False Alarm Bylaw Q&A

From the City of Williams Lake:

What is the Security Alarm Bylaw?

The Security Alarm Bylaw, adopted in December 2010 by Council, requires that monitored security and fire alarms within the City of Williams Lake are registered with the City. The annual registration cost is $15 for residential alarms, and $20 for commercial and other alarms.

False alarm data was reviewed from 1991 to present from the Williams Lake RCMP and the Williams Lake Fire Department. This data shows a steep increase in both costs associated with responding to false alarms and numbers of false alarms per year.

RCMP statistics for 2008 and 2009 show an average of 93 false alarms per month, totaling over 1,000 per year. Costs of responding to current false alarm totals are estimated at between $54,000 and $63,000, in addition to requiring a significant amount of time on the part of RCMP members. Costs associated with Williams Lake Fire Department responding to false alarms have been estimated at $89,700.00 per year, based on 78 false alarms per year.
This is time and money that could be better used by the RCMP and the Fire Department for other policing, crime prevention, and fire prevention work. It is not a beneficial situation to have emergency services personnel engaged in responding to a false alarm when they are needed urgently elsewhere.

Was the public consulted on the bylaw?

Two public consultation meetings were held on September 16th and 30, 2010, collecting input from residents surrounding the development and implementation of the False Alarm Bylaw. Although, attendance was low, there was an engaging discussion amongst Staff and residents about the need for a Bylaw to regulate alarms. Residents were in favor of the Bylaw as it held those accountable for what were deemed “excessive” false alarms by fines and recognized that the current cost attributed to “doing nothing” was not acceptable.

Why is there a cost to register alarms?

The fees to register alarms are to recoup some of the cost of maintaining a database of registered alarms, tracking excessive false alarms, administration, and providing targeted education to all alarm owners. The cost of administering the Bylaw will be borne by those with alarm systems rather than the general taxpayers.

What are the fees for false alarms and why are they charged?

The fees for what are deemed excessive false alarms begin at $100, charged after the third false alarm in a 365-day period. The fourth and subsequent false alarms will incur a $150 fee. The fees are intended to encourage responsible alarm use, extra diligence to avoid false alarms, and incentive to keep alarms properly maintained.

If I have a large number of false alarms at my address, will the RCMP or Fire Department still respond to an alarm?

Yes. Emergency services will respond to all alarms, no matter how many false alarms have been recorded at an address.

View the brochure on False Alarm tips here