Statistics

[five_alarm]

Every Day we at Firehall.com get some interesting questions in the form of email and we try to answer these questions to the best of our ability. Usually these answers are given in the form of a quote or two from an official website or two and we include the address of that site.

Yesterday an email came in with a question that quite frankly has me stumped. I am hoping that there is an answer out there somewhere and you my friends are just the group to answer it (I hope).

Here is the email as it was received.



Hello,
I am with the National Research Council of Canada. Where can I find
statistics on false alarms and the cost to fire departments or other first
responders answering such calls. Thank you.

Michel Mirota, MSc, MBA
Conseiller en technologie industrielle/Industrial Technology Advisor
Programme d'aide à la recherche industrielle/Industrial Research Assistance
Program
Conseil national de recherches Canada/National Research Council of Canada

Situé au/located at:

Centre de développement d'entreprises technologiques/Technology Business
Development Center
815 de la Carriere Blvd. Suite 202
Gatineau, Quebec J8Y 6T4
Tel.: 819-595-0338 x 24
Fax: 819-595-3784

michel.mirota@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca



Answering this question directly to Michel would be fine but post something back here so that we may all learn.

Thank You
False_Alarm

[Leafs Fan]

If I am not mistaken, and I usually am, In Ontario the OFM keeps statistics for all responses. You would think that the National Research Council might start their research there. As far as cost to each Fire Dept. that would be area specific. A career dept and a paid on call dept would not have the same cost per call or the same call volume. I am thinking the National Research Council is going to have to do some research.

[Michael13]

True. Each dept in Ontario fills out incident reports and they are mailed to the OFM. These are all filed and kept for record keeping. The reports are very detailed. Dollar loss, time of day, number of unit that responded, number of members who responded, response time. Everything! So if a dept has, in this case, a false alarm then it will be recorded, and the OFM will have it on file. Remember the OFM is there to guide and watch Ontario Dept's so they know it all. They are the best bet for finding info like this.

[five_alarm]

This is great, but....

What I am in search of is the actual statistics, on line.

The OFM (http://www.ofm.gov.on.ca/) web site dose have great info but not on False Alarms.

I am sure one phone call to the OFM would do the trick but we are talking about the information highway here.

Any ideas? Perhaps a link like this ofm.gov.on.ca (http://www.ofm.gov.on.ca/english/Publications/Statistics/cause/default.asp)