Fire Prevention Week Open House

FAQs

Why do fire trucks sometimes travel with their lights and siren on, and then all of a sudden turn them off?

When a call for service is dispatched, CFD responds with specific apparatus and manpower, depending upon the type of call. When a CFD representative (Chief Officer, first-in Engine, etc) arrives and conducts a "size-up", additional resources may be canceled from the call or told to reduce their response to a routine response.

My fire alarm went off and I contacted my alarm company and told them everything was OK and not to send the Fire Department and they still showed up, why?

When a fire alarm company contacts our dispatch center (Johnston County E-911 Communications) and they dispatch us, we have to respond to the incident for insurance purposes. Sometimes, the dispatcher will inform us that the alarm company has requested to cancel, and at that time the Officer in-charge will inform the additional responding apparatus to cancel and the closest unit will respond to the incident. When we arrive we check for things such as:

Ensure the alarm system functioned correctly
Ensure a fire that has been extinguished has not spread to an adjacent area
Ensure no malicious acts are being done (starting a fire and then telling the alarm company to cancel the fire department)
Ensure the area doesn't need to be ventilated
Depending upon damage (even from small fires), insurance companies sometimes require a fire report
Answer any questions the homeowner/resident/business owner has.

Can I be fined for false fire alarms? What constitutes a false alarm?

Yes. For Town of Clayton residents, there is an alarm ordinance. A false alarm is an alarm in which the system malfunctions for no apparent reason, or where a system is activated (manual pull station) when there is no fire. A fire alarm that goes off for accidental reasons such as burnt food is not considered a false alarm (the system is doing what it's designed to do) but repeat offenses may result in suggestions and/or recommendations from the Fire Marshal.

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