The Town of Ponoka is asking residents to reduce the number of false alarm fire calls. Almost half of all emergency fire calls in Ponoka were a false alarm and the town seeks to lessen the burden on fire services and promote safety. In total, 77 false alarm calls were made last year.  

“False alarms can be a serious safety issue because we have to respond to them like a real fire,” said Dennis Jones, Regional Fire Chief with Ponoka County Regional Fire Services. “We have no way of knowing if there’s a real emergency or if it’s just a false alarm. That means firefighters and equipment have to be sent to a situation where they aren’t needed, which makes them potentially unavailable for a true emergency if one were to happen at the same time as the false alarm.”

Chief Jones recommends the following to reduce the number of false alarm calls:

  • Regular fire alarm testing
  • Change fire alarm batteries regularly
  • Regular maintenance and cleaning of fire alarms
  • Ensure proper placement of fire alarms
  • Call before testing or doing maintenance on your alarm
  • Call your monitoring company immediately to report false alarm

Repeating false alarms can also become a cost to those experiencing them. Keeping the community safe by reducing false alarms may also save a couple of dollars.

“Our Fire Protection Services Bylaw does allow the Town to issue fines for repeat false alarms. However, right now our focus is on raising awareness around the issue of false alarms and educating our citizens on how they can prevent them at their home or business, rather than issuing fines,” said Ponoka Mayor Rick Bonnett. “We’re hoping public awareness will solve the problem.”