Sir, – I was greatly interested in Anthony G Keane’s letter (January 13th) with regard to the new fire emergency charges in Dublin. Mr Keane’s letter covered, among other aspects, the charge of €500 for “false alarms” which “almost always are untraceable”.
As I write this, I have beside me an invoice from Meath County Council Fire Service Department for €350 (our Council is way ahead of its Dublin counterparts).
The background to this invoice is as follows. While we were on holidays last October our smoke alarm malfunctioned. This activated our alarm system and the alarm company monitor immediately made three phone calls: 1. to The Fire Service – 999; 2. to our kindly key-holding neighbour; 3. to myself. When I phoned our neighbour he confirmed that he had already reached our house and that all seemed well. With that the fire brigade arrived, the firemen were admitted to the house and having satisfied themselves that all was indeed well, they left again.
Within an hour, our smoke alarm malfunctioned again. Happily, when I got my call the second time, I succeeded in convincing the monitor (a different person this time) that it was a malfunction and he reluctantly agreed to cancel the second 999 call to the Fire Service. Otherwise, my above invoice would be for €700. There the matter “rested” until we got home.
When we returned from holidays, the alarm company sent engineers to examine our alarm system. They could find nothing to account for the malfunction of the smoke alarm. As of now no one has a clue as to why it all happened.
Last month the invoice for €350 arrived. I have contacted my home insurers only to be told that their cover is only for an actual fire; it does nor cover a “false alarm”.
It seems to me that what happened to us could happen to any householder with an alarm system installed. This type of “false alarm” is very definitely traceable It will attract the new substantial charge. And Dublin homeowners should take no consolation whatever from the assertion by a Dublin City Council representative that the charge “is covered by household insurance”. – Yours, etc,