Malicious / Hoax Calls.
● Hoax calls don’t just cost money, they cost lives!
● Every day the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service control room receives hoax calls,
reporting incidents that do not exist.
● Hoax calls commit fire engines to incidents that do not exist, this means genuine
callers’ lives are in danger, as fire cover in the county is reduced. A life was lost in a
fire in Southampton when the nearest fire engines were attending a hoax call. In a
fire situation seconds can cost lives. It also puts the responding firefighters at risk
whilst travelling to hoax calls.
● Hoax and false emergency calls have cost Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service an
estimated £1.26m over the past three years.
● 14 people who made three or more bogus calls had their phones cut off. 12 pranksters
were prosecuted, including six who were either charged or issued a fixed penalty in
2007.
● Calls from landline phones give Control Staff immediate access to the number and
location of the phone, all calls are digitally tape-recorded. In the case of hoax calls
these details can be passed to the Police for prosecution.
● Text messages will be sent to mobile phone hoax callers warning them that if they
persist, their mobiles can be cut off. Should multiple hoax calls be received from
mobiles, HFRS Control staff will contact the network provider and ask them to cut
the mobile off.
● In the past year Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has issued numerous warnings
and had many phones disconnected.
If you know of someone making hoax calls, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or go
online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org completely anonymously.
You can download a copy of our home fire safety leaflet at:
www.hantsfire.gov.uk/homesafetyinformation.pdf
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service homepage: www.hantsfire.gov.uk
Community Fire Safety Department: 02380 626809
Email: [email protected]
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