Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

Drump Road, Redruth at 08/01/2012 21:29

Firefighters from Redruth were mobilised following a 999 call from a man saying that he could see a fire involving the chimney of a house. The fire crew attended the area that the man had stated but there was no sign of any fire.

Following several attempts to recontact the caller, another man answered and stated that his "mate" had taken his mobile phone and made the call "for a joke".

It is a crime to make hoax calls to the emergency services and the police are now dealing with this offence. It is also a breach of contract between the owner and the telephone company that supplies the telephone service, whether it be a mobile telephone or a landline telephone. Telephone companies can terminate the contract if the telephone is misused in this way, regardless of who made the call.

Whilst the fire crew were responding to this needless 999 call they were not available to go to the aid of anyone who may have had a genuine emergency in that area. The delay in another fire crew attending from further away may be the difference between life or death. Courts often recognise the seriousness of making hoax calls to the fire service by handing out fines running into hundreds of pounds or, in some cases, a custodial sentence for those caught.

Fire Safety Advice relating to chimney fires, which have the ability to destroy your home can be found on the link below:

Related item: http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=7278