FALSE ALARMS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 26, 1 February 1932, Page 3

FALSE ALARMS

FIRE BRIGADE PROBLEM

SOME CONCERN FELT

Some concern at the number of false alarms given last year is expressed in a report submitted at the meeting of the Fire Board last week by the superintendent, Mr. J. Creek.

Tho report stated that the number of malicious false alarms during the year was 220. Of these 16 were received from the Kirkby fire alarm system. 103 from the new telephone system, and 101 through the city automatic telephone. All told, 53 malicious alarms were received through the new telephone system from the Aliramar district, 41 from Northland, and c from Brooklyn. "Considerable troublo has been experienced from certain points at Mirauiar, and the Police Department has been requested to keep a special watch on these," states the report. "I am of the opinion that school children are responsible for quite a. number of these calls, tho majority of which are received between the hours of i p.m. and 8 p.m. To overcome this brigade officers in tho various districts will again deliver lectures on the matter. "As a result of police inquiries a boy of nine years admitted damaging a fire alarm box at tho comer of Sydney street and Parliament steps. It appears that in company with others he was throwing stones at the alarm box. The boy has been confined to a home m the Hutt district.

"I am convinced that there will be an appreciable falling off' in the number of'lal.se alarms received through tho new alarm system in the cour°se of a short time. Only six calls were received at Brooklyn (where the system was first installed) in tho twelve months under consideration. It was to be expected that interference would cause-trouble for a time. The question of malicious alarms- being received : through the exchange' has been causing me more concern. I have had an interview with the District Telegraph, Engineer, however, and I am confident that suitable arrangements can be made.. , .

"Wellington does not suffer alone from .this pernicious false call bugbear. . Recent statistics show the fol-lowing-false alarm calls having been received at a few cities overseasJohannesburg 59, Kingston 17, Sydney 817, New York 11,068, Paris 1909, Quebec 142, Montreal 1731, and Vancouver 1550."

On . the suggestion of the superintendent; it was decided- that plates offering ,a reward of £5 for information leading to the conviction of pcrsous giving false alarms or interfering with the alarms should be placed over lire alarm box. CALLS IN DECEMBER. Calls received by the Central Tire Brigade in December totalled 97; 61----were to actual fires (property 19, chim-" neys 2, gorse, grass, and-rubbish 40), and 36 were false alarms, of which 23 were justifiable- and 13. malicious.--For tho nine months of the current financial year the calls and fires were as follows, the figures for the corresponding period last year .being given in parentheses:—Property, 181 (19S) ; chimneys,-70 (104); gorsc, grass, and rubbish, 134 (163); total, 394 (4G5). False Alarms: Justifiable, 10!» (104)----malicious, 144 (161); total, 253 (265)'.