[CC 1984 §16-95; Ord. No. 4270 §1, 4-17-1989; Ord. No. 4442 §1, 4-6-1992; Ord. No. 4487 §1, 2-1-1993]
As used in this Chapter, the following terms shall have these
prescribed meanings:
Any person employed by an alarm business whose duties include
altering, installing, maintaining, moving, repairing, replacing, selling,
servicing, responding to or causing others to respond to an alarm
device.
Any business operated by a person or entity 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.
Any mechanical or electrical device which is designed to
be activated manually or automatically upon the detection of an unauthorized
entry, intrusion, fire condition or other emergency in or on any building,
structure, facility or premises through the emission of a sound or
transmission of a signal or message.
Any person who uses an alarm system to protect any building,
structure, facility or premises.
An alarm located on the building, structure, facility or
premises protected and equipped with an exterior sound-producing device
such as a gong, buzzer, siren, bell or horn used to give notification
of the need for Police services.
That part of an alarm system which automatically dials a
specific telephone number and transmits a pre-recorded emergency message.
An alarm system which provides for special telephone or cable
lines that are directly connected to the Police or Fire Department
and has an outlet at the Police or Fire Department which emits a sound
or transmits a signal or message when activated.
Any activation of an alarm system intentionally, by inadvertence,
negligence, unintentional act or malfunction of the alarm system to
which the City of Richmond Heights Police or Fire Departments are
summoned to respond when there is no unauthorized entry, intrusion,
fire condition or emergency, provided that the following shall not
be considered to be false alarms:
Alarms caused by the malfunction of equipment of the City of
Richmond Heights.
Alarms caused by damage, testing or repair of the means of transmission,
provided that such incidents are promptly reported to the company
providing said means of transmission. Any testing or repair activity
shall first be reported to the City dispatch center prior to commencement
of the testing or repair activity.
Alarms caused by acts over which the user has no control such
as windstorm, thunder, lightning or other similar acts of God.
Alarms intentionally caused by a person acting under a reasonable
belief that a need exists to summon the Police or Fire Departments.
Alarms occurring on a repeated basis without apparent cause
but where reasonable effort, in the judgment of the Police Chief or
Fire Chief or their designated representative, is being made by the
alarm user, business alarm, alarm agent or other concerned person
to correct the malfunction expeditiously.
Alarms followed by an immediate call to the Police Department
canceling same by giving the proper code number prior to arrival of
the Police Department for Police service.
That part of any alarm system which transmits, manually or
automatically, a medical alert signal.
Those alarms and associated wiring, devices and signals which
have or are being installed in compliance with the provisions of the
City of Richmond Heights Fire or Building Codes.
[CC 1984 §16-96; Ord. No. 4270 §1, 4-17-1989; Ord. No. 4442 §1, 4-6-1992; Ord. No. 4487 §1, 2-1-1993]
Automatic dialing devices shall be programmed to dial only the
telephone number at the City of Richmond Heights which is authorized
by the City.
[CC 1984 §16-97; Ord. No. 4270 §1, 4-17-1989; Ord. No. 4442 §1, 4-6-1992]
All alarm systems with an audible alarm shall be equipped with
a fifteen (15) minute cutoff timer if not restricted by the Fire or
Building Codes.
[CC 1984 §16-98; Ord. No. 4270 §1, 4-17-1989; Ord. No. 4442 §1, 4-6-1992]
Any direct connect alarm system must be connected to approved
monitoring equipment at the City of Richmond Heights.
[CC 1984 §16-99; Ord. No. 4270 §1, 4-17-1989; Ord. No. 4442 §1, 4-6-1992]
A.
All direct
connect alarm system alarm users shall provide to the City of Richmond
Heights registration information as follows:
1.
The
name, address and telephone number of the alarm user;
2.
The
name of the alarm business or alarm agent;
3.
The
name of the alarm business or alarm agent which the alarm user will
contact for repair service; and
4.
The
name, address and telephone number of at least one (1) other person
with access to the building, structure, facility or premises protected
by the alarm.
[CC 1984 §16-105; Ord. No. 4270 §1, 4-17-1989; Ord. No. 4442 §1, 4-6-1992]
Any alarm business or alarm agent which sells, leases or installs
an alarm system in the City of Richmond Heights shall furnish the
alarm user with written instructions for the operation of the system.
The alarm business or alarm agent shall provide training in the operation
of the system and, upon request from the alarm user, refresher training.
The alarm business or alarm agent shall inform the alarm user in writing
as to whether the alarm system is a standard fire alarm system.
[CC 1984 §16-106; Ord. No. 4270 §1, 4-17-1989; Ord. No. 4442 §1, 4-6-1992]
Alarm systems installed after the effective date of this Chapter
shall meet or exceed standards set by American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) and/or Underwriter Laboratories (UL) and the City
of Richmond Heights Fire Prevention and Building Codes for the applicable
alarm system.
[CC 1984 §16-107; Ord. No. 4270 §1, 4-17-1989; Ord. No. 4442 §1, 4-6-1992]
Any alarm business or alarm agent which sells, leases or installs
an alarm system within the City of Richmond Heights must offer either
directly, or through an agency, repair service for said alarm system
to maintain it in proper working order.
[CC 1984 §16-108; Ord. No. 4270 §1, 4-17-1989; Ord. No. 4442 §1, 4-6-1992]
The alarm user shall be responsible for maintaining the alarm
system in good repair to assure reliability of operation.
[CC 1984 §16-109; Ord. No. 4270 §1, 4-17-1989; Ord. No. 4442 §1, 4-6-1992]
A.
Any alarm
business or alarm agent shall be responsible for informing the alarm
user, before attaching a medical alert device to an alarm system,
that if the responding authority is not able to verify false alarms,
the alarm will be treated as an actual emergency.
B.
Any alarm
user, because of the nature of medical alert devices, shall hold the
responding authority harmless from any and all liability resulting
from damage to doors, windows or any other part of the building, structure,
facility or premises which might necessarily be forced or damaged
to verify the emergency situation.
[CC 1984 §16-115; Ord. No. 4270 §1, 4-17-1989; Ord. No. 4442 §1, 4-6-1992]
For the purpose of enforcing provisions of this Chapter, the
Police Chief, the Fire Chief or the Chiefs' designated representative
shall have the authority, at reasonable times and upon reasonable
oral notice, to enter any building, structure, facility or premises
in the City of Richmond Heights, in or upon which an alarm system
or alarm business is located, to inspect the installation or operation
of such alarm system or alarm business. Any alarm user may request
written notice of inspection and, at any alarm user's option, inspection
shall be made at the alarm user's expense by a licensed electrical
contractor acceptable to the user and to the City. If such inspection
reveals any violation of the provisions of this Chapter, the alarm
user or alarm business shall have thirty (30) days within which to
correct such violation. Standard fire alarm systems shall be subject
to the enforcement provisions of the Fire and Building Codes.
[CC 1984 §16-116; Ord. No. 4270 §1, 4-17-1989; Ord. No. 4442 §1, 4-6-1992]
The City of Richmond Heights shall not be liable for any defects
in the operation of automatic dialing devices or signal line systems
for failure or neglect to respond appropriately upon receipt of an
alarm from any such source nor for the failure or neglect of any alarm
business or alarm agent.
[CC 1984 §16-117; Ord. No. 4270 §1, 4-17-1989; Ord. No. 4442 §1, 4-6-1992]
A false alarm is declared a violation of this Chapter. Upon determination by the Police Department, or the Fire Department if a fire alarm is involved, that a false alarm has occurred, there shall be no fine for the first two (2) false alarms in any twelve (12) month period, or for any false alarms during the first two (2) weeks following installation of an alarm system. Thereafter the fine for false alarms shall be as provided in Section 230.160 of this Chapter.
[CC 1984 §16-118; Ord. No. 4270 §1, 4-17-1989; Ord. No. 4442 §1, 4-6-1992]
Any alarm business or alarm agent installing an alarm system
within the City of Richmond Heights shall be licensed and bonded in
compliance with applicable ordinances of St. Louis County and, if
required, by applicable ordinances of the City of Richmond Heights
and Statutes of the State of Missouri.
[CC 1984 §16-119; Ord. No. 4270 §1, 4-17-1989]
The Sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses, and phrases of
this Chapter are severable and if any Section, paragraph, sentence,
clause or phrase of this Chapter shall be declared unconstitutional
by a valid judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction,
such unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remaining Sections,
paragraphs, sentences, clauses or phrases of this Chapter.
[CC 1984 §16-125; Ord. No. 4270 §1, 4-17-1989]
Any person, firm, corporation, institution or organization, or representative thereof, violating any of the provisions of this Chapter or failing to comply with any of the provisions of this Chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00); and each day such failure to comply or such violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense. Provided, that in the event of violation of Section 230.130, False Alarms, hereof, after the third (3rd) false alarm in any twelve (12) month period, the alarm user shall pay a fine of fifteen dollars ($15.00); and further, for the fourth (4th) false alarm in any twelve (12) month period, the alarm user shall pay a fine of twenty-five dollars ($25.00). For the fifth (5th) and subsequent false alarms in any twelve (12) month period, the fine shall be the same as provided for violation or failure to comply with other Sections of this Chapter.
