THE number of hoax calls received by Notts Fire and Rescue Service has decreased again – for the fifth year in a row.
New measures introduced by the organisation meant that in 2012 only 226 calls turned out to be time wasting or hoax – 270 fewer than in 2008.
The service says the decrease in what it calls "malicious" calls is thanks to new technology which includes phone box trackers which pinpoint caller locations.
These devices ensure that people are in the area where the fire has allegedly been spotted.
Technology is also used to block repeat offenders from contacting switchboard operators.
Emergency call operative Gill Footitt said she believed youths and young adults were mostly to blame for hoax calls.
She said: "If we send firefighters to a bogus incident, they might not get to a real fire in time.
"Hoax callers put everyone at risk when they force 40-tonne fire engines to run red lights for no reason.
"We can never assume a call is fake, so we often end up sending valuable resources out on wild goose chases.
"The psychological state of the people calling can never be predicted, so they might light a fire on purpose to make sure someone turns up."
Ms Footitt said she hoped the new measures would mean the number of malicious calls continues to reduce, especially with new powers to ask challenging questions and disconnect practical jokers.
In 2012 Notts Fire and Rescue received 10,323 calls, of which 4,318 were "false alarms".
These included 1,302 incidents of good intent, which means people thought they were doing the right thing by calling the fire service.
The figure also includes 3,016 cases of automatic dispatch due to alarms going off at hospitals, schools and other public buildings.
Malicious calls are not included in the false alarms category.
Fireman Phil Coates at Arnold Fire Station said: "Malicious calls are a real problem that tie up resources.
"I have been in the service 25 years and have been to a lot of them, which is frustrating.
"A false alarm is only false until we get there and determine it is.
"Many times they are caused by burning toast and small flies getting into alarm systems.
"Hoax calls are a lot more serious and there have been times when crews have attended one when a genuine incident comes in and they can't get to it.
"The people who do them should be prosecuted.
"We get people calling up about house fires that don't exist and when we realise it is a malicious call and trace it back, it has been done from a phone box miles from the incident location.
"Hoax calls cost time and money and possibly lives."
Firefighter Lee Holmes believes that the best way to reduce malicious calls is through education and public events at schools, village halls and community centres.
The Tuxford-based fireman said: "Taking time out to engage folks in conversation is the best way of getting our message across.
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