STAFF REPORT

To: Community Services Committee

From: Barry H. Gutteridge, Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services

Alam Speed, Fire Chief

Subject:Toronto Fire Services - False Alarm Statistics - 1999

Purpose:

This report provides City Council with statistics on false alarms for 1999.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

There are no financial implications associated with this report.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that this report be received and forwarded to the Budget Advisory Committee for information.

Council Background:

The Budget Advisory Committee at its meeting of November 17, 1999 requested the "Fire Chief to report on the statistics on the total number of calls and the number of said calls that were false alarms for 1999 as soon as they are available, and the recovery of fines in that regard".

Comments:

In 1999, there was a total of 121,270 emergency incidents which Fire Services provided a response. Of these, 37,028 were false alarms which required 130,396 vehicle movements by the Toronto Fire Services. The total number of malicious and nuisance false alarm incidents were 25,359.

  The City of Toronto enacted By-law No. 133-1998, which provides for fees to be charged for nuisance and malicious alarms. An administration fee of $300.00 per dispatched fire vehicle is charged when either of the following criteria are met:

1. For the 3^rd and all subsequent nuisance fire alarms in a building in the past two calendar months; or
2. For the 3^rd and all subsequent malicious false alarms in a calendar year.

Between January 1, 1999 and October 31, 1999, a total of 1,520 invoices were prepared for nuisance and malicious false alarms which totalled $2,663,100. Invoice amounts remaining unpaid after 90 days are transferred to the Tax Section for collection via tax bills.

There are certain properties in the City of Toronto that are exempt from taxes, and accordingly, we do not invoice for false alarms at these properties. Typically these properties are government owned.

Summary Report - January 1 to October 31, 1999 - City of Toronto
Total Malicious and Nuisance false alarm billings:						$ 2,663,100
Property owned by Metro Toronto Housing
Authority that cannot be invoiced: $ 828,000
Other properties that cannot be invoiced: +			$ 238,800
		Total	$ 1,066,800	-		$ 1,066,800
						$ 1,596,300
Cash Cost Recovery:				-		$ 729,382
						$ 866,918
Total amount sent to Tax Section for collection:				-		$ 685,500
Amount Outstanding ( has yet to be paid to the City):						$ 181,418

 To summarize, the total amount of malicious and nuisance false alarms billed for the period of January 1 to October 31, 1999 was $2,663,100. An amount of $1,066,800 is not recoverable. This leaves $1,596,300 to be recovered. Out of this, $729,382 has been recovered/received. From the $866,918 yet to be recovered, a total of $685,500 has been sent to the Tax Section for recovery leaving an outstanding amount of $181,418 still to be paid to the City.

Conclusions:

Malicious and nuisance false alarms continue to be an ongoing problem for Toronto Fire Services. The new By-law proposed by Fire Services and providing for an amount of $500 to be paid to persons providing information leading to the conviction of anyone wilfully causing a false fire alarm should act as a general deterrent though.

Our standing operating procedure for fire crews attending at the scene of a malicious or nuisance false fire alarm is to give the building owner a copy of the Notice of False Fire Alarm as noted in Appendix "A". Included with an invoice for false alarm billing are the two documents noted in Appendices "B" and "C".

Contact:

Terry Boyko, Deputy Fire Chief

Tel: 397-4302 Fax: 397-4325

tboyko@toronto.ca

Alan F. Speed, Fire Chief

Tel: 397-4300 Fax: 397-4325

aspeed@toronto.ca

Fire Chief, Fire Services

Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services

MM

report-fire alarm stats

List of Attachments:

Appendix "A" - Notice of False Fire Alarm

Appendix "B" - Info document mailed with invoice

Appendix "C" - Info document mailed with invoice

   Appendix "A"

Toronto Fire Services

Notice of False Fire Alarm

This notice is being issued as the City of Toronto has responded to a false alarm at your address at:

__________________________________________________________________________

Date/Time: _______________________________________________________________

False fire alarms cost all of us. Each year in Toronto your fire service responds to tens of thousands of alarms where upon investigation, the cause is not a fire but poor maintenance of the alarm system. Maliciously activated fire alarms are also a serious concern. Because of the high numbers of these incidents the possibility is always present that responding to these nuisance alarms may delay our response to a real emergency.

To deal with this issue, the City of Toronto has enacted Bylaw No. 133-1998, which identifies fees to be charged for nuisance and malicious alarms. An administration fee of $300.00 per dispatched fire vehicle will be charged when the following criteria are met;

1. For the 3^rd and all subsequent nuisance fire alarms in a building in the past two calendar months;
2. For the 3^rd and all subsequent malicious false alarms in a calendar year.

Properly installed and maintained fire alarm and security systems are important factors in minimizing nuisance alarms.

You can help yourself and help us

A rebate of up to 90% of the fee is available for those who have been charged this fee but make real efforts to deal with their nuisance and malicious alarms. Improvements to the alarm system must enhance life safety. Submissions or enquiries should be directed to the attention of the Division Chief, Fire Prevention Division.

Your cooperation will go a long way toward reducing nuisance and false alarms in the City and increasing the availability of our Fire Fighters to respond to genuine emergencies.

    Alan F. Speed

Fire Chief

Fire Services		Appendix "B"

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This information is shared with building owners and building managers in order to provide assistance in reducing the incidents of false fire alarms within a building.

This list identifies a number of actions that have been implemented previously with good results.

Please give serious consideration to the following:

• The installation of localized alarm type covers over the fire alarm pull station. These must be U.L.C. listed and installed according to the manufacturers instructions. ***

• Consider installing security cameras in the main foyer and other areas of the building where pulled alarm stations are common.***

• Assign security personnel to patrol the building.

• Organizing of tenant groups to be fire wardens in troublesome buildings. At least one person per floor would look out in the corridor to see if they can determine who activated the alarm, immediately upon hearing the fire alarm sound.

• Post letters in the building signed by the Fire Chief warning people of the dangers associated with false alarms. (Copy attached)

• Arranging for Fire Services personnel to talk with tenant groups regarding the dangers of false alarms in the building. Be on the look out for troublesome people and do not hesitate to contact the police when you have gathered evidence that could lead to the arrest of perpetrators regarding false alarms. False alarms are a criminal offence.

• Consider arranging meetings to include building occupants, property management, maintenance personnel and superintendents in order to discuss together the possible solutions to your particular concerns. Try to develop a genuinely concerned and involved team effort with all parties involved.

• Ensure that reputable companies are performing regular maintenance on fire protection equipment in accordance with the Ontario Fire Code requirements and that the communications centre of the Toronto Fire Services is notified when systems are being worked on.

• Toronto Fire Services will be conducting in the future, a series of seminars for the benefit of building superintendents and property managers. Ontario Fire Code requirements and discussions on how to respond to false alarm problems will be included.

False alarms are activated for a number of different reasons. We must take a responsible position in order to eliminate them. They create dangerous situations for fire fighters and the public and will not be tolerated.

Your concern, interest and cooperation will go along way toward reducing the false alarms within the building.

Being free of false alarms will benefit everyone!

Thank you,

Alan F. Speed

Fire Chief

*** These items are reimbursable.

 

FIRE SERVICES		Appendix "C"

NOTICE OF FALSE FIRE ALARM

False fire alarms cost all of us. Each year in Toronto your fire service responds to tens of thousands of alarms where upon investigation, the cause is not a fire but poor maintenance of the alarm system. Maliciously activated fire alarms are also a serious concern. Because of the high numbers of these incidents the possibility is always present that responding to these nuisance alarms may delay our response to a real emergency.

To deal with this issue, the City of Toronto has enacted Bylaw No. 133-1998, which identifies fees to be charged for nuisance and malicious alarms. An administration fee of $300.00 per dispatched fire vehicle will be charged when the following criteria are met;

 You can help yourself and help us

A rebate of up to 90% of the fee is available for those who have been charged this fee but make real efforts to deal with their nuisance and malicious alarms. Rebates will not be acknowledged until the invoice for false alarms has been paid. To qualify for a rebate you must provide improvements to the fire alarm system that enhance life safety or improve security in the building. This does not include regular maintenance or repairs to the system.

When application for reimbursement and invoice for devices installed are received, they will be validated and a member of the inspection staff will verify the installation before reimbursement is made. Submissions or enquiries should be directed to the attention of the Division Chief, Fire Prevention Division.

Your cooperation will go a long way toward reducing nuisance and false alarms in the City and increasing the availability of our Fire Fighters to respond to genuine emergencies.

    Alan F. Speed

Fire Chief