County fire department reports three false smoke-detector installation requests; homeowners unaware

Bedford County fire officials told the Courthouse and Property Committee on Aug. 26, 2025, that crews have responded to three false or misdirected smoke-detector installation requests and found homeowners unaware of the requests. Fire staff described the calls during the department's regular report to the committee.

The matter matters because false service requests can tie up department resources and create confusion for residents and staff. Committee members heard that the county is investigating how entries are routed from the state fire marshal website to local crews.

“We're not real sure what's going on, but there were 3 false documents filed for us to go out and install smoke detectors in homes,” a Fire Department staff member told the committee. “And when we get there, they don't have any idea. Don't want no smoke detectors or anything.” The staff member said requests typically arrive through the fire marshal's website: a user logs a request and it is forwarded with contact information to local crews.

Committee members discussed the operational impact. The fire representative said the department does not yet know whether the erroneous requests are the result of bad addresses, cross-jurisdiction routing, or misuse of the online form. “We don't know if somebody's doing this for just to be mean or the wrong addresses are getting sent to the wrong county or what,” the staff member said.

The department told the committee it will continue to install smoke detectors for residents who request them and encouraged anyone who needs an installation to contact the department directly. No formal action was taken; the report was accepted as part of the committee's regular business.

For clarity, the three false requests were reported by fire staff at the meeting; the department did not provide an investigation conclusion or named any corrective steps beyond continuing installations and looking into the routing issue.