In response to an increased number of calls for false alarms and faulty elevators, Gulf Shores is considering a fine schedule for violations. So far this year, the Gulf Shores Fire Department has already responded to 331 false alarms and 120 elevator entrapments.

The building's Homeowners Association or management company would be fined $500 on the fourth call for a false alarm and $500 on the fourth call for an elevator alarm. After the fourth offense, all violations will be $1,000 each. For smaller one—to two-family dwellings, the fine would only be $50.

Fire Chief Mark Sealy said the ordinance aims to hold people accountable and stop the negative

impact on an already busy fire department.  "The intent is certainly not to make money and is not for the fines," Sealy said. " Its about making sure that the owner or whoever is responsible for the elevators and alarm systems is keeping them up to date and to make sure maintenance is being done."

Alarms and elevator entrapments are treated with a high priority. As a "life hazard" call, Sealy said the department sends multiple resources and they run with lights and sirens, which he said can be dangerous.

"It creates a danger to the public because anytime you're running lights and sirens – even though

our guys are and girls are really good drivers – it puts people at risk anytime we have to do that,"

said Sealy.

Sealy said it also takes away crews from other emergencies.

"If that truck is on that call going to an elevator call that we could have avoided, then another

call comes out, now there's a delayed response," Sealy explained. "In those cases, a truck has to come from another area because we've only got one station down along the beach. So, if they're going to all these alarms and elevator calls, we have to send an extra from further away to take care of those calls.”

Brett-Robinson Real Estate manages dozens of condominiums along the Gulf Coast, including

the iconic Phoenix condos. Andrew Del Gaudio, director of room operations for Brett-Robinson,

said he supports the measure and suggests the city take it a little further. He said individuals

should be fined in cases where they are jumping on an elevator, overloading an elevator or

pulling an alarm as a joke.

"Gulf Shores Police Department and Fire Department only have so many assets they can commit

at any given time across 10 to 12 miles of beach," Del Gaudio said. "You're talking multi-story

condos that are huge buildings."

"All of a sudden, you've got an elevator entrapment where the fire department has to go send

assets down there to get people out of an elevator," he said. "Then somewhere else on the beach, there could be a real-life emergency where they really need to get a response, but now you've got bandwidth tied up responding to a group of people that were just screwing around on an elevator. So now you're putting people's lives in danger, which I certainly don't agree with that."

The city will keep a separate count of elevator calls versus alarm calls. Sealy said that issues such as children pulling fire alarms and things out of the HOA or company's control will not be counted.

Crucial parts of elevators can become aged due to salty air, impacting their functionality. Randy Wood, the vice president of operations with Brett-Robinson, explained that at most condominiums, the HOAs have maintenance agreements with elevator vendors. He speaks directly to those companies on behalf of the HOAs and has direct knowledge of the matter.

"There's a variety of things that can cause an elevator entrapment," he said. "There could be a

mechanical issue, anything from ropes, cables, electronics. It could be a number of things. "Sometimes it could be misbehavior," Wood added. "Somebody could be in the elevator doing something they shouldn't be doing, whether that be jumping up and down; that can cause an elevator that thinks that it's in a freefall so, the emergency brake will come on and the elevator stops there. There's just a lot of different variables and weather certainly can have an impact as well."

Sealy said he would use common sense to enforce the fine schedule and would work with each

suspected violator. However, he said this ordinance change will also help protect those who come to the city for vacation.

"It's not a pleasant occurrence for anybody to be trapped in an elevator," Sealy said. "We're going to eliminate that."

Fines would be based on a one-year calendar schedule. The fire department showed that so far

this year, one condominium would've been fined $24,000 for elevator calls. An appeal process will be put into place if the ordinance is passed.

"It just gives us a tool to be able to do something because currently, they could just ignore us

asking them to maintain alarms and elevators and not do anything," Sealy said. "This will

hopefully put a little fire under their feet."

The council will vote on the measure at its next meeting on Oct. 14. City council meetings are

held on the second and fourth Mondays at 4 p.m. at Gulf Shores City Hall.