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Fire department cites hundreds of nuisance calls, highlights one address with 110 responses
Summary
Middletown fire staff told the committee the department handles hundreds of nuisance-alarm responses annually and cited 29 Center Street — visited about 110 times in three months — as a key example driving the ordinance proposal.
Fire department staff and committee members described the operational strain and costs from repeat false alarms, with speakers giving rough call-volume figures while arguing for the ordinance. One committee speaker estimated "303" calls in a period referenced during discussion, another said "now we're 700 calls roughly" to indicate a larger total for multiple alarms, and the Fire Chief cited a concentrated example where responders went to 29 Center Street "110 times in a matter of 3 months."
Members said repeated runs add fuel and wear-and-tear costs and can distract responders from real emergencies. The committee used these operational examples to justify a stepwise enforcement approach in the draft ordinance — warnings, inspections and, if problems persist, possible prosecution — and voted to advance the draft for further work.
