So, department officials want to start fining businesses or homeowners whose alarm systems are habitually going off.
Captain Jim Doucette with Sacramento City Fire says false alarms take firefighters away from any real emergencies that may be happening.
“If we’re responding to a false alarm in Building A and down the street Building B has another call, whatever type of call it is – heart attack or fire or whatever – companies have to come from further away to respond there. So their response times get slower.”
Later this week, the City Council’s Law and Legislation Committee will consider an ordinance to start issuing fines.
Under the plan, a third false alarm could levy a fine of $350.