Nuisance 999 calls putting lives at risk

Wed, 16 Apr 2014

Nuisance or false alarm 999 calls are putting lives at risk and costing government money it doesn’t have.

The Fire and Rescue Service says attending an unnecessary call out can divert firefighters from a genuine emergency.

The warning comes after a false alarm at a property in Douglas – where engineers were simply testing the alarm system – which sparked a full turnout.

Chief fire officer Kevin Groom says it’s unsustainable: