Every day, the Bedford Fire Department, along with the other Town of Bedford Public Safety Agencies, respond to false alarms that have been set off in error or by faulty alarm systems. What causes those alarms to activate? How can we reduce unwanted and unnecessary false alarms and alleviate the burden they place on our first responders?

We're fortunate to live in an area where many homes have alarm systems. Some of them are older or have defective components. Many of them are set up, but their passwords and pins quickly forgotten. And our contractors trigger false alarms when they fail to cover and protect our smoke detectors and other alarm system components while performing their work.

Today, we are launching a False Alarm Reduction Program targeted at helping our neighbors to understand the problem, and to make suggestions on how to help reduce the large number of false alarms that we receive each year. We have published a brochure (attached to this note) that addresses the issues and suggests what you can do to help. A copy has been sent to every household in the Bedford Village Fire District, and it is available at our firehouse. Brochures may be requested by contacting the firehouse in person, by phone or by email. Our Officers will distribute them to households experiencing false alarms.

If you have a monitored alarm system, please read our brochure and share it with everyone that has access to you alarm system.

False alarms tax our volunteers and create unnecessary risk every time we are dispatched to respond in emergency mode when there is not a true emergency.

ALWAYS DIAL 911 WHEN YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY. DON'T SECOND GUESS. WE WOULD RATHER COME AND FIND NOTHING THAN HAVE YOU TO HESITATE AND REALIZE LATER THAT YOU TRULY NEED OUR ASSISTANCE.

And, if you have stand alone battery operated or hard wired / interconnected Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detectors, you can read about them online at the United States Fire Administration website (https://www.usfa.fema.gov/preven…/outreach/smoke_alarms.html) or the manufacturer's website.