SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — The frequency of prank calls luring the police and fire departments to the Gaza Bridge community in Hatfield, Westmoreland, has left residents, first responders, and the local authority peeved.

Now, one councillor is calling for an increase in fines for individuals who falsely report fires.

The issue was raised during Thursday’s monthly meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation. District officer for the parish’s fire department, Norris Mitchell appealed to residents to stop making fake reports.

“We are having some problems in terms of false calls, especially from the Hatfield area. We get numerous calls from Gaza Bridge,” a concerned Mitchell said without providing the specific number of prank calls received.

He told the meeting that between January 2022 and May 2023 a total of 738 fire calls had been placed to the station. During that same period house fires accounted for six deaths – two adults and four children.

Mitchell noted that false calls are also being placed to members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

“I can remember one night when I went on a call at Gaza Bridge, the police was there as well. When I went there the citizens were saying that they are tired of it now,” the firefighter stressed.

Weighing in on the discussion, Councillor Cebert McFarlane (People’s National Party, Leamington Division) called for stiffer fines.

“On false calls on a whole, I think the penalty for persons doing something like that should be increased because that is a dangerous thing. The fire department is a serious place,” he argued.

“You can’t call the fire truck and nothing is happening. You can’t take it for a joke and call the fire truck. Persons who do that and are found guilty should have a serious charge [brought against them],” he added, seemingly upset.

The councillor expressed concern that when there is a legitimate fire those in danger may not be able to get through to the department.

In May 2022, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Desmond McKenzie noted that over the previous five years there had been a downward trend in the number of prank calls, which previously had a yearly average of 2,000. But he lamented that in 2021 there were 1,174 prank calls, a five per cent increase over the 1,119 recorded in 2020.

At the same time, the JCF is also being plagued by prank calls. In April the police noted that they sometimes receive more than 7,600 (85 per cent) prank calls to the 119 emergency number in a day.

Head of the JCF Emergency Communication Centre, Senior Superintendent Gary Francis said an estimated 5,000 to 9,000 calls are made to the 119 number each day, the vast majority of which are non-emergencies. He also said there is legislation on the way to address the issue.