False Alarm Charges

[Hicksflat14]

Pity its not the same for both services. I guess the CFS aren't interested in reducing the number of false alarms its volunteers attend.

[safireservice]

So.........are the MFS going to charge to attend alarms in CFS area as well?

[rescue5271]

CFS where ment to have the new FIREMON up and running by now and from that they were going to charge for fixed and private alarms,this money would go back to SAFECOM and not the local brigade.You are allowed 3 false alarms in two months after that it was i think $150 per appliances.

[SA Firey]

Fisrtly the charge is $100 and more info can be found here.http://www.samfs.sa.gov.au/FalseAlarms/ufa.asp

MFS have been charging for false alarms for years and are now applying a fee to all private fire alarms monitored by security companies so spread the word and dont burn the toast

[rescue5271]

May be with MFS going to charge we will may see at last some of these security firms install detection alarms in better locations but will also see them have some sort of service agreement with clients.I dont know how many times I have seen smoke alarms in kitchens and bathrooms rather than thermals...

[SA Firey]

May be with MFS going to charge we will may see at last some of these security firms install detection alarms in better locations but will also see them have some sort of service agreement with clients.I dont know how many times I have seen smoke alarms in kitchens and bathrooms rather than thermals...

A lot of the problem is we are working with filtered architects who place them on the plans to submit to council, and dont listen to us the ones that actually install them,but I wont be putting any detection device in a bathroom anytime soon

[mack]

May be with MFS going to charge we will may see at last some of these security firms install detection alarms in better locations but will also see them have some sort of service agreement with clients.I dont know how many times I have seen smoke alarms in kitchens and bathrooms rather than thermals...

A lot of the problem is we are working with filtered architects who place them on the plans to submit to council, and dont listen to us the ones that actually install them,but I wont be putting any detection device in a bathroom anytime soon

lets face it, the main problem is the monitoring companys.... now if they would actually do there job and try to contact the premises BEFORE calling the fire service (as is the proper procedure) then there wouldnt be so many "false alarms".

[SA Firey]

Monitoring company's do ring the premises first which is our standard SOP and if no answer, next call is the brigade.A lot of Clients are too dumb to call in and say they have burnt the toast.
 

[mack]

Monitoring company's do ring the premises first which is our standard SOP and if no answer, next call is the brigade.

Not all the time they dont... i cant think of one company (which wont be named on here) that is notorious for just calling the fire service, without first trying to contact the residence.

[SA Firey]

Monitoring company's do ring the premises first which is our standard SOP and if no answer, next call is the brigade.

Not all the time they dont... i cant think of one company (which wont be named on here) that is notorious for just calling the fire service, without first trying to contact the residence.

I think you meant can think of one company mack.....and I have a fair idea of who you mean,we get calls to their jobs regularly,only to be told by the resident we rang the monitoring centre and told them it was a false alarm

[mack]

Monitoring company's do ring the premises first which is our standard SOP and if no answer, next call is the brigade.

Not all the time they dont... i cant think of one company (which wont be named on here) that is notorious for just calling the fire service, without first trying to contact the residence.

I think you meant can think of one company mack.....and I have a fair idea of who you mean,we get calls to their jobs regularly,only to be told by the resident we rang the monitoring centre and told them it was a false alarm

ooops fat fingers...

thats exactly what i was meaning.

[Alan J]

I think you meant can think of one company mack.....and I have a fair idea of who you mean,we get calls to their jobs regularly,only to be told by the resident we rang the monitoring centre and told them it was a false alarm

Hopefully, a few bills handed to property owners with the suggestion that they take it up with the security company will go a long way towards fixing it.

Also, it seems that cancelling or down-grading a 000 call to MFS or SAAS cannot be done except if an MFS or SAAS person on-scene makes the call.  Evidently a CFS officer is not qualified to determine that a small pile of leaves smouldering on a concrete driveway has been extinguished & poses no life-threat.    Nor are they qualified to recognise that a kid who, having fallen off their bike, jumped back on & ridden away, has in fact, left the scene of the accident.  Only a paramedic is qualified to notice that the kid is no longer there... 

[SA Firey]

CFS officer has the same powers under the Act

[Firey9119]

I think you meant can think of one company mack.....and I have a fair idea of who you mean,we get calls to their jobs regularly,only to be told by the resident we rang the monitoring centre and told them it was a false alarm

Hopefully, a few bills handed to property owners with the suggestion that they take it up with the security company will go a long way towards fixing it.

Also, it seems that cancelling or down-grading a 000 call to MFS or SAAS cannot be done except if an MFS or SAAS person on-scene makes the call.  Evidently a CFS officer is not qualified to determine that a small pile of leaves smouldering on a concrete driveway has been extinguished & poses no life-threat.    Nor are they qualified to recognise that a kid who, having fallen off their bike, jumped back on & ridden away, has in fact, left the scene of the accident.  Only a paramedic is qualified to notice that the kid is no longer there... 

ok to sart with security companys do offer a maint plan to all clients but like every thing they will not work for free, IT COST MONEY!!, that the client needs to take some of the blam!!

second the security monitoring in 99.9% of cases DO ring the prems but there is no answer as the client is to worried about the smoke alarm then to answer the phone as instructed by the install tech there for what is the control rooms ment to do not call the fire service as the client MIGHT have set it off by mistake.

second once the mfs comms gets the call "smoke alarm in hall way activated, no 123 anc st" they send a truck no matter what, when the control room call back as the client as finally answered the phone or worked out they should call it in, the control room get told thats fine but we have sent the job and we cant stop the trucks what do you do, who fault is that? control room ?? how long should they wait until the MIGHT get a call or get in contact with the client, remembering that every second counts!!


and last remembering that the security system/smoke alrams BELONG to the client not the security company there for if it stuffs up it is not up to the security company to make sure it gets fix if the client does not want to pay for it.


and as for $$$$$$

for homes the fine is $50 first one free in 60 days

business $100 first one free in 60 days

as sent to all security companys/control rooms


how do i know this i work for a security company as a security tech.

[SA Firey]

Mate they're too lazy to call us to fix a tamper switch which constantly false alarms let alone a smoke detector because they DONT want to pay....exactly