NEAFC 32nd Annual Conference.pdf - New England Association of ...

NEW EI~IGLAND ASSOClATIOlXI OF FII~E CHIEFS
CHIEF TI-IO~AS: I think that what has been said previously,~ and by
yourself and other speakers, is very much to the.point.
I should like to emphasize that the International Association, at their Board
meeting last February, authorized the Chairman of the Communications Committee
(who is Roi Wooley) to proceed with the investigation and survey of
what can be done about false alarms, in addition to three or £our other matters
he has, relating to communications.
Of course, as Chairman of that Committee, Roi is properly authorized
to set up such sectional committees as. he deems necessary to further study this
particular problem.
I would go along with some of the thoughts that have been expressed,
that the false alarm menace (and that is what it is) is something that confronts
all of our departments in both fire alarm boxes on the corner and the
telephone, of ~course.
I think that the remedies are both educational, as. Stuart has said, and
also the enforcement.
I think that in the main, the control of false alarms, is a local problem,
and that is No.1 in the survey tackling this. problem. I think, Roi, as. we
have discussed this previously, it would have to be a survey of what is. a false
alarm.
In that connection, I would ~efer some of our people to one of the Bulletins
of the National Board, issued some time ago, the title of which is: ~What is
a false alarm?"
For, certainly, there are the smoke scares; and the needless alarms,
and all that sort of thing; there are the honest mistakes, and they are not
necessarily malicious., false alarms. ~-
But, the remedy, I think, Roi, is local. I think it is. education, and I
think that we also must have a stiffer penalty for these people who, through
some insane ideas of fun, or something else, tend to pull fire alarm boxes.
I can only assure the group, and you, Roi, that the International Association
will go all the way with you and your Committee on this problem, in
the interests of the various. Chiefs who are concerned.
MODERATOR ~,rOOLLEY: Thank you very much, Chief Thomas. I am
very glad to have. you ’bring that .out, because I want this organization to
feel that here is a former President of yours, on our Committee, and we are
going to try to dove-tail the work, so that you will know everything that is
going on, and the International will go ahead with it, and we will harig together,
if we have to hang at all. -
This is critical, this definition of a false alarm. We ought to start with
the terminology, and I do think that, as you will note in the reports, of the
Fire Chiefs that go across the desk, and particularly John O’Hearn will agree
with this because he sees them, you will find there is no single classification
that we can adopt. For, a malicious, false alarm~ in one city, is a different
type in another city: In many cities, they grgu p all types, of alarms, for
which there is no fire, under false alarms. And, the poor old, red, fire alarm
box on the corner gets the blame for many of these false alarms that might
be by telephone, or even verbal.
129