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Commission holds first reading of proposed fire-alarm ordinance to curb excessive responses
Summary
County staff presented a first reading of a proposed ordinance to regulate excessive fire-alarm responses, inspection and penalty procedures; commissioners will consider a final vote next month after receiving public comment and selecting penalty thresholds.
Habersham County commissioners received a first reading Jan. 27 of a proposed county ordinance creating a new Article 3 in Chapter 30 to regulate fire alarms, inspections and penalties for excessive responses.
Fire staff told the commission the county has seen a sharp increase in alarm responses (from 138 alarms in 2022 to a reported 209 additional alarms over three years) and described several commercial locations that triggered dozens of responses in a single year. Staff said many of the activations occur where the alarm system “is doing its job” but where repeated responses tie up apparatus and expose responders to risk when no fire exists on arrival.
The ordinance draft, as read by staff, would add definitions, operation and maintenance requirements, transmission rules, prohibitions on intentional false alarms, requirements for inspections, a framework for appeals and penalties for subsequent violations. Staff said the county will notify property owners about the ordinance and provide written information to alarm operators when enforcement begins.
Commissioners asked staff whether the cause of alarms tends to be defective equipment or user actions; staff said the cause varies and that alarm companies must evaluate system sensitivity or causes such as cooking or steam. Commissioners also asked whether the county has seen similar ordinances elsewhere; county legal staff said comparable alarm ordinances exist in Hall, Fayette and Cherokee counties.
Because this was a first reading, commissioners did not adopt text and will consider changes before a required second reading. Staff asked commissioners to consider appropriate thresholds for “excessive” alarm counts and to expect an amendment to the county fee schedule to set penalty amounts. Staff said formal notice procedures will be included and that officers will deliver written notice to violators.
The item will return for a second and final reading next month; commissioners directed staff to circulate the draft and recommended thresholds for review.
