FALSE FIRE ALARMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21578, 24 August 1933, Page 8

FALSE FIRE ALARMS

The fire brigade has received 12 malicious false alarms in a month and the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board has decided to offer rewards for the detection of the crime and to ask the Courts to impose severe penalties. Past experience indicates that this offence has waves of greater incidence, indicating concerted action by those of mischievous tendencies or an alarm-breaking mania by a mentally defective person. Provided no real fire danger occurs when the brigade is out on its "fool's errand," the offence remains merely mischief in the average mind. But it is always more than mischief when committed by a person who is responsible for his actions. Every time a fire engine answers a call there arc traffic risks, and every time the staff and plant of a fire station is depleted the fire risk in its area increases. Time lost in the first few minutes of an outbreak, which are the critical period, may result in serious destruction of property and even in loss of life. The worst danger would arise if a false alarm were given when the brigade is engaged at a fire. Its last reserve might be sent out, leaving the station helpless. Thus the Fire Board and police authorities require the general co-operation of citizens in minimising the trouble. If the board offers a substantial reward it will enlist the aid of many who would not otherwise feel it a duty to give information to the police when they observe an alarm box broken under suspicious circumstances, and it will also act as a deterrent to those with guilty intentions. Salutary punishments following convictions would probably cure the evil for a time. Instruction in the schools will be all to the good, but it is to be f,eared that the culprits are beyond the reach of the schoolmaster, though the methods of the more vigorous masters of the past would probably be the best form of corrective that could be applied to them.