City of Crestwood, MO Alarm Systems

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.

§ 4-2 Alarm system suppliers.

[Code 1965, § 54.02; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1976; amended 4-13-2021 by Ord. No. 5142]

(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 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 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.

§ 4-3 Signaling devices; automatic dialing devices.

[Code 1965, § 54.03; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1976; amended 4-13-2021 by Ord. No. 5142]

(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.

§ 4-4 Local alarms; operation.

[Code 1965, § 54.04; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1972; amended 4-13-2021 by Ord. No. 5142]

(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 15 minutes, except that commercial installations shall be allowed 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 assure reliability of operation; and

(3)

The alarm user shall also be responsible for seeing that the system is not misused.

§ 4-5 (Reserved) [1]

[1]

Editor's Note: Former § 4-5, Emergency alarm installations (Code 1965, § 54.05, as amended, was repealed 4-13-2021 by Ord. No. 5142.

§ 4-6 False alarm service charges.

[Ord. No. 4189,[1] § 1, 5-26-2009; amended 4-13-2021 by Ord. No. 5142]

(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 $50.

(b)

Refusal to pay any such service charge issued by the City within 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.

[1]

Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for the repeal of former § 4-6, as amended.

§ 4-7 Fees.

[Code 1965, § 54.07; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1976; amended 4-13-2021 by Ord. No. 5142]

The fee for an alarm system supplier license shall be $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.

§ 4-8 Liability of City.

[Code 1965, § 54.08; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1976]

The City shall take every reasonable precaution to assure 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.