Isle of Man 999 warning after 'costly' call-out
The Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service has warned against "reckless" use of the 999 system, after a "costly" false alarm near Douglas.
Electricians failed to notify the emergency services last week that they would be testing a fire alarm system.
A spokesman said mobilising fire crews resulted in "additional expense at a time of constrained budgets".
He added: "Had the engineers put in place sufficient control measures, this incident would not have taken place."
Members of the public are also being asked to contact the fire service if they are planning any maintenance.
MHK Chris Thomas said: 'We are urging people to take care to guard against the dangers, cost and inconvenience of a needless call-out.
"The Fire Service wants to avoid situations where life may be endangered because crews are attending a false alarm while a genuine emergency is occurring elsewhere."