The District responds to automatic fire, smoke, and carbon monoxide alarm activations as potential emergencies to protect life and property, i.e. alarms to which medical treatment and care may be rendered at the scene.

False alarms occur regularly and can divert police deputies, firefighters and EMTs from actual emergencies. Repeated false alarms burden emergency resources, increase operational costs, create unnecessary risk to responders, and reduce resources for actual emergencies.

On October 20, 2026, the Board of Fire Commissioners adopted Resolution No. 2026-08, establishing a False Alarm Cost Recovery Program. A new fee structure has been enacted to reduce the number for false alarms that emergency services respond to, not to generate revenue for District 3. The Board of Fire Commissioners found that reimbursement for excessive false alarms promotes proper maintenance of alarm systems, encourages education and enhances public safety.

“The majority of alarm system calls the fire department has received each year over the past decade have ended up being false,” said Chief Monin. “These operational costs are then passed on to the taxpayers at large. The District’s goal is to encourage proper inspection, testing, maintenance, and operation of fire alarm monitoring and notification systems.”

One false alarm within a calendar year shall result in no charge. A second false alarm within one year of the first false alarm shall result in a Written Warning. A third false alarm within one year of the second false alarm, and all subsequent future false alarms within that time period, shall be subject to cost recovery.

The new fee structure includes:

Third False Alarm: $500

Fourth False Alarm: $750

Fifth and Subsequent False Alarm: $1,000 per occurrence