According to the fire department, firefighters responded to an average of six false alarm calls a day countywide in 2011.
"These calls range from someone pulling the fire alarm erroneously at a school to not turning off a house alarm in time," according to a document provided by the Riverside County Fire Department's Office of Emergency Services.
Authorities say responding to those calls divert emergency resources by prolonging the time it takes for the fire department to respond to a real emergency.
The county's fire department believes the ordinance will reduce false occurrences.
