A Vinemont man has been accused of reporting a series of false alarms using the Morgan County E-911 system.

Coty Waddell, 23, of Vinemont turned himself in to the Decatur Police Department on April 9 and was charged with four counts of rendering a false alarm.

On April 7, a supervisor with the Morgan County E-911 dispatch center notified the Decatur Police Department of a series of related and recent false 911 calls.

On March 29, a man called 911 and reported a fire in the area of East Lacon Road. The Ebenezer Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched but no fire was located.

On April 3, a man called 911 and reported a grass fire in the area of Morgan Nelson Road. The Ebenezer Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched but no fire was located.

Later that same date a man called 911 and reported a tree down in the roadway creating a hazard on Lacon Road. The Falkville Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched, but no tree was located.

On April 5, a man called 911 and reported a structure fire on Milligan Road. The Ebenezer Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched but no fire was located.

The caller was determined to be the same person, using an inactive prepaid cellular phone that was capable of calling 911 only.

Decatur Police Lt. Rick Archer investigated the false calls and identified the caller as Waddell.

False 911 calls are taken very seriously as they require the time and attention of a limited staff of dispatchers who are busy coordinating police, fire and EMS activities for a number of different events at any given time. False calls such as these require the response of fire services and possibly police and EMS. Police, fire and EMS response to serious and life threatening events could be delayed because emergency response units are responding to other false calls.

The police vigorously investigate and seek to prosecute those who make false 911 calls when it is determined that someone has knowingly and intentionally misused the 911 system.

Rendering a false alarm is a Class A misdemeanor, which can result in both jail time and monetary fines.