OLD ORCHARD BEACH — The town is considering increasing the fees for multiple false fire alarms from the same location.

Any business or residence with a fire or security alarm system which sends out more than three false fire alarms in a calendar year is subject to a fine. According to town ordinance, the number of fire and security alarms in use within the town has greatly increased over the years. False alarms greatly impact fire and police departments’ ability to respond to emergencies, according to town ordinance. 

The town, under suggestion from Fire Chief Ed Dube, is proposing increases in the charges for those who have fire or security systems that repeatedly sound out false alarms.

The proposal would change the charge for the fourth false alarm in one calander year would increase from $25 to $50. Under the proposal, the charge for the fifth false alarm in a year would increase from $35 to $100, and the charged for the sixth charge would increase from $50 to $200.

A public hearing on the proposed changes was held Tuesday, and though town officials briefly discussed the matter, no one from the community spoke out. The Town Council will vote on the proposal at a later date.

The current fines are not “very hefty” and the intent of the change is to encourage those with faulty alarm systems to repair them so the town will not have to make frequent trips that end up being false alarms, said Town Manager Larry Mead.

Dube said every week the Fire Department goes to calls that end up being false alarms due to a malfunction in a system that the owner refuses to repair. He noted that last year, the Fire Department responded to five calls in a row from the same location, and all calls ended up being false alarms. The current fining system “just isn’t working,” he said.

“They’d rather pay the fine than fix the issue,” said Dube. 

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.