For the first time in 20 years, a new fire services bylaw is under consideration by Moose Jaw City Council.

One of the new aspects of the fire bylaw is the inclusion of carbon monoxide detectors in all buildings that contain a residence.

The detectors alert those when carbon monoxide is in dangerously high quantities.

Moose Jaw Fire Chief Rod Montgomery spoke passionately about the inclusion of the detectors when speaking with council at executive committee Monday night.

“What we’re really trying to capture is for ... multi unit uses, and for vulnerable sectors of the population,” Montgomery said. “So that if you’re renting property, that you know that house will be maintained by the property owner and he will make sure those things are installed.

One of the other big changes will be the addition of a $300 fee for more than one false alarm.

“We need a method or a mechanism in place, that if people are continuing to have nuisance alarms or false alarms, that we can do something to correct it,” he said. “We don’t want it to be punitive in that we want to fine people but if people won’t comply, we need to have a method to address it properly.”

A significant percentage of the response from the Moose Jaw Fire Department are of the false variety.

“We’re talking 807 calls in 2018, 311 (are false),” Montgomery said. “If you can do something to minimize that, and take away some of that, certainly it’s just an efficiency that any department should look for.”

The bylaw also looks at rules regarding fire pits and the stacks of hay in the city. There is also a list of the other communities with a service agreement with the Moose Jaw Fire Department in the bylaw.

The bylaw will be at city council's next meeting March 25.