[CC 1991 §11-1; Ord. No. 628 §1, 4-14-1981]
A.
The
purpose of this Chapter is to provide minimum standards and regulations
applicable to emergency alarm systems, alarm businesses, alarm agents
and alarm users as defined in this Chapter.
B.
ANSI
ALARM AGENT
1.
2.
ALARM BUSINESS
ALARM SYSTEM
ALARM USER
ANNUNCIATOR
ANSWERING SERVICE
AUTOMATIC DIALING DEVICE
AUTOMATIC HOLDUP ALARM SYSTEM
BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEM
CENTRAL STATION
CENTRAL STATION EQUIPMENT
CENTRAL STATION SYSTEM
CITY
DIRECT CONNECT
DIRECT LINE
EMERGENCY ALARM SYSTEM
FIRE CHIEF
HOLDUP ALARM SYSTEM
INTERCONNECT
LOCAL ALARM SYSTEM
MANUAL HOLDUP ALARM SYSTEM
MODIFIED CENTRAL STATION
NON-VALID ALARM
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
PERSON
POLICE CHIEF
POLICE OR POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRIMARY TRUNKLINE
PROPRIETARY SYSTEM
REMOTE SIGNALING SYSTEM
SIGNAL LINE
SPECIAL TRUNKLINE
SUBSCRIBER
TELEPHONE COMPANY
UL
For
the purpose of this Chapter, the following terms, phrases, words and
their derivations shall have the meaning given herein. When not inconsistent
with the context, words used in the present tense include the future,
words used in the plural number include the singular number, and words
in the singular number include the plural number. The word "shall" is always mandatory and not merely directory.
Stands for the American National Standards Institute.
Any person employed by an alarm business whose duties include
the altering, installing, maintaining, moving, repairing, replacing,
selling, servicing, responding to, or causing others to respond to
an alarm device.
Persons in the construction business and not in the employ of
an alarm business, but under the control or supervision of an alarm
business may be involved under contracts or subcontracts in the installation
of alarm systems. Such persons are not required to obtain licenses
as alarm businesses.
The provisions of this Section do not include a person who engages
in the manufacture or sale of an alarm system from a fixed location
and who neither visits the location where the alarm system is to be
installed, or designs the scheme for physical location of the alarm
system in a specific location.
Any business operated by a person who engages in the activity
of altering, installing, leasing, maintaining, moving, repairing,
replacing, selling, servicing, or responding to an emergency alarm
system, or which causes any of these activities to take place.
An assembly of equipment (or a single device such as a solid
state unit which plugs directly into a one hundred ten (110) volt
AC line) arranged to signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent
attention and to which the Police or Fire Departments are expected
to respond.
Any person on whose premises an alarm system is maintained
within the City of Frontenac except for alarm systems on motor vehicles
or proprietary systems. If, however, an alarm system on a motor vehicle
is connected with an alarm system at a premises (other than a proprietary
system) the person using such system is an alarm user.
The instrumentation on an alarm console at the receiving
terminal of a signal line which through both visual and audible signals
shows when an alarm device at a particular location has been activated
or it may also indicate line trouble.
Refers to 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 communications center of
the Frontenac Police Department.
Refers to 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.
An alarm system in which the signal transmission is initiated
by the actions of the robber.
Refers to an alarm system signaling an entry or attempted
entry into the area protected by the system.
An office to which remote alarm and supervisory signaling
devices are connected, where operators supervise the circuits, and
where guards are maintained continuously to investigate signals.
Refers to the signal receiving, recording or retransmitting
equipment installed in the central station.
A system in which the operation of electrical protection
circuits and devices are signaled automatically to, recorded in, maintained,
and supervised from a central station having trained operators and
guards in attendance at all times.
The City of Frontenac.
An alarm system which has the capability of transmitting
system signals to and receiving them at an agency maintained by the
City of Frontenac.
A telephone line leading directly from a central station
or modified central station to the communications center of the Frontenac
Police Department that is for use only to report emergency signals
on a person-to-person basis.
See "Alarm System".
The Chief of the Fire Department of the City of Frontenac,
or his/her designated representative.
Refers to an alarm system signaling a robbery or attempted
robbery.
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 systems.
Refers to a signaling system which when activated causes
an audible and/or visual signaling device to be activated in or on
the premises within which the system is installed.
Refers to an alarm system in which the signal transmission
is initiated by the direct action of the person attacked or by an
observer of the attack.
An office to which remote alarm and supervisory signaling
devices are connected, where operators supervise the circuits. Such
modified central station is not listed by Underwriters' Laboratories.
The activation of an alarm system through mechanical or electronic
failure, malfunction, improper installation or the negligence of the
owner or lessee of an alarm system or of his/her employees or agents,
except that the following shall not be considered non-valid alarms:
Alarms caused by the failure or malfunction of the monitoring
equipment located in the Frontenac Police Department;
Alarms occurring on a repeated basis without apparent cause
but where continuous decided effort, in the sole opinion of the Police
Chief, is being made jointly by the alarm user, the alarm business
used by the alarm user for installation or servicing, and any other
concerned person to correct the malfunction expeditiously;
Alarms caused by an attempted illegal entry, of which there
is visible evidence;
Alarms intentionally caused by a person acting under a reasonable
belief that a need exists to call the Police or Fire Departments;
or
Alarms followed by an immediate call to the Police Department
canceling the alarm by giving the proper code number, such call having
been made prior to the arrival of the Police or Fire Department.
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In determining the existence of a non-valid alarm, if the Police
Chief or the Fire Chief finds that reasonable doubt exists as to the
cause of the alarm, he/she may determine the alarm not to be a non-valid
alarm.
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Any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation,
company, or organization of any kind.
The Chief of the Police Department of the City of Frontenac,
or his/her designated representative.
The official Police Department of the City of Frontenac,
or any authorized agent thereof.
A telephone line leading directly into the communications
center of the Frontenac Police Department that is for the purpose
of handling emergency calls on a person-to-person basis.
An alarm system sounding and/or recording alarm and supervisory
signals at a control center located within the protected premises,
the control center being under the supervision of the proprietor of
the protected premises. If a proprietary system includes a signal
line connected directly or by means of an automatic dialing device
to a Police communications center, a central station, modified central
station or answering service, it thereby becomes an "alarm
system" as defined in this Section.
An alarm signaling system which when activated by an alarm
device transmits a signal from an alarm signaling device to a central
location, other than the Police Department, where appropriate action
is taken to investigate and respond to the signal.
Refers to the transmission line through which the signal
passes from one (1) of the elements of the signal transmission to
another.
A telephone line leading into the communications center of
the Frontenac Police Department and having the primary purpose of
handling emergency signals or messages originating from automatic
dialing devices either directly or through a central station.
A person who buys and/or leases, or otherwise obtains an
alarm signaling system and thereafter contracts with or hires an alarm
business to monitor and/or service the alarm device.
The utility that furnishes telephone services to the City
of Frontenac.
Stands for Underwriters' Laboratories.
[CC 1991 §11-2; Ord. No. 628 §1, 4-14-1981; Ord. No. 2014-1744 §1, 10-21-2014]
A.
Application For License. No emergency alarm system
shall be installed or serviced by other than a licensed alarm business.
Each alarm business wishing to do business in the City of Frontenac
shall first apply to the City for a business license and provide all
pertinent information on their letterhead which shall include, among
other things, the following:
1.
Name, address, telephone number and type of business organization.
If a partnership, the names and addresses of partners. If a corporation,
the names and addresses of the principal officers and the State of
incorporation, and the name and address of any person owning more
than ten percent (10%) thereof.
2.
A statement that such firm and its employees are licensed and
bonded in compliance with the applicable ordinances of St. Louis County.
3.
Certification by the applicant that a complete background, including
records checks, has been obtained on all employees in the office or
offices serving the City, and that no person with a record of conviction
for a felony offense or a violation involving moral turpitude found
in such checks will be employed on jobs within the City.
4.
A statement of the type and availability of repair and/or maintenance
service that the applicant proposes to offer to the public.
5.
A statement of the security to be afforded by the applicant
for wiring diagrams and/or security plans of installations made or
to be made.
6.
A statement that the applicant is willing to comply with such
reasonable rules and regulations about details of installation and
operation of such systems as may be issued by the Police Chief.
B.
Action On Application. On the basis of the application
the City shall within fourteen (14) days after receipt of the completed
application, approve the same or furnish to the applicant written
reasons for denial.
C.
Instruction On Operation. Each alarm business which
sells, leases, and/or installs an emergency alarm system in the City
shall furnish the alarm user with written instructions as to the way
in which the system operates. He/she shall also provide initial training
in the operation of the system, and upon request from the alarm user,
refresher training. If the Police Chief or Fire Chief finds that the
instructions provided are incomplete, unclear, or otherwise inadequate,
he/she may require the alarm business to have same revised to meet
the Police Chief's or Fire Chief's approval, and then promptly
distributed to persons for whom installations are henceforth made.
D.
Repair Service Required. Each alarm business that
sells, leases, and/or installs an emergency alarm system within the
City must offer service, directly or through an agency, to repair
such alarm so as to correct any malfunction that may occur. At the
time of the installation, each alarm business shall furnish to the
alarm user written information as to how service can be obtained at
any time, including the telephone number to call for service. The
alarm user shall be responsible for having the system repaired as
quickly as possible after he/she learns of any malfunction. No alarm
technician shall perform any service on any alarm system in the City
of Frontenac, if they do not possess the site cancellation code, without
first personally appearing at the Police Department and notifying
the Frontenac Police Dispatch Center of the location and general type
of service to be performed. The technician must disconnect said alarm
system at the alarm user's location during maintenance or repair
to avoid disrupting the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center, and the technician
must notify the Frontenac Police Dispatch Center upon completion of
the work.
E.
Cancellation Of License. In addition to the penalties
described below for violation of any provision of this Chapter, the
City may, after notice and hearing, cancel the business license of
an alarm business on any of the following grounds:
1.
Fraud, misrepresentation or false statement contained in any
application for such license.
2.
Fraud, misrepresentation or false statement in the conduct of
the business authorized by such license.
3.
Failure to correct any deficiencies in equipment or operation
after receipt of due notice from the City.
4.
Violation of any provision of the Chapter.
F.
Central Stations — Modified Central Stations —
Answering Services. No one shall operate a central station,
modified central station, or answering service in the City of Frontenac,
serving any user in the City, unless licensed as an alarm business.
In addition to any other requirements imposed by this Chapter, central
stations, modified central stations, and answering services shall
meet the following minimum requirements:
1.
Central station standards shall be in compliance with "Standards
for Central Station Burglar Alarm Units and Systems" issued by Underwriters'
Laboratories (UL) or the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
The service provided may correspond to any of the several grades of
service listed in the standards, but the owner, alarm agent or other
person in responsible control of the premises wherein such alarm system
is located must be present at such premises as soon as is reasonably
possible after being requested to do so by a representative of the
City of Frontenac.
2.
Modified central stations standards.
a.
The premises from which the services are performed shall meet
any applicable fire regulations.
b.
The premises from which the services are performed shall be
secure in a manner approved by the Police Chief to prevent entry by
unauthorized persons.
c.
A large enough number of operators shall be on duty at all times
to assure that all emergency messages received will be relayed immediately
to the Police Department.
d.
The modified central station shall certify that all equipment
supervised by the modified central station shall be tested at least
once a year. Where a test result is unsatisfactory, the cause thereof
shall be corrected within twenty-four (24) hours unless circumstances
exist that make such corrections impossible within such time, in which
event the cause shall be corrected within a reasonable time.
e.
The modified central station shall certify that all equipment
supervised by the modified central station shall be tested at least
once a year. Where a test result is unsatisfactory, the cause thereof
shall be corrected within twenty-four (24) hours unless circumstances
exist that make such corrections impossible within such time, in which
event the cause shall be corrected within a reasonable time.
3.
Answering service standards.
a.
The premises from which the services are performed shall meet
any applicable fire regulations.
b.
The premises from which the services are performed shall be
secured in a manner approved by the Police Chief to prevent entry
by unauthorized persons.
c.
A sufficient number of operators shall be on duty at all times
to ensure that all emergency messages received will be relayed immediately
to the Police Department.
d.
Emergency messages from automatic alarm devices shall be given
priority over all other messages received by the answering service.
e.
All operators shall be trained to handle emergency messages.
f.
As soon as possible after notifying the Police Department, the
operator concerned shall notify the subscriber involved of such action
and the nature of the emergency message received.
g.
All subscribers of an answering service shall be required by
the service to cooperate in a test of its alarm devices at least once
a year to determine if the device is working properly. The answering
service shall certify that the test requirements have been fulfilled.
Unsatisfactory test results shall be promptly reported, in writing,
to the subscriber and the Frontenac Police Department. Until the device
in question is again working properly, the Police Department may require
that its use be discontinued.
[CC 1991 §11-3; Ord. No. 628 §1, 4-14-1981; Ord. No. 2014-1744 §1, 10-21-2014]
A.
Police Department Terminals. After the effective
date hereof, all residences shall be permitted to have their alarm
systems call directly into the Frontenac Police Department Dispatch
Center providing:
1.
Their alarm systems meet such standards for connection as are
set forth by the Police Chief with the approval of the City Board
of Aldermen.
2.
All fees as set forth by the City are paid.
3.
The alarm user contracts with and pays all fees due the alarm
business providing the annunciator equipment (monitoring equipment)
at the Frontenac Police Dispatch Center.
B.
Restrictions On Automatic Dialing Devices. All automatic
dialing devices shall be installed on a separate telephone line unless
such device incorporates equipment capable of seizing the telephone
line and a method to abort a non-valid alarm.
[CC 1991 §11-4; Ord. No. 628 §1, 4-14-1981; Ord. No. 94-998 §1, 5-17-1994; Ord. No. 2014-1744 §1, 10-21-2014]
All emergency alarm systems equipped with any sound-producing
device, including but not limited to gongs, buzzers, sirens, bells
or horns, shall function in a manner limiting the operation of such
sound-providing device to five (5) minutes on any one (1) occasion.
[CC 1991 §11-5; Ord. No. 628 §1, 4-14-1981; Ord. No. 2014-1744 §1, 10-21-2014]
A.
Standards And Inspections. The following is required:
1.
All alarm systems installed in commercial or public buildings
after the effective date of this Chapter shall utilize equipment and
methods of installation substantially equivalent to or exceeding the
minimum applicable UL or ANSI standards, and such equipment shall
be installed in a safe, reliable and professional manner.
2.
All alarm systems installed in residences after the effective
date of this Chapter shall utilize equipment which shall be substantially
equivalent to or exceeds the minimum applicable UL or ANSI Standards,
and such equipment shall be installed in a safe, reliable and professional
manner.
3.
The equipment or hardware used and/or the manner of installation
of the alarm system may correspond to any of the several levels of
protection or grades of service listed in the applicable standards,
provided however, that alarm systems users shall not be required to
provide protection for all of the areas of openings which may be required
to be protected by the applicable standards.
4.
The standards referred to in this Section are hereby adopted
as part of this Chapter subject to the modifications and qualifications
set forth herein.
5.
In those instances where UL and/or ANSI have not established
standards for categories of equipment or where new equipment is undergoing
field testing, the Police Chief may require that the alarm system
be inspected at the expense of the alarm user by a professional electrical
engineer who shall certify whether the alarm system appears to be
safe and reliable.
6.
Alarm systems which input into an automatic dialing device are
also subject to the provisions of this Section.
7.
In addition to the requirements set forth by the listed UL or
ANSI Standards the following additional requirements shall be met:
a.
All systems installed after this date and all systems heretofore
installed, must have a standby power supply for both the control panel
and the phone lines. This secondary source of power shall be so installed
that if the main source of power fails the system will not cause a
non-valid alarm. All standby power supplies shall be of the rechargeable
power supply type which will be installed at the time of the initial
installation of the system. All existing alarm systems in the City
of Frontenac shall have rechargeable standby power supplies installed
within six (6) months of the effective date of this Chapter.
b.
New systems shall be installed in such a manner that the protective
circuits will indicate whether they are secure prior to being armed.
c.
No device on an alarm system terminating at the Frontenac Police
Department Dispatch Center shall be installed in such a manner that
it merely opens or closes the telephone circuit, thereby indicating
line trouble on the annunciator equipment at the Frontenac Police
Dispatch Center.
d.
The alarm user shall be responsible for maintaining the system
in good repair to assure reliability of operation.
e.
The alarm user shall also be responsible for seeing that the
system is not misused.
8.
The installation of an alarm system or the repair/testing of
existing alarm systems will comply with the following:
a.
Alarm technicians that possess site cancellation codes registered
with the Frontenac Police Dispatch Center may respond directly to
the site of the alarm system to work on it, but prior to doing so
they must call the Frontenac Police Dispatch Center to advise that
they are working on the alarm, and they must provide the proper site
cancellation code.
b.
Alarm technicians that do not have cancellation codes registered
with the Frontenac Police Dispatch Center must go to the Frontenac
Police Station lobby where they will utilize the lobby phone, or their
cellular phone, to call the Dispatch Center while appearing on video
to the Frontenac Police Dispatch Center via the Police lobby camera.
c.
Alarm technicians must limit the amount of test calls made from the alarm system they are working on to the Frontenac Police Dispatch Center to a maximum of three (3) test calls per site visit so as not to unduly disrupt 9-1-1 operators. If additional test calls are necessary, provisions must be made by the alarm technician to conduct test calls using an alternate monitoring method. Failure to limit test calls to the maximum number allowed will result in a fine as stated in Section 625.070.
[CC 1991 §11-6; Ord. No. 628 §1, 4-14-1981; Ord. No. 2014-1744 §1, 10-21-2014]
A.
For the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this Chapter, the
Police Chief and/or the Fire Chief shall have the authority, at reasonable
times and upon reasonable oral notice, to enter any premises in the
City in or upon which alarm monitoring systems or alarm businesses
subject to this Chapter are located, to inspect the installation and/or
operation of such alarm systems or alarm business on official business.
B.
If such inspection reveals any violations of the provisions of this
Chapter, a written report detailing such violation shall be promptly
sent to the City Clerk and to the owner, lessee, or other person responsible
for the alarm system business in violation of this Chapter. Such report
shall require the correction within thirty (30) days after receipt
of the notice of the violation discovered, and shall state that a
failure to comply may result in the revocation of the alarm business'
license to operate. The alarm business shall be granted a reasonable
extension of time to correct such violation upon good cause shown.
[CC 1991 §11-7; Ord. No. 628 §1, 4-14-1981; Ord. No. 2003-1318 §1, 5-20-2003; Ord. No. 2006-1516 §1, 7-18-2006; Ord. No. 2014-1744 §1, 10-21-2014]
A.
Service Charges — Non-Valid Alarms. The first
four (4) non-valid alarms in each month to which the Fire or Police
Department responds shall not result in a service charge to the alarm
user. The fifth (5th) and subsequent responses to a non-valid alarm
per month by either the Fire or Police Department may result in a
service charge of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per response if the
alarm subscriber does not demonstrate that action(s) is being taken
to repair the alarm system, and may result in the suspension of police
response to the alarm until the false condition(s) is corrected.
B.
Service Charges — Alarm Businesses. If an
alarm business fails to check in with the Frontenac Police Department
Dispatch Center before servicing any system, or shall fail to disconnect
such system so that it is no longer in service during the period when
it is being worked on, such alarm business shall pay to the City of
Frontenac service charges in the amount of $25 for each police response.
C.
Service Charges — Excessive Test Calls. Alarm
companies that generate more than three (3) test calls from individual
alarm system sites where they are installing/repairing to the Frontenac
Police Dispatch Center shall be fined $25 for each call above the
maximum allowed.
D.
Failure To Pay. Failure to pay a service charge
to the City within a period of thirty (30) days of billing shall be
considered delinquent and bear an annual interest of eight percent
(8%).
[CC 1991 §11-8; Ord. No. 952 §1, 3-16-1993; Ord. No. 2006-1516 §2, 7-18-2006; Ord. No. 2014-1744 §1, 10-21-2014]
B.
Direct Monitor Alarm Systems. All alarm users who
direct dial into the Police Dispatch Center's alarm monitoring
system shall pay an annual user fee to the City as determined by the
Board of Aldermen, and an annual user fee to the vendor providing
the alarm monitoring equipment to the Police Dispatch Center. Failure
to pay an annual fee within thirty (30) days of billing shall be considered
delinquent, resulting in an additional twenty-five dollar ($25.00)
late fee for each delinquent month. Bills for alarm monitoring shall
be sent in January of each year.
C.
Local Alarm Systems. There shall be no fees charged
by the City for alarm subscribers who use alarm monitoring services
other than the Frontenac Police Dispatch Center.
[CC 1991 §11-9; Ord. No. 628 §1, 4-14-1981; Ord. No. 2014-1744 §1, 10-21-2014]
The City shall not be liable for any defects in operation of
automatic dialing devices or signal line systems, for any failure
or neglect to respond appropriately upon receipt of an alarm from
any such source, nor for the failure or neglect of any person with
a license issued pursuant to this Chapter. In the event that the City
finds it necessary to disconnect an emergency alarm system, the City
shall incur no liability by such action.
