DATE:
17 May 2017
FOI REQUEST NO:
10_1718
FOI REQUEST
I am requesting information regarding hoax calls and how they affect the Fire Stations.
1. During the year 2014-2015 how many hoax calls were made and how much did this
cost the fire department?
2014/15 = 590
The costs are not recorded
2. Has the amount of hoax call increased or decreased since then to the present day?
There has been a reduction of 31%
3. During the year 2016-2017 how many hoax calls were made and how much did this
cost the fire department?
2016/17 = 406
The costs are not recorded
4. How do hoax calls effect the fire department and call centres?
Hoax calls are a constant challenge to the control, control staff are trained to challenge these
callers and can use a variety of tools to assist in this.
• The command and control system call highlight if previous calls have been received to an
address and what they were
• Eisec information can give us an exact location if call is from a landline
• Control check the call location profile to see if it matches the address passed by the caller
• Control can use triangulation to narrow down an area from a mobile phone.
• Control if they suspect the call will adopt a robust challenge to the caller and give them a
chance to end the call before informing them that the call will be passed to the police.
• These calls can impact on the decision making of the control staff in that they may have
to redirect appliances to different areas should they have numerous calls on.
These calls waste precious time of the emergency services crews attending as it could prevent
them attending a more important call, carry out essential community work , educational visits
and training all of which are necessary and important elements that help form the high
professional service we deliver
5. Do any of the hoax callers ever get caught and put to justice?
Unfortunately this is not the case, sometimes we can get the phone disconnected but rarely do
they get prosecuted. Frequent hoax callers and the ones that use all three emergency services
sometimes do.
