[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City of Meriden 3-15-2015. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to provide uniform minimum standards
and regulations applicable to the users of an alarm or emergency signaling
device within the City of Meriden which results in the dispatch and/or
response of municipal emergency vehicles, including police and/or
personnel and to promote the responsible use of alarm systems in the
City of Meriden.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter,
shall have the meanings ascribed to them, except where the context
clearly indicates a different meaning:
A person or a company engaged in the selling, leasing, installing,
servicing or monitoring alarm systems. The alarm company shall be
licensed in compliance with Connecticut law.
A permit issued by the City allowing the operation of an
alarm system within the City at commercial and residential properties.
An audible or visual signal generated by an alarm system
to which law enforcement is requested to respond.
Any single device or assembly of equipment designed to signal
the occurrence of an illegal or unauthorized entry or other activity
requiring law enforcement response. For purposes of this chapter,
an alarm system does not include motor vehicle or boat alarms, fire
alarms, domestic violence alarms, or alarms solely requesting a medical
response.
Any person, corporation, partnership, proprietorship, governmental
or educational entity or any other entity owning, leasing or operating
an alarm system, or on whose premises an alarm system is maintained
for the protection of such premises.
A class conducted for the purpose of educating alarm users
about the responsible use, operation, and maintenance of alarm systems
and the problems created by false alarms.
The process whereby the alarm company notifies the City that
there is no need for a police response after an alarm signal is activated.
If a cancellation occurs prior to police arriving at the scene of
the alarm signal, it is not considered a false alarm.
The City of Meriden, the City of Meriden Police Department
or its authorized agent.
The activation of an alarm system through mechanical or electronic
failure, malfunction, improper installation, or the negligence of
the alarm user, its employees or agents, as well as alarm signals
activated to summon law enforcement personnel, unless law enforcement
response was cancelled by the alarm user before law enforcement personnel
arrive at the alarm location. An alarm is a false alarm when, upon
inspection by the Meriden Police Department, evidence indicates that
no unauthorized entry, robbery, or other such crime was committed
or attempted in or on the premises which would have activated a properly
functioning alarm system.
An alarm system that emits a signal at an alarm site that
is audible or visible from the exterior of a structure and is not
monitored by a remote monitoring facility, whether installed by an
alarm company or an alarm user.
A twelve-month period beginning on the day and month on which
an alarm permit is issued.
An alarm system that produces repeated alarm signals that
do not appear to be caused by separate human action. The Meriden Police
Department may, in its sole discretion, discontinue police responses
to alarm signals from what appears to be a runaway alarm.
The American National Standard Institute (ANSI) approved
Security Industry Association (SIA) CP-01 Control Panel Standard,
as may be updated from time to time, that details recommended design
features for security system control panels and their associated arming
and disarming devices to reduce false alarms. Control panels built
and tested to this standard by a nationally recognized testing organization,
will be marked to state: "Design evaluated in accordance with SIA
CP-01 Control Panel Standard features for false alarm reduction."
An attempt by the monitoring company or its representative
to contact the alarm site and/or alarm user, whether or not actual
contact is made, to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before
requesting police response to the alarm signal. For the purpose of
this chapter, telephone verification shall require, at a minimum,
that a second call be made to a different number if the first call
fails to reach an alarm user who can properly identify themselves
to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting law
enforcement dispatch.
A.
Permit required. No person shall use an alarm system, including a
local alarm, without first obtaining a permit for the alarm system
from the City. For purposes of this chapter, an alarm system does
not include: motor vehicle or boat alarms; fire alarms; domestic violence
alarms; or alarms solely requesting a medical response. Each alarm
permit shall be assigned a permit number and the alarm user shall
provide the permit number to the alarm company. Alarm permits are
not transferable.
B.
Application. An alarm user has the duty to obtain an application
from the City. A failure to obtain a permit for an alarm system is
a violation of this chapter.
C.
Transfer of possession. When the possession of the premises is transferred,
the alarm user obtaining possession of the property shall file an
application for an alarm permit within 30 days of obtaining possession
of the property. Alarm permits are not transferable.
D.
Reporting updated information. Renewal of alarm permit. Whenever
the information provided on the alarm permit application changes,
the alarm user shall provide the updated information to the City within
30 days. The alarm user shall apply for a permit renewal every 12
months. A failure to comply with the provisions of this section is
a violation of this chapter.
E.
Multiple alarm systems. If an alarm user has one or more alarm systems
protecting two or more separate structures having different addresses
and/or tenants, a separate permit shall be required for each structure
and/or tenant.
F.
Change in address or ownership. An alarm uses must obtain a new permit
if there is a change in address or ownership of a business or residence.
The alarm user shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
A.
Maintain the premises and the alarm system to reduce or eliminate
false alarms.
B.
Ensure the alarm system has an auxiliary power supply with a minimum
of a four hour power reserve.
C.
Provide the alarm company with the permit number of the alarm.
D.
Respond or cause a representative to respond to the alarm system's
location and/or to deactivate a malfunctioning alarm within 30 minutes
after notification by the Police Department of a malfunctioning alarm.
E.
Not manually activate an alarm for any reason other than an occurrence
of an event that the alarm system was intended to report or to perform
routine maintenance as prescribed by the alarm system provider.
A.
The alarm company shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
(1)
Obtain and maintain any required Connecticut State license(s).
(2)
Provide the name, address, and telephone number of the alarm user
or designee who can be called in an emergency or to effect repairs
24 hours a day seven days a week.
(3)
Provide the most current contact information for the alarm user.
(4)
Ninety days after enactment of this chapter, the alarm installation
companies shall on all new installations use alarm control panel(s)
which meet SIA Control Panel Standard CP-01.
(5)
Prior to activation of an alarm system, the alarm company shall provide
instructions explaining the proper operation of the alarm system to
the alarm user.
(6)
Provide written information to the alarm user regarding how to obtain
service from the alarm company for the alarm system.
B.
An alarm company performing monitoring services shall:
(1)
Attempt to verify whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting
dispatch. Telephone verification shall require, at a minimum, that
a second call be made to a different number if the first attempt fails
to reach an alarm user who can properly identify themselves to determine
whether an alarm signal is valid. An exception to this requirement
is in the case an emergency, such as a panic or robbery-in-progress
alarm, or in cases where a crime-in-progress has been verified by
video and/or audible means.
(2)
Provide the alarm permit number to the City to facilitate dispatch
and/or cancellations.
(3)
Communicate any available information about the alarm to the City
upon its activation.
(4)
Communicate a cancellation to the City as soon as possible following
a determination that response is unnecessary.
A.
It is prohibited to activate an alarm system for the purpose of summoning
law enforcement when no burglary, robbery, or other crime dangerous
to life or property is being committed or attempted on the premises,
or otherwise to cause a false alarm.
B.
It is prohibited to install, maintain, or use an audible alarm system
which can sound continually for more than 10 minutes.
A.
Excessive false alarms/failure to register. It is hereby found and
determined that more than four false alarms within a year is excessive,
constitutes a public nuisance, is a drain on police resources and
is hereby prohibited. Penalties for excessive false alarms within
a rolling twelve-month period shall be assessed by Meriden Police
Department against an alarm user as follows:
B.
Cancellation. If cancellation occurs prior to law enforcement arriving
at the scene, it is not considered a false alarm and no penalty will
be assessed.
C.
Multiple activations. Multiple activations of the alarm within a
twenty-four-hour period may, at the discretion of the City, be considered
as one false alarm.
D.
Other fees. Any other violations of this chapter will be enforced
through a citation issued by the Meriden Police Department in the
amount of $100 per violation.
E.
Payment of fees. Fees shall be paid within 30 days from the date
of the invoice. For failure to pay within 30 days of the invoice,
there would be an additional fee of $25 added for residential and
an additional $100 added for commercial.
F.
Discontinuance of law enforcement response. The failure to register
and obtain a permit, the failure to provide the City with updated
information, and/or the failure to renew the alarm permit annually
may result in no law enforcement response to an unregistered alarm.
The Meriden Police Department may, in its sole discretion, discontinue
law enforcement response to an alarm signal from what appears to be
a runaway alarm.
The City may create and implement an alarm user awareness class
and may request the assistance of the alarm companies to assist in
developing and implementing the class. The class shall inform alarm
users of the problems created by false alarms and instruct alarm users
how to help reduce false alarms. The City, at its discretion, may
allow the option of attending an alarm user awareness class in lieu
of paying one penalty.
Assessments of a penalty or penalties and other enforcement
decisions made under this chapter may be appealed by filing a written
notice of appeal with the Meriden Police Department within 10 days
after the date of notification of the assessment of civil fees or
other enforcement decision. The failure to give notice of appeal within
this time period shall constitute a waiver of the right to contest
the assessment of penalty or other enforcement decision. Appeals shall
be heard through the citation hearing process established by the City
under the authority of Section 7-152c of the Connecticut General Statutes.
By applying for an alarm permit, the alarm user acknowledges
that the Meriden Police Department response may be influenced by factors
such as the availability of police units, priority of calls, weather
conditions, traffic conditions, emergency conditions, staffing levels,
prior response history and other factors at the sole discretion of
the Meriden Police Department.
The provisions of this chapter are severable. If a court of
competent jurisdiction determines that a word, phrase, clause, sentence,
paragraph, subsection, section, or other provision is invalid or that
the application of any part of the chapter is invalid, the remaining
provisions of this chapter and the application of those provisions
of this chapter are not affected by that decision.
