The purpose of this chapter is to establish regulations, standards
and controls relating to the use and installation of police alarm
devices, monitored by a private alarm company or any other person,
firm or corporation, and to minimize false alarms.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings specified below:
ALARM BUSINESS
Any person engaged in selling, leasing, renting, installing,
monitoring, servicing, altering, moving or causing any alarm system
to be sold, leased, rented, installed, monitored, serviced or altered
in or on any building, place of business, structure, residence or
other facility. Excluded from this definition are sellers of alarm
systems from a retail or wholesale store, who do not visit the site
where the alarm system is to be installed, or design the system for
the location, or install, monitor, service or alter any existing alarm
systems.
FALSE ALARM
A signal from an alarm system resulting in a response by
the personnel of the Police or Fire Department, when an emergency
situation or unlawful situation does not exist.
POLICE ALARM
Any device which, when activated by a criminal act or other
emergency requiring police response, transmits a signal to a central
alarm system or produces an audible or visible signal designed to
notify persons within audible or visual range of the signal.
Any alarm business which has received notification from the owner/lessee of the property or the Police Department of a malfunction or design error in the alarm system shall repair the malfunction or design error within three working days from the date of notification. False alarms relating to the malfunction which are received after the three-day working repair time period shall be considered a violation of this chapter, and fines will be imposed against the alarm business per §
181-3.
Any person who maintains an audible or visual alarm on premises
shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter under the same
conditions as central alarm systems.
No person shall intentionally cause the activation of a police
alarm device, knowing that no crime or emergency exists.
No person shall sell, use or install a police alarm which, upon
activation, emits a sound the same as or similar to emergency vehicle
sirens or civil defense sirens. All audible sirens must be able to
reset themselves after 15 minutes of operation.
Any business or private residence having a police or fire alarm
system shall designate a person who will have access to the property
and be knowledgeable of the system. The owner/lessee of the property
shall register with the Police Department the designated person's
name, address and telephone number. The registered person will be
required to respond if request is made by Police Department personnel.
Any person convicted of a violation of this chapter shall be subject to penalties as defined in §
1-4 of this Code.