Local schools and other government buildings will not face fines for false alarms under a measure recently approved by the Martin County Commission.
The school board objected to being subject to fines, arguing state law exempts school buildings from such local regulations, according to a report in the Palm Beach Post.
Local regulations require false alarm offenders to pay $25 for the first two false alarms and up to $150 for nine or more false alarms.
The sheriff’s office has agreed to exempt government buildings from false alarm regulations as long as a government official responds within a half hour after a deputy determines an alarm to be false, the newspaper reported.
There were 14 false alarms at government buildings in Martin County in 2006, a sheriff’s official said.
