This chapter shall be known as the "Village of Benton Alarm
Systems Ordinance."
The purpose of this chapter is to provide minimum standards
and regulations applicable to burglar, fire and holdup alarm systems,
alarm business 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 BUSINESS
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 single device such
as a solid state unit which plugs directly into 110-volt AC line or
otherwise receives electrical energy arranged 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 systems,"
"burglar alarm systems," "holdup alarm systems" and "manual holdup
alarm systems" 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.
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 business to
monitor and/or service the alarm system.
The Chief of Police/Officer in Charge shall promulgate such
rules as may be necessary for the implementation of this chapter.
Such rules shall require the approval of the Village Board and shall
be open to inspection by the public.
No person shall interconnect any automatic dialing device to
a Police or Fire Department primary trunk line. No person shall permit
such devices, which were installed prior to the effective date of
this chapter, to remain interconnected from any property owned or
controlled by that person. Such devices may be connected to a central
station or an answering service. Relaying messages so received to
the Police or Fire Department shall only be done person to person
on the telephone line.
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/Officer
in Charge and Fire Chief.
When the service provided by an alarm business to its subscribers
is disrupted for any reason by the alarm business or the alarm business
becomes aware of such disruption, it shall promptly notify its subscribers
by telephone that protection is no longer being provided. If, however,
the alarm business has written instructions from its subscriber not
to make such notification by telephone during certain hours, the alarm
business may comply with such instructions.
The Village of Benton 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 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.