False alarm

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A false alarm, also called a nuisance alarm, is the deceptive or erroneous report of an emergency, causing unnecessary panic or bringing resources to a place where they are not needed. False alarms have the potential to divert emergency responders away from legitimate emergencies, which could ultimately lead to loss of life. In some cases, repeated false alarms in a certain area may cause occupants to develop alarm fatigue and to start ignoring most alarms, knowing that each time it will probably be false. Intentionally falsely activating alarms can lead to criminal penalties such as fines and jail time.

Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0. Updated Jun 23, 2026.