Regina issues warning over door-to-door sales of faulty fire monitoring system

A residential fire monitoring system being sold door to door in Regina seems to be linked with a dramatic rise in false alarms, Regina Fire and Protective Services says.

According to RFPS, many of the systems appear to have been installed in rental properties after the door-to-door salesperson spoke with the tenant. 

The systems do not appear to be working as designed, with fewer than half of the calls being caused by heat, smoke or flame. 

According to Fire Marshall Randy Ryba, false alarm calls have nearly doubled in June and July when compared with the same period last year.

"A lot of these monitoring calls are in our north central community, but there are some spread throughout the entire city as well," Ryba said on Friday.

The false alarms are worrisome, according to RFPS Deputy Chief Neil Sundin.

"Every time we have the units roll out for a false alarm, it takes them out of response position for legitimate alarms," Sundin said. "So whether that's a medical call or a fire call, we rely on having our all of the units available to respond to real emergencies." 

The service is urging renters to check with their landlord before agreeing to any deal, and for landlords to be aware of their obligations under the city's fire bylaw to ensure all systems installed in their properties meet requirements.