SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - If a fire alarm is activated, the fire department will not automatically be notified, unless it is linked to a monitoring company.

This lesson was learned by residents of Fraser Arms East apartments at about 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, when it took about five minutes of continuous alarm ringing before someone notified the fire department - according to two Yellowknifer reporters who witnessed the incident.

Even though it turned out to be a false alarm, deputy fire chief Darcy Hernblad said automatic fire department notification is a common misconception.

"That's the only problem we experience, because people think if the alarms are ringing we're automatically notified, and that's not always the case," he said.

He said there are two kinds of fire alarms: local alarms - that only go as far as sounding an alarm to evacuate; and alarms which are linked to monitoring companies, who immediately notify the fire hall.

"Obviously we'd prefer if it was monitored by a monitoring company, because that way we know the minute someone pulls the fire alarm it goes to the company and they automatically call us, and we respond right away," he said.

Hernblad said local alarms can still meet building codes, but the decision to remain with them may come down to the bottom line.

"If it's a local alarm only, in certain buildings it meets the code of the day, and if it meets the code, that's all they have to do because it's cheaper," he said.

The city's building inspections manager, Bill Fandrick agreed, saying it would take significant alterations to a building in order to require a fire alarm upgrade.

"If someone were to build a new building today it would require the fire alarm system to be interlocked to the fire hall," he said.

"Existing buildings can continue under the code in which they were built, unless there's a major renovation done."

The owners of the Fraser Arms apartments, Midwest Property Management, refused to answer questions relating to the decision to use a local alarm system, or respond to the deputy fire chief's wish for the adoption of monitored fire alarms.

"No, I spoke with our senior vice president and CEO and we're not able to respond," a spokesperson for Midwest said.