[Adopted 2-18-1981 by Ord. No. 239]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
ALARM USER
Any person using the service of, or utilizing or operating
or causing to be utilized or operated, a police alarm system.
FALSE ALARM
Any alarm condition registered at the Police Department or
elsewhere, not resulting from criminal activity for which the alarm
was intended. However, any alarm caused by weather conditions shall
not be deemed a false alarm.
POLICE ALARM SYSTEM
Any device designated for the detection of an unauthorized
entry into a premises or for the alerting of others of the commission
of an unlawful act, or both, which device, when actuated, emits a
sound or transmits a signal or message either by or over telephone
lines or otherwise.
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, corporation or other entity.
No person shall use, or cause to be used or operated, any police
alarm system which is tapped or tied into the telephone lines or telephone
numbers of the City and/or the Police Department, or which automatically
calls, dials, communicates or transmits a telephone signal or message
to the telephone numbers of the City and/or the Police Department.
No person shall cause a false alarm of any police alarm system,
unless that person reasonably believed that someone was committing
an unlawful act and/or unauthorized entry into a premises.
This article is not applicable to the City, nor is it applicable
to audible alarms affixed to motor vehicles.
A violation of any provision of this chapter shall be a municipal
civil infraction, punishable as provided in Chapter
1, General Provisions,
Article
II.
[Adopted 5-18-1994 by Ord. No. 330]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
ALARM COMPANY
A person, company or other form of entity which sells, installs,
operates, adjusts, arranges for or contracts to provide an alarm system
that will, upon activation, initiate an alarm assigned to a subscriber
of the service signaling entry, smoke, fire or flow requiring Police
or Fire Department response.
ALARM SYSTEM
An instrument or an assembly of equipment and devices that
is arranged to signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention
by the Police or Fire Department.
ALARMED PREMISES
Any building, property, premises or motor vehicle equipped
with an alarm system.
FALSE ALARM
The activation of a bell, horn, mechanical, electrical or
telephone alarm system, or any combination thereof, through mechanical
failure, malfunction, improper installation or the negligence of,
or failure of proper maintenance by, the owner or lessee of the alarm
system, or his or her employee or agent, which thereby requires police
or fire response.
No alarm company shall sell, install, adjust, arrange for or
contract to provide an alarm system that will, upon activation, electronically
or by other means, initiate a signal from the subscriber's premises
to the alarm company which would require response by the Police or
Fire Department, without first registering with the City Clerk the
name and telephone number of the alarm system subscriber, the address
of the premises where the alarm is located and the name and telephone
number of at least one other person who can be reached at all times,
day or night, and who can, within 30 minutes, open the premises so
as to deactivate the alarm or who is able to deactivate the alarm
system in some other fashion.
An alarm system experiencing more than four false alarms within
one year from the first false alarm shall be deemed to be defective,
and, upon written notice to the owner or lessee of the alarm system
by the City, the owner or lessee shall have the system inspected by
an alarm system contractor who shall, within 15 days of such inspection,
file a written report with the City of the results of its inspection
of the system, the probable cause of the false alarms and its recommendations
for eliminating false alarms. In lieu of such inspection, the owner
or lessee shall provide written evidence to the City that the defective
alarm system has been replaced. Noncompliance with this requirement
shall be deemed to be a violation of this chapter.
The Police Department and the Fire Department shall, monthly,
provide a list of all false alarms, identifying the alarmed premises
and the responsible alarm company, owners and/or lessees. The City
Treasurer shall bill each responsible alarm company, owner or lessee
for the amounts due. All amounts billed by the City Treasurer under
this chapter shall be due within 30 days after each billing. The City
Treasurer is hereby authorized to initiate collection procedures for
any overdue amounts.
The following circumstances shall not constitute a false alarm,
and no fee established in this chapter shall be assessed therefor:
A. Alarms activated by a person working on the alarm system with prior
notification to the Police Department and/or the Fire Department;
B. Alarms activated by damage to public utility lines, when the affected
public utility corroborates that the damage to such lines caused the
alarm;
C. Alarms activated by hurricane, tornado, earthquake, vandalism or
other violent condition beyond the control of the owner or lessee
of the alarm system or of his or her employee or agent; or
D. Alarms activated in premises where, by the nature of the activity
engaged therein, Police or Fire Department response would be automatic,
i.e., churches, hospitals, senior citizen homes or care facilities,
community centers and City Hall. The Police Chief shall provide a
list of said exempted premises to the City Clerk.
A violation of any provision of this chapter shall be a municipal
civil infraction, punishable as provided in Chapter
1, General Provisions,
Article
II.