diff --git a/documentation/RELEASE_NOTES.md b/documentation/RELEASE_NOTES.md
index e3cea46..9e5af4b 100644
--- a/documentation/RELEASE_NOTES.md
+++ b/documentation/RELEASE_NOTES.md
@@ -2,6 +2,16 @@
 
 This document summarizes the changes to the module between releases.
 
+## Release 4.7.2 (UNRELEASED)
+
+* The virtual `init()` method of `class PVSupport` has been made un-virtual, and the base-class
+  implementation always returns `false` as it should not be used. The `ControlSupport` and
+  `ScalarAlarmSupport` derived classes already provided their own implementations but needed
+  different method arguments, so a virtual base-class method couldn't be used anyway.
+  Those derived classes don't appear to be used internally at all, although they were being
+  used in Marty Kraimer's exampleCPP repository which is no longer maintained or recommended
+  for use anyway.
+
 ## Release 4.7.1 (EPICS 7.0.8, Dec 2023)
 
 * Added data distributor plugin which can be used for distributing data between 
diff --git a/src/pv/controlSupport.h b/src/pv/controlSupport.h
index 4438020..3c501dc 100644
--- a/src/pv/controlSupport.h
+++ b/src/pv/controlSupport.h
@@ -35,19 +35,18 @@ class epicsShareClass ControlSupport :
      */
     virtual ~ControlSupport();
     /**
-     * @brief Connects to contol fields.
+     * @brief Connects to control fields.
      *
      * @param pvValue The field to support.
      * @param pvSupport Support specific fields.
      * @return <b>true</b> for success and <b>false</b> for failure.
      */
-    virtual bool init(
+    bool init(
         epics::pvData::PVFieldPtr const & pvValue,
         epics::pvData::PVFieldPtr const & pvSupport);
     /**
      * @brief Honors control fields.
      *
-     *
      * @return Returns true is any fields were modified; otherwise false.
      */
     virtual bool process();
diff --git a/src/pv/pvSupport.h b/src/pv/pvSupport.h
index fff10c6..df8b552 100644
--- a/src/pv/pvSupport.h
+++ b/src/pv/pvSupport.h
@@ -38,17 +38,17 @@ class epicsShareClass PVSupport
      */
     virtual ~PVSupport(){}
     /**
-     * @brief Optional  initialization method.
+     * @brief Required initialization method.
      *
-     * Called after PVRecord is created but before record is installed into PVDatabase.
+     * Implementation classes must define an init() method that must be
+     * explicitly called by PVRecord classes that use them to provide
+     * references to the specific fields to be supported. Different support
+     * will may different fields, so a virtual method cannot be defined in
+     * this base class to support them, hence this method always fails.
      *
-     * @param pvValue The field to support.
-     * @param pvSupport Support specific fields.
      * @return <b>true</b> for success and <b>false</b> for failure.
      */
-    virtual bool init(
-        epics::pvData::PVFieldPtr const & pvValue,
-        epics::pvData::PVFieldPtr const & pvSupport) {return true;}
+    bool init() {return false;}
     /**
      *  @brief Optional method for derived class.
      *
diff --git a/src/pv/scalarAlarmSupport.h b/src/pv/scalarAlarmSupport.h
index 0563e60..0c5f550 100644
--- a/src/pv/scalarAlarmSupport.h
+++ b/src/pv/scalarAlarmSupport.h
@@ -45,15 +45,14 @@ class epicsShareClass ScalarAlarmSupport :
      * @param pvSupport Support specific fields.
      * @return <b>true</b> for success and <b>false</b> for failure.
      */
-    virtual bool init(
+    bool init(
         epics::pvData::PVFieldPtr const & pvValue,
         epics::pvData::PVStructurePtr const & pvAlarm,
         epics::pvData::PVFieldPtr const & pvSupport);
     /**
      * @brief Honors scalarAlarm fields.
      *
-     *
-     * @return Returns true is any fields were modified; otherwise false.
+     * @return true if any fields were modified, otherwise false.
      */
     virtual bool process();
     /**
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@ class epicsShareClass ScalarAlarmSupport :
 private:
 
     ScalarAlarmSupport(PVRecordPtr const & pvRecord);
-    enum {
+    enum AlarmRange {
         range_Lolo = 0,
         range_Low,
         range_Normal,
@@ -85,12 +84,12 @@ class epicsShareClass ScalarAlarmSupport :
         range_Hihi,
         range_Invalid,
         range_Undefined
-    } AlarmRange;
+    };
     void setAlarm(
         epics::pvData::PVStructurePtr const & pvAlarm,
         int alarmRange);
     PVRecordPtr pvRecord;
-    int prevAlarmRange;
+    enum AlarmRange prevAlarmRange;
     epics::pvData::PVScalarPtr pvValue;
     epics::pvData::PVStructurePtr pvAlarm;
     epics::pvData::PVStructurePtr pvScalarAlarm;
diff --git a/src/support/scalarAlarmSupport.cpp b/src/support/scalarAlarmSupport.cpp
index b911bdf..134c3b0 100644
--- a/src/support/scalarAlarmSupport.cpp
+++ b/src/support/scalarAlarmSupport.cpp
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ bool ScalarAlarmSupport::process()
     double highWarningLimit = pvHighWarningLimit->get();
     double highAlarmLimit = pvHighAlarmLimit->get();
     double hysteresis = pvHysteresis->get();
-    int alarmRange = range_Normal;
+    enum AlarmRange alarmRange = range_Normal;
     if(highAlarmLimit>lowAlarmLimit) {
          if(value>=highAlarmLimit
          ||(prevAlarmRange==range_Hihi && value>=highAlarmLimit-hysteresis)) {