I just rent and move to one apartment. Last morning, I was cooking and it burn that make the smoke everywhere in my apartment.
Then the fire fighter come, used the equipment to remove the smoke. I also talk with one fire fighter and ask do I have to pay for that. He told me that I don’t have to pay for that but I’m so worried and I want to know more information for that.
Thanks
advise
😱
Surely you know I am being sarcastic 😂
Lol
Ditto with OP being fine too ;)
@SF3: Yeah he/she will be fine. I totally understand their concern though, new country, new rules/laws.
If I’m a international student
However, won’t matter if local or international student. :)
I think you will be OK because there was an actual fire that needed extinguished or there was a need for fire fighting expertise to prevent a fire.
You usually get charged for a false alarm, where the fire service arrive and they are not required.
Believe what the fire fighter told you. In Australia, the only emergency service personnel you should never believe is the police.
I’m not sure either but I saw the fire fighter bring some equipment to remove the smoke. I’m so nervous right now cuz I just move from family. Hope everything will be ok👌. Thanks
OK read this https://support.apartmentsofmelbourne.com.au/portal/en/kb/ar…
It states this "A false alarm occurs when the MFB attends an incident to find there is no emergency and there is no need for their firefighting skills or other expertise"
In your situation there was a need for their expertise, they did actually do something, therefore it was not a false alarm.
Even if it was false alarm "This fee is at the total discretion of the MFB" The fire officer told you there would be no fee, thats them exercising their discretion.
Ignore the negative votes on my comment above. OZB is great but its full of idiots who have no idea and vindictive members who will downvote specific individuals whether theyre right or wrong and cop lovers.
Thank you for your advice. I feel very stressful and go to read many article on the internet even the news. Most of them were getting fine from making a smoke of cooking that make more nervous. After seeing this I feel more comfortable now ☺️
I don’t think you’ll get fined. If you’re stressing about it you could call 1300367617 and ask them. If you do don’t say much about the nature of the incident, just that there was an incident, the firefighter said you wouldn’t be charged but you’re worried as you’ve heard of others being charged. I personally wouldn’t do this so not to draw attention to myself and the incident - but if you are going to stress about it for weeks wondering if a fine is coming, this might put your mind at ease.
"In Australia, the only emergency service personnel you should never believe is the police."
You mean people shouldn't believe the police?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-28/criminal-history-not-…
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-16/investigation-into-vi…
Yes, its a shocking revelation for some.
Did you see all those negs I got before for saying that?
Are they even really "emergency service personnel?"
Yes, police members are an emergency services personnel under the emergency management Act, at least in Victoria.
I didn’t neg you.
@spal: Meh. Acts of various types have legitimised all sorts of douchebaggery and suppressed all sorts of justices. Just because some old dudes in parliament and other old dudes wearing wigs say it's so doesn't necessarily make it so.
Indeed - they can get there quicker than the other services, get the "D" for danger in DR ABC out of the way before medicos arrive, are all first responder trained and can obtain access and govern crowd control almost as well as the fireies…
No neg from me either, it is a good question as those who don't know the answer may need to in a hurry…
@fantombloo: No argument from me there - I'm 66 and have seen a couple of protests, however even the most riotous have always operated under the assumption that access to hospitals and from fire stations would be maintained.
It's a bit of a catch 22…
"We just want to ask a few questions.."
What did you cook? Are you Heisenberg?
Thank for you advice☺️ Do you know how much do I have to pay for the fire false alarm based on my situation and when do I get the bill?
You wont get fined for two reasons. If the fire fighters had to something to extinguish the smoke then the situation required their expertise. Its only if there is no need for them to act they fine you. The second reason is the fine is at the discretion of the fire officer and if they told you there was no fine, then there is no fine.
Its OK, stop stressing, just salads for you from now on though.
Thank you for your advice and I really hope everything will getting better. It was a really bad experience but I learn so many thing from that.
Not trying to scare you or anything, but usually the building management will get a bill from the fire department. Sometimes, they don't. If there is a bill and they can identify which apartment triggered the false alarm, building management will pass the bill to the apartment owner. The owner will pass it to the real estate agent who will then pass it to you.
What I don't know is if they can actually force you, as the tenant, to pay the bill. I don't remember seeing any clauses in the tenancy agreement re this type of cost.
Note that when there is an actual fire, there is no bill to be paid.
when there is an actual fire, there is no bill to be paid.
But won’t be anything left to pay…
I’m not sure about that either. But do you know when can I know I have to pay for fine or not?
Firefighters generally don't like charging vulnerable individuals for this sort of stuff. I know they charge businesses $1500-2000 for false alarms.
I’m not sure either but I found on internet they also have to pay for that
I think because you seem to have come across as a genuinely concerned and honest individual, even if they were meant to charge, they chose not to.
This is why in certain circumstances, it helps to be a nice person.
I would stop worrying.
Put it this way, if you had to pay, you will be paying it regardless, whether the bill comes in a week, a month or 3 months, it will come, if it comes. Worrying about it would not change the fact that you will need to pay it.
BTW, from the sounds of it, you won't be paying it.
RELAX MATE.
Local police constable will send a text message demanding money. Be prepared. Do you own an upmarket 2003 4WD MB?
OP must be an asian.
It has a dash cam
I mean reversing cam
I mean no cam but the mirrors fold in
Do you own an upmarket 2003 4WD MB?
I think you should be asking: "Do you own 4 luxury vehicles that are years old?"
It's a tough one
I know a university accommodation block that would hit the student up for $800 a pop for false alarms of this very nature. it would be for something as simple as a steamed up shower to slightly burnt toast. basically they were happy to charge the student for their overly-sensitive and flawed smoke detectors.
I guess it comes down to what's in your building/strata contract - maybe have a read up on it.
Fun Fact, The university of Western Australia for was one of, if not the highest contributor to firefighter fees in the state due to it's faulty "state of the art" fire alarm system i think somewhere in the vicinity of $800,000 in false alarms I remember one time an entire library was evacuated because a spider crawled into one.
It was more common to have an evacuation than to get through a day without one.
Murray Rothbard says yes.
Why you getting so worried about it? The firefighter said you wouldn't receive a fine. Even if you do just pay it and move on.
The false alarm charging is designed to encourage businesses and body corporates to put interventions in place to minimise the brigade from attending false alarms and thereby not being available for actual emergencies. It is crazy how many false alarms we get to some places. Smoke from a toaster setting off the smoke detector could be a false alarm. However, based on the limited description, it sounds like they needed to use a PPV fan to remove the smoke, which means there must have been a lot of it; if so this is unlikely to be a false alarm. Although this is entirely at the direction of the Officer and senior command, I assume you spoke to the Officer in charge, in which case you can trust what they are saying. Assuming it is your first time and it isn't a common occurrence at your building you should be right.
Yes….. and NO…. If this is the stipulated law, then they should provide adequate ventilation.
It sounds like overkill, so why should you be penalised for an over active alarm system.
Ignore it. As a Student, you have a lot of protection, and free advice. Contact your Uni Union. Speak with the Law Dep.
Once again, is your Unit adequately ventilated?
Sounds like there was a reason for them to attend (to remove the smoke) so I doubt it would be considered a false alarm.
Just try not to do it again, eh? :D
lol
Don't open your apartment front door when your smoke alarm goes off in your apartment, otherwise you will trigger the whole building's fire system and the MFB will be called out.
Open some windows, turn on the extractor fan and deal with it in your apartment rather than opening the front door next time.
When giving certified instruction in proper extinguisher use to us, [S.A. NFP volunteers and staff] our trainers, almost always off-duty fireman endeavouring to get the income they deserved, were at pains to inform us of how to call the fire brigade. My understanding was:
Level one: I can smell smoke. Unless there are local burn-offs, in which case further questions will be sent, a vehicle will be sent to investigate and the station crew alerted.
Level two: I can see smoke. An urban pumper and crew will be immediately dispatched and the rescue pumper prepared and staff will be in it on standby.
Level 3": can see flames. Full response, other services /stations alerted.
I can see/smell smoke is a valid reason for anyone to call, therefore not a "false alarm". The crews much prefer being called out rather than people hesitating, and bacon being of their breakfast menu even for the most hardened…
Should it be some twit burning green garden waste or similar there would be a bill - but it still wouldn't be a false alarm. Burning your toast is just one of those things that happen, and the chap you spoke to was happy to find you fit and well…
I’m in NSW, one evening we were using a heater in winter and oddly the smell of electrical burning filled the room, and it wasn’t from the heater, I could smell it around the power point, called the fire brigade just in case because we thought it might have been the electrical wiring (it was a old house and the prior owner had done some of their own work), we didn’t get charged
I thought false alarms refer to people purposely pranking them by calling them out where there is no actual emergency?
I thought false alarms refer to people purposely pranking
A "good intent" false alarm is when a call is put in by someone who believes there really is an incident/fire.
I am sure you will be fine.
Welcome to OzBargain by the way. If you need anymore advise, please let us know.