Gloucester County is considering an ordinance that would assess fees or fines for multiple false alarm calls that take up much of local volunteer fire and rescue squads’ time and resources.

Ware district supervisor Andy James, a longtime member of the Gloucester Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad, Inc., brought the matter to the attention of the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors last month.

At that meeting, James said he received a phone call from GVFR chief J.D. Clements about numerous automated false fire alarm calls, especially at Main Street Center. "Many of these alarm calls are coming in at midnight or early in the morning and it’s virtually impossible to get anybody to come to the scene with a key to open the door," James said. "It’s really become a problem."

"A lot of firefighters are having a hard time I think getting up at three o’clock in the morning to respond to the Main Street Center when they’ve already had three or four calls that...