[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Board of the Village of Hobart as § 3.7 of the 2000 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The primary purpose of this chapter is to reduce the incidence of false burglar/holdup and fire alarms by eliminating those false alarms which are preventable or avoidable. It is also meant to encourage the installation of reliable emergency alarm systems in all structures within the Village in order to provide additional protection to persons and property from fire, crime, including burglary, robbery and vandalism, and other hazards that may constitute a danger to persons and property. This chapter is intended to impose standards and requirements from such causes as the negligence of the user of an alarm system or of his employees in operating the system, the maintenance of equipment or the sale, installation or servicing of such installations will provide a technique of early detection, which will permit the Police Department and Fire Department to increase the present level of protection to persons and property.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
FALSE ALARM
A signal from an alarm system that alerts the Police Department/Fire Department that results in an emergency response from the Police/Fire Department when a situation of emergency does not exist.
LOCAL ALARM
An intrusion/burglar alarm system, or fire alarm that gives a signal, either visual or audible, or both, on the exterior or interior portion of the property, but does not leave that structure to a central control receiving location. Not to include detectors such as smoke detectors/carbon monoxide detectors, medical alarms such as Lifeline®, septic tank alarms or electrical problem indicators. For the most part, these are standalone, designed to warn persons inside the structure.
POLICE OR FIRE ALARM
Any device designed to detect and alert police or fire of such occurrence and when activated gives a signal, either by visual, audible, or transmitting or causing to be transmitted an alarm signal, or the combination of any of the above.
SECURITY ALARM SYSTEM
Any device designed for the detection of an unauthorized entry to the premises, an unlawful act or any emergency that alerts the Police Department of its commission or occurrence and, when activated, gives an internal or external signal, either visual, audible or transmits or causes to be transmitted a signal, or any combination of the above.
A. 
Required. No person shall install or cause to be installed any alarm system, as defined above, for any premises in the Village until an alarm permit therefor has been issued by the Village, with the following exception: not to include detectors such as smoke detectors/carbon monoxide detectors, medical alarms such as Lifeline, septic tank alarms or electrical problem indicators. For the most part, these are standalone alarms designed to warn persons inside the structure.
B. 
Application for permit. An application for an alarm permit shall be provided by the Village and shall require an applicant to furnish information sufficient to identify the applicant, the location of the premises to be protected by the alarm system and such other information as the Police or Fire Department may deem necessary for safe and proper emergency response. The annual alarm permit fee for a full or partial calendar year beginning January 1 and expiring December 31 of each year, in an amount as set from time to time by resolution of the Village Board, shall be collected at the time of application. A permit shall be required for each premises alarmed or each separate alarm system on a single premises.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
C. 
Issuance of alarm permit. The Village Clerk-Treasurer shall issue an alarm permit to the applicant upon approval of the Village Administrator or his designee. The alarm permit shall be issued for a period not to exceed 12 months, expiring on December 31 of each year. Applicants that are denied alarm permits may appeal the denial to the Village Board or a committee designated by the Village Board.
D. 
Existing alarm systems. For those systems installed on premises within the Village prior to March 6, 2001, a permit shall be obtained within 60 days after the effective date of this chapter from which this article is derived. With respect to any alarm system installed after the effective date of this chapter, a permit must be issued before the alarm system is installed.
A. 
Duty to maintain alarm system. The property owner shall be responsible for maintaining the alarm system in proper working order.
B. 
Duty to respond to alarm. The owner of premises protected by an alarm system must respond to the protected premises within 30 minutes of notification of an alarm. The owner/key holder is to assist police officers in gaining access to the building for the purpose of inspection. The owner/key holder is also responsible for shutting off and/or resetting the alarm system. Under no circumstances shall a member of the Police Department or Fire Department reset an alarm. The owner of an alarmed premise shall provide current information on persons/key holders to be contacted in the owner's absence.
C. 
Time delay and shutoff. All security alarm systems shall be equipped with a twenty-second time delay in cases where the alarm is accidentally tripped. All local alarms shall be equipped with a fifteen-minute automatic shutoff or some other secure means of turning off the alarm.
A. 
Special charge for false alarms:
(1) 
After the alarm system has been installed for 30 days, the owner shall be subject to a special charge for each false alarm in a twelve-month, per calendar year, January 1 through December 31 of each year, in such amounts as set from time to time by resolution of the Village Board.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
(2) 
Exceptions:
(a) 
Municipal alarms.
(b) 
False alarms caused by outside sources.
(c) 
Any special charge may be waived by the Village Administrator or his designee if the owner can show that the false alarm was caused by an outside source beyond the owner's control. That the alarm was properly maintained and not the result of negligence on the part of the owner, his agent or employees.
(d) 
Not to include detectors such as smoke detectors/carbon monoxide detectors, medical alarms (Lifeline) or electrical problem indicators. For the most part, these are standalone alarms designed to warn persons inside the structure.
(e) 
Motor vehicle alarms. This chapter shall not apply to audible alarms affixed to motor vehicles.
(3) 
Collection of special charges. Special charges for false alarms, as provided in Subsection A(1) above, shall be billed to the owner and, if not timely paid, shall be placed on the tax roll pursuant to the provisions of § 66.0627, for collection and settlement under Wis. Stats. Ch. 74.
A. 
Permit cancellation; alarm disconnection. Whenever there is a record of an excessive number of alarms or the operation of the alarm system is not consistent with the purpose of this chapter, the Village Administrator or his designee may, in writing, require the owner to repair or replace the alarm system within 10 days. If the repair or replacement is not made within 10 days, the Village Administrator or his designee may order the alarm permit canceled and the alarm disconnected. No person shall continue to operate an alarm system for which an alarm permit has been canceled.
B. 
Telephone alarm dialers. Telephone alarm dialers are not permitted to be programmed to direct dial the Police or Fire Department, except by special permission of the Village Administrator or his designee.
C. 
Limitations of liability. The Village shall not be liable for any defects in any alarm system or the central board, or any transmission malfunctions or delays.
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be subject to a penalty as provided in Chapter 1, § 1-3.