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Encinitas council raises fees for repeat false-alarm responses; sixth and subsequent alarms set at $500
Summary
Council adopted a revised nuisance alarm fee schedule after a staff report showing 493 false alarm calls in 2025; council amended staff’s proposal to raise the sixth-and-above fee to $500 to deter repeat false alarms and cover dispatch costs.
The Encinitas City Council adopted resolution 2026-21 to update fees for nuisance (false) fire and burglar alarm responses after a staff report and public hearing. Finance Director Gallup and fire staff said the city logged 493 false alarm calls in 2025 and recommended a tiered fee schedule under the Encinitas Municipal Code (Sections 6.30.060 and 10.08.040) to reduce repeat responses and offset per-call dispatch costs.
Staff proposed no fee for the first two nuisance alarms in a 12-month period, with incremental charges beginning at the third alarm. During council discussion, Council Member Schaefer proposed increasing the fee for the sixth and subsequent occurrences to $500; the substitute motion to adopt the staff proposal with that amendment passed unanimously.
The adopted schedule will impose fees after the third and subsequent nuisance alarms at the same address in a 12-month period, with the higher penalty intended to encourage institutions and large accounts to fix chronic issues rather than repeatedly relying on city responses. Staff estimated implementation would generate roughly $12,000 annually based on 2025 data, and said the program also reduces the city’s per-call dispatch assessment.
The resolution was approved by unanimous vote. Staff will publish the updated schedule and begin enforcement under the municipal code provisions.
