become accustomed to it,” she said.

In many cases, homeowners can check an alarm from their cellphone, she said. First responders won’t be called if their phone shows a false alarm for whatever reason.

Deputy Mayor Fred Nix said the average cost to bring a firetruck from any one of the neighbouring municipalities that service Mono is about $4,500. That means the fine for false alarms is too low.

“Maybe we should consider increasing that fee,” Nix said.

“I’m just curious as to how this question would arise with one of our citizens,” Coun. Elaine Capes said. “Do they have some information that led them to think there were a lot of false alarms going on that we were making everybody pay for?”

She asked if the town receives reports of false alarms from any of the three fire services Mono contracts.

Mike Dunmore, the town’s CAO, confirmed that the town receives fire billings that denote false alarms.

“That’s discussed between Treasury and Bylaw Enforcement as to whether it’s a third offence,” Dunmore said. “Staff has identified this as an expenditure that should be reviewed against the actual cost impact to the residents and the levy.”

He said there’s an item on council’s list of unfinished business about reviewing fees and revenue opportunities.

“That may be described as reimbursement for costs borne on the municipality,” Dunmore said.

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