One of Steves favorite duties with the Fire Department is working on the community functions, helping to educate the public about fire safety issues. The Lake Elmo City Council adopted an alarm ordinance February 15, 2000. The purpose of this ordinance is to encourage security, fire, or medical alarm users and alarm businesses to maintain the operation reliability, and the proper use of alarm systems , so as to limit unnecessary police, fire, and emergency medical responses to false alarms and alarm malfunctions. In 1999, Washington County Deputies answered 461 alarm calls. The number of alarm calls has increased dramatically in the past several years, mainly due to the construction of new residences which have alarm systems.
Residents tend to discount one false alarm per year.
However, if half the Lake Elmo residents have alarm systems installed, the result may be nearly 3,500 false alarm calls per year. Not only is this time consuming, it is expensive. There are three major causes of false alarms. Please DO NOT set off your alarm as an opportunity to see how quick the police response time is. Habitual alarms tend to make residents homes a target to a burglar, as they know police response may be slower.