SALINA, Kan. – The Salina Police Department will no longer monitor burglar and fire alarms, according to new regulations approved by the Salina City Commission.
As part of the new ordinance, the city’s emergency communications will stop monitoring alarms beginning on Nov. 1. Alarm owners will have 180 days after the ordinance takes effect to find a private company to take over alarm monitoring, Salina Journal reports.
Additionally, the fire department will continue to register commercial alarms; however, a third party will have to provide the monitoring service.
The city enacted the new ordinance to reduce the number of false alarms throughout the city.
In 2014, the Salina Police Department responded to 2,506 alarm calls, 99 percent of which were false alarms, costing the department $48,527. Meanwhile, the Salina Fire Department responded to 309 false alarms through June 2015, at a cost of $46,331.
The new regulations also provide for fines to be issued for false alarms, although those have not been set by the city commission.
