Sunapee fire department seeks voluntary alarm registration forms
Sunapee is asking owners to register alarms so firefighters can reach the right contact, know the building and avoid delays at empty or monitored properties.
Sunapee fire officials asked residents and property owners on July 14 to fill out a new voluntary Fire Alarm Registration Form so crews can reach the right contact, confirm the building and cut down delays when an alarm sounds. The form is aimed especially at homes and businesses that may be empty part of the year, leased to tenants or protected by monitored systems that can trigger without anyone on site.
The posted form asks for owner and site information, the alarm company or maintenance contact, a property description with directions, and two responsible parties who can generally be reached to give emergency crews access. The form is meant to make sure firefighters have the information they need if an alarm is real, if weather or equipment causes a false activation, or if another emergency happens at the property.
Sunapee already has an older private-alarm ordinance on the books. Ordinance No. 11, adopted in 1985, defines private alarm systems to include fire, intrusion, robbery, medical, low-temperature and other emergency alarms. Fire, smoke and medical alarms must be registered with the Fire Department or its designee, and the town can charge a $25 fee each time it responds to an unregistered alarm, waived if the owner registers within five days.
Sunapee handled 911 total calls in 2025, including 79 fire alarms and 97 automatic alarms. Its average response time was 3.92 minutes from tone to first unit responding and 10.2 minutes from tone to first unit arriving on scene. It remains largely an on-call operation, with one per-diem Fire/EMS provider.
Its mission includes emergency response, fire prevention, public education and community service, and its vision emphasizes blending volunteer tradition with training, technology and leadership. Theodore Tillson is fire chief, Matthew Pollari is interim fire chief and Timothy White is lieutenant and public information officer.
The department put a brand-new Rescue Engine into service in December 2025. The truck was ordered in April 2024 with capital reserve funds and replaced a 31-year-old Mack Engine that had developed severe rust issues.
Alarm registration is available in person or online, and there is no fee associated with registering an alarm with the police department.
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