Police and fire officials use several methods to determine the difference between real and false fire alarms.

One way Alpha Fire Co. settles on the source of a fire alarm is from the people near the alarm who call 911, said Walter Wise, fire administrator for the Council of Governments Fire Prevention Program.

Another way is when the company that monitors the alarm calls the property where the alarm was activated. If someone answers the phone and says the alarm was false, only the fire chief will be dispatched to the scene. If no one answers the phone call, the alarm is treated as legitimate, and the appropriate personnel are dispatched.

The State College Police Department said they send personnel to every activated alarm. Usually, the police arrive before the fire department because officers are already on the road, police officer Tony Lopinsky said.

The police see if they need to help anyone and look for evidence of arson or a robbery, he said.

"The vast majority of alarms are false, which is a good thing, but it makes officers lax," Lopinsky said.

Police might arrive to the scene expecting a false alarm when it's the real thing, he added.

Lopinsky said if a monitoring system does not alert the police department, usually someone hears the alarm and calls.

Many times, young people are leaving parties or walking through a building and hit the alarm on purpose or by accident, Lopinsky said. Police use evidence such as fingerprints on the alarm or a hospital report of a glass cut to find who pulled the alarm, he added.

People who are caught pulling a false alarm can be charged with violations ranging from disorderly conduct to criminal mischief, which is a third-degree misdemeanor. They may be punished with up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $2,500, Lopinsky said.