This chapter shall be known as the "Village Alarm Systems Ordinance."
The purpose of this chapter is to provide minimum standards
and regulations applicable to burglar, fire and holdup alarm systems,
alarm businesses and alarm users. Both society in general and public
safety in particular will be aided by providing a useful and usable
system of private security which properly balances quick response
by law enforcement with minimization of law enforcement time spent
on alarms which are false or otherwise not the intended function of
private security systems.
Within this chapter, the following terms, phrases and words
and their derivations have the meanings given herein:
ALARM BUSINESS
Any business in which the owners or employees engage in the
activity of altering, installing, leasing, maintaining, repairing,
replacing, selling, or servicing alarm systems.
ALARM SYSTEM
An assembly of equipment and devices or single device such
as a solid-state unit which plugs directly into a 110-volt AC line
or otherwise receives electrical energy, arranged to signal the presence
of a hazard requiring urgent attention and to which the County Sheriff's
Office is expected to respond. In this chapter, the term "alarm system"
shall include the terms "automatic holdup alarm system," "burglar
alarm system," and "manual holdup alarm system," as those terms are
hereinafter defined, and fire alarm systems which monitor temperature,
humidity or any other condition directly related to the detection
of fire. Excluded from this definition and from the coverage of this
chapter are alarm systems used to alert or signal persons within the
premises in which the alarm system is located of an attempted, unauthorized
intrusion or holdup attempt or fire.
ANSWERING SERVICE
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 dispatch center serving the County
Sheriff's Office.
AUTOMATIC DIALING DEVICE
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.
BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEM
Refers to an alarm system which signals an entry or attempted
entry into the area protected by the system.
CENTRAL STATION
An office to which remote alarm and supervisory signaling
devices are connected, where operators supervise the circuits.
DIRECT CONNECT
An alarm system which has the capability of transmitting
system signals to the County Sheriff's Office dispatch center.
FALSE ALARM
The activation of an alarm system through mechanical failure,
malfunction, improper installation, or the negligence of the owner
or lessee of an alarm system, or of his employees or agents, or other
undetermined cause. "False alarm" does not include alarms caused by
tornadoes or other violent climatic conditions.
INTERCONNECT
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 system.
MANUAL HOLDUP ALARM SYSTEM
Refers to an alarm system in which the signal transmission
is initiated by the direct action of the person attacked or by an
observer thereof.
PRIMARY TRUNK LINE
A telephone line leading directly into the dispatch center
of the County Sheriff's Office that is for the purpose of handling
emergency calls on a person-to-person basis and which is identified
as such by a specific number included among the emergency numbers
listed in the telephone directory or numbers in sequence therewith.
SUBSCRIBER
A person who buys or leases or otherwise obtains an alarm
system and thereafter contracts with or hires an alarm business to
monitor and/or service the alarm system.
The County Sheriff's Office shall promulgate such rules as may
be necessary for the implementation of this chapter. Such rules shall
require the approval of the Village Board and shall be open to inspection
by the public.
No person shall interconnect any automatic dialing device to
the primary trunk line of the County Sheriff's Office. No person shall
permit such devices which were installed prior to the effective date
of this chapter to remain interconnected from any property owned or
controlled by that person. Such devices may be connected to a central
station or an answering service. Relaying messages so received to
the County Sheriff's Office shall only be done person to person on
the telephone line.
Direct connections to the County Sheriff's Office are prohibited.
When the service provided by an alarm business to its subscribers
is disrupted for any reason by the alarm business, or the alarm business
becomes aware of such disruption, it shall promptly notify its subscribers
by telephone that protection is no longer being provided. If, however,
the alarm business has written instructions from its subscriber not
to make such notification by telephone during certain hours, the alarm
business may comply with such instructions.
There is hereby imposed a fee for law enforcement response to
any alarm resulting from the activation of an alarm system, except
when law enforcement finds that an unauthorized person is on the premises,
was seen on the premises immediately before the alarm was activated,
or that there is fresh evidence of forceful entry or attempted forceful
entry. There shall be no fee for the first and second response in
any calendar year, and a fee as set forth in the Village Fee Schedule,
on file in the Village offices, for the third and all further responses
in that calendar year. The fee is inapplicable when the alarm is caused
by a tornado or other violent climatic conditions. This fee is imposed
whether the County Sheriff's Office receives the alarm by direct notice
or through an intermediary, such as an answering service or central
station. Failure to pay the stated fee within 30 days of receipt of
the bill shall be grounds for a refusal of law enforcement services
in regards to future alarms being received. However, before any refusal
or no service is given, the County Sheriff shall receive approval
from the Village Board.
The County Sheriff is authorized to require that the owner or
lessee of any alarm system directly connected to the County Sheriff's
Office or primary trunk lines disconnect such device within 30 days
after passage of this chapter.
The Village shall be under no duty or obligation to a subscriber
or to any other person concerning any provision of this chapter, including,
but not limited to, any defects in an alarm system or any delays in
transmission or response to any alarm; however, this in no way shall
be construed that it is not the proper function of law enforcement
to respond to alarms.