This chapter shall be known as the "Village of Belleville Alarm
Systems Ordinance."
The purpose of this chapter is to provide minimum standards
and regulations applicable to burglar, fire and holdup alarm systems,
alarm companies and alarm users. Both society in general and public
safety in particular will be aided by providing a useful and usable
system of private security which properly balances quick response
by law enforcement with minimization of law enforcement time spent
on alarms which are false or otherwise not the intended function of
private security systems.
Within this chapter, the following terms, phrases and words
and their derivations have the meaning given herein:
ALARM COMPANY
Any business in which the owners or employees engage in the
activity of altering, installing, leasing, maintaining, repairing,
replacing, selling, or servicing alarm systems.
ALARM SYSTEM
An assembly of equipment and devices or a single device to
signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention and to
which the Police or Fire Department is expected to respond. In this
chapter, the term "alarm system" shall include the terms "automatic
holdup alarm system," "burglar alarm system," and "manual holdup alarm
system," as those terms are hereinafter defined, and fire alarm systems
which monitor temperature, humidity or any other condition directly
related to the detection of fire. Excluded from this definition and
from the coverage of this chapter are alarm systems used to alert
or signal persons within the premises in which the alarm system is
located of an attempted unauthorized intrusion or holdup attempt or
fire.
[Amended 4-5-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-04-01]
ANNUNCIATOR
The instrumentation of an alarm console at the receiving
terminal of a signal line through which both visual and audible signals
show when an alarm device at a particular location has been activated
or which, in the event of malfunction, may also indicate line trouble.
ANSWERING SERVICE
A telephone answering service providing among its services
the service of receiving on a continuous basis through trained employees
emergency signals from alarm systems and thereafter immediately relaying
the message by live voice to the dispatch center of the Police or
Fire Department.
AUTOMATIC DIALING DEVICE
An alarm system which automatically sends over regular telephone
lines by direct connection or otherwise a prerecorded voice message
or coded signal indicating the existence of the emergency situation
that the alarm system is designed to detect.
BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEM
An alarm system which signals an entry or attempted entry
into the area protected by the system.
CENTRAL STATION
An office to which remote alarm and supervisory signaling
devices are connected, where operators supervise the circuits.
DIRECT CONNECT
An alarm system which has the capability of transmitting
system signals to the Police or Fire Department.
FALSE ALARM
The activation of an alarm system through mechanical failure,
malfunction, improper installation or the negligence of the owner
or lessee of an alarm system or of his or her employees or agents
or other undetermined cause. "False alarm" does not include alarms
caused by tornadoes or other violent climatic conditions.
INTERCONNECT
To connect an alarm system to a voice-grade telephone line,
either directly or through a mechanical device that utilizes a standard
telephone, for the purpose of using the telephone line to transmit
an emergency message upon the activation of the alarm system.
MANUAL HOLDUP ALARM SYSTEM
An alarm system in which the signal transmission is initiated
by the direct action of the person attacked or by an observer thereof.
PRIMARY TRUNK LINE
A telephone line leading directly into the dispatch center
of the Police or Fire Department that is for the purpose of handling
emergency calls on a person-to-person basis and which is identified
as such by a specific number included among the emergency numbers
listed in the telephone directory or numbers in sequence therewith.
SUBSCRIBER
A person who buys or leases or otherwise obtains an alarm
system and thereafter contracts with or hires an alarm company to
monitor and/or service the alarm system.
[Added 4-5-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-04-01]
All audible alarm systems shall be equipped with a minimum twenty-second
time delay in case the alarm is accidentally tripped. All audible
alarms shall be equipped with a fifteen-minute automatic shutoff or
some other secure method of turning off the alarm.
Direct connections to the Police or Fire Department are prohibited
but may be authorized pursuant to the direct connection policies of
each Department, a copy of which is on file with the Chief of Police
and Fire Chief.
[Amended 4-5-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-04-01]
When the service provided by an alarm company to its subscribers
is disrupted for any reason by the alarm company or the alarm company
becomes aware of such disruption, it shall promptly notify its subscribers
by telephone that protection is no longer being provided. If, however,
the alarm company has written instructions from its subscriber not
to make such notification by telephone during certain hours, the alarm
company may comply with such instructions.
The Village of Belleville shall be under no duty or obligation
to a subscriber or to any other person concerning any provision of
this chapter, including but not limited to any defects in an alarm
system or any delays in transmission of or response to any alarm;
however, this in no way shall be construed that it is not the proper
function of law enforcement to respond to alarms.