Article on Inside Toronto

False alarm fees decision pushed over until March

DAVID NICKLEJanuary 26, 2011Toronto residents who send out false fire alarms will keep paying fines for at least 2011, after Toronto's licensing and standards committee voted to put off considering giving a break to homeowners until after council sets this year's budget.Toronto Council voted last year to eliminate a one-time exemption from paying a $350 fee for every truck dispatched to a false fire alarm. The fee is intended to encourage highrise owners to better police their fire alarms.But it also hit homeowners - particularly those with automatic fire alarms installed in their homes that signal the fire department.In this year's budget, the fee is expected to rise from $350 to $410 per vehicle - meaning that a false alarm could end up costing a homeowner $1,230 if the usual complement of three fire trucks is sent out.Etobicoke Centre Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby had attempted to get a one-time exemption for homeowners - similar to the exemption that had existed prior to 2010.She got some support from other councillors. Ward 8 Councillor Anthony Perruzza recalled his pizza delivery days, during which he would occasionally deliver a pizza that had been called in as a prank."The pizza outfit that I delivered for took the hit for the pizza," he said. "You couldn't say to people too bad, so sad, I'm here so cough up. And a lot of times those false alarms are simply people fearing for their safety, pulling the alarm and later not coming forward."But other committee members sided with committee chair Cesar Palacio, and voted to put off dealing with the matter until after the 2011 budget is passed.Lindsay Luby said the fees could hit seniors in her ward hard."I have a lot of seniors in the ward," she said. "They plan their resources carefully. Suddenly they get a bill that could be $1,200 plus HST and that's a big shock. The first thing they think of is, what am I paying my taxes for if not for fire?"The matter has been put off until the March 31 meeting of the licensing and standards committee.http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/cityhall/article/934394--false-alarm-fees-decision-pushed-over-until-march