[R.O. 1985 § 4-1; Code 1965, § 54.01; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1976; Ord. No. 5142, 4-13-2021]
(a) For the purpose of this Chapter, the following words shall have the
meanings respectively ascribed to them:
ALARM SYSTEM
Any mechanical, electronic or electrical device which is
designed to be activated manually or automatically upon the detection
of an unauthorized entry, intrusion 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.
ALARM SYSTEM SUPPLIER
Any person, firm or corporation that sells, leases and/or
installs emergency alarm systems in the City of Crestwood.
ALARM USER
A person or business who uses an alarm system to protect
any building, structure, residence, facility or premises.
AUTOMATIC DIALING DEVICE
An alarm system that activates a local noisemaking device
and/or automatically dials a specific telephone number and transmits
an emergency message by a recording over regular telephone lines when
activated.
DISPATCHING AUTHORITY
The City of Crestwood and/or any contracted agencies that
perform dispatching for the City.
FALSE ALARM
An emergency alarm which is actuated by inadvertence, negligence
or unintentional act to which any Crestwood employee responds, including
alarms caused by the malfunction of the alarm system, except that
the following shall not be considered false alarms:
(1)
Alarms caused by the malfunction of the indicator at any dispatching
authority;
(2)
Alarms caused by the testing or repair of telephone equipment
or lines;
(3)
Alarms caused by an act of God such as earthquakes, flood, windstorm,
thunder or lighting;
(4)
Alarms caused by an attempted illegal entry, of which there
is visible evidence, as well as alarms intentionally caused by the
alarm user acting under a sincere belief that a need exists to call
the Police or Fire Department; or
(5)
When prior notification of said testing or repair has been given
to the City dispatching authority.
In determining the existence of the false alarms, a decision
shall be made in favor of the alarm user, if the Fire Chief or Chief
of Police, as applicable, finds that a doubt exists as to the cause
of the alarm.
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[R.O. 1985 § 4-2; Code 1965, § 54.02; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1976; Ord. No. 5142, 4-13-2021]
(a) Any alarm
system supplier that is engaged in selling, leasing, repairing, maintaining,
servicing or installing alarm systems in the City of Crestwood shall
be licensed by the City of Crestwood and act in accordance with all
applicable ordinances of St. Louis County, statutes of the State of
Missouri and ordinances of the City of Crestwood.
(b) Application For License. Each alarm system supplier currently engaged
in selling, leasing or installing emergency alarm systems in Crestwood,
or intending to do so, shall first apply for the license from the
City on a form to be provided by the City. Any person who desires
to become an alarm system supplier serving residents of Crestwood
shall first apply to the City for a license on a form to be provided
by the City, and shall include the following:
(1) Name, address, and telephone number of the applicant; and
(2) A statement that such firm and its employees are licensed and bonded
in compliance with the applicable ordinances of the county.
(c) Installations
By Licensed Suppliers. No alarm system shall be installed or serviced
by other than an alarm system supplier licensed under this Chapter,
except by individual homeowners and/or property owners in their own
residence. A resident of a property, should they be renting within
the City of Crestwood, may also install their own alarm system without
a license, only if said installation would cause no damage to the
property and with the written consent of said property owner.
(d) Instructions On Operation. Each alarm system supplier who sells or
leases and installs an alarm system in the City shall furnish the
alarm user with written instructions as to the way in which the device
operates. He or she shall also provide initial training on the operation
of the system, and, upon request from the alarm user, refresher training.
(e) Repair Service Required. Each alarm system supplier that sells or
leases, and installs an alarm system within the City must offer service,
directly or through an agent, to repair such alarm so as to correct
any malfunction that may occur. At the time of installation, each
alarm system supplier shall furnish to the alarm user written information
as how service can be obtained at any time, including the telephone
number to call for service; and the alarm user shall be responsible
for having the system repaired as quickly as possible after he or
she learns of any malfunction.
(f) Cancellation Of License. In addition to the penalties provided for
violation of any provision of this Code, the City may, after notice
and hearing, cancel the license of an alarm equipment supplier 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; or
(4) Violation of any provision of this Chapter.
Said licenses shall not be canceled until an administrative
hearing shall have been held by the City Clerk. Written notice of
such hearing shall be served upon the holder of such license at least
ten (10) days before the date of the hearing. The notice shall also
contain a brief statement of the grounds alleged as the basis for
cancellation of the license. The licensee shall have the right to
appeal to the City Administrator, whose decision shall be final.
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[R.O. 1985 § 4-3; Code 1965, § 54.03; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1976; Ord. No. 5142, 4-13-2021]
(a) Only financial institutions required by regulations of Federal agencies
to have appropriate security devices installed for their protection
shall be permitted to have equipment and indicators installed in a
panel in the communications center of the dispatching authority.
(b) No automatic dialing device installed after the effective date of
this Chapter shall be keyed to the trunk line of the dispatching authority.
[R.O. 1985 § 4-4; Code 1965, § 54.04; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1972; Ord. No. 5142, 4-13-2021]
(a) All alarm
systems equipped with any exterior sound-producing device, including,
but not limited to, gongs, buzzers, sirens, bells or horns, shall
be equipped with a time device which limits the operation of such
exterior sound-producing device to fifteen (15) minutes, except that
commercial installations shall be allowed thirty (30) minutes.
(b) Alarm systems installed after the effective date of this Chapter
shall meet or exceed standards set by the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) and/or Underwriters' Laboratories (UL) and the City
of Crestwood Building Codes for the applicable alarm system.
(c) Operational requirements. All alarm systems shall be subject to the
following operational requirements:
(1) The sensory mechanism used in connection with such alarms must be
adjusted to the degree reasonably possible to suppress false indications
of fire or intrusion, so that alarms will not be actuated by natural
phenomena, including, but not limited to, transient pressure change
in water pipes, short flashes of light, wind noises or exterior pressure
change such as rattling or vibration of windows or sonic booms and
vehicular noise adjacent to the installation;
(2) The alarm user shall be responsible for maintaining the system in
good repair to ensure reliability of operation; and
(3) The alarm user shall also be responsible for seeing that the system
is not misused.
[R.O. 1985 § 4-6; Ord. No. 4189, § 1, 5-26-2009; Ord. No. 5142, 4-13-2021]
(a) False alarms to which the Fire or Police Departments respond shall
result in the following service charges to the property owner or occupant:
(1) For
the first three false alarms to which the City of Crestwood responds
in a calendar year there will be no service charge assessed to the
property owner or occupant;
(2) For
each subsequent false alarm to which the City of Crestwood responds
in a calendar year, the property owner or occupant shall be charged
a service charge in the amount of fifty dollars ($50).
(b) Refusal to pay any such service charge issued by the City within
thirty (30) days shall be considered a violation of this Chapter and
subject the property owner or occupant to the general penalty provisions
of the Code.
[R.O. 1985 § 4-7; Code 1965, § 54.07; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1976; Ord. No. 5142, 4-13-2021]
The fee for an alarm system supplier license shall be ten dollars
($10) annually and shall be paid each calendar year, with all licenses
expiring on December 31 of each year. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
no fee shall be charged by the City to an alarm system supplier that
presents, along with its application to the City, a valid unexpired
license issued by St. Louis County pursuant to Chapter 720 of the
St. Louis County Revised Ordinances, as amended.
[R.O. 1985 § 4-8; Code 1965, § 54.08; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1976]
The City shall take every reasonable precaution to ensure that
alarm signals received by the City are given appropriate attention
and are acted upon with dispatch. Nevertheless, the City shall not
be liable for any defects in operation of automatic dialing devices
and signal line systems, for any failure or neglect to respond appropriately
upon receipt of an alarm from such a source nor for the failure or
neglect of any persons 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.