FALSE FIRE ALARMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 15, 18 January 1930, Page 11

FALSE FIRE ALARMS.

COST LIVES AND MONEY. ' ' V" ' :'.J TWO BOYS CONVICTED. BRIGADE CALLED NINE TIMES. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Malicious false alarms have caused ferious trouble to the Christchurch Fire Brigade. For years efforts have been made to stamp out this offence, but unsuccessfully, according to evidence given in the Children's Court, when two'boys were convicted of the offence. They worked together. One of them called but the brigade nine times. Chief Detective Carroll said that a 6 each alarm cost the brigade £6 to turn out, 1 the total loss was- £60. During the past twelve months there had. been no fewer than' 128 malicious false alarms in the city. - ' •< . ■' v .. Superintendent C. ' Warner said, that during- the -past eight fy.eare three men had .' been • killed when - brigades -wdre going •to fires'. In each case, the alarm was a malicious. false one. One night much, damage was done' in. North Linwood while the brigade was responding, to a 'false alarm in another part of the city. People's, lives might be at stake. Malicious' false alarms' were increasing. • There had been three at Papanui in the past,24 hours. >VThe boys were committed to the care of , a child welfare officer.