(Ord. No. B-762-06(A0610), § 1, 6-21-2010)
The purpose of this article is to encourage alarm users and
alarm companies to properly use and maintain the operational effectiveness
of alarm systems in order to improve the reliability of alarm systems
and reduce or eliminate false alarms.
(Ord. No. B-762-06(A0610), § 1, 6-21-2010)
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article,
shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where
the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning:
ACT OF GOD
An extraordinary interruption by natural causes (such as
a flood or an earthquake) of the usual course of events that experience,
foresight, or care cannot reasonably foresee or prevent.
ALARM ADMINISTRATOR
The chief of police or his designated representative who
shall administer, control and review false alarm reduction efforts
and administer the provisions of this article.
ALARM INSTALLATION COMPANY
A person in the business of selling, providing, maintaining,
servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving or installing an
alarm system in an alarm site. This definition shall also include
persons that install and service the alarm systems that will be used
in their private or proprietary facilities. This does not include
persons doing installation or repair work where such work is performed
without compensation of any kind (i.e., "do-it-yourselfers").
ALARM NOTIFICATION
A notification to the police department that an alarm, either
manual or automatic, has been activated at a particular alarm site.
ALARM REGISTRATION
Authorization granted by the alarm administrator to an alarm
user to operate an alarm system; alarm registration means the same
as "permit" as defined in V.T.C.A., Local Government Code § 214.191(2).
ALARM SITE
A single fixed premises or location (one street or apartment
address) served by an alarm system or systems that are under the control
of one owner or tenant. Each unit, if served by a separate alarm system
in a multi-unit office building or apartment complex, shall be considered
a separate alarm site and is further defined by the following categories:
(1)
RESIDENTIAL SITE
A single family residence and each residential unit of multi-unit
building or complex which is served by an alarm system.
(2)
COMMERCIAL SITE
Every premises or location where any business activity is
regularly conducted and which is served by an alarm system. Each unit
of a business premises or business location, if served by a separate
alarm system in a multi-unit building or complex, shall be considered
a separate commercial alarm system site.
(3)
EDUCATIONAL SITE
Every premises or location of a public or private school
or school administrative office.
(4)
GOVERNMENT SITE
Every premises or location of any federal, state, county
or municipal government office.
ALARM SYSTEM
A device or series of devices, including, but not limited
to, a control panel, all types of sensors, and arming station(s),
which emit or transmit a remote or local audible, visual or electronic
signal indicating an alarm condition and intended to summon law enforcement
response, including unmonitored systems. An alarm system may include,
but is not limited to, hardwired systems and systems interconnected
with a radio frequency method (such as cellular or private radio signals).
Alarm system does not include:
(1)
An alarm installed in a vehicle or on someone's person unless
the vehicle or the personal alarm is permanently located at a site;
nor
(2)
An alarm system designed to alert only the inhabitants of a
premise.
ALARM USER
Any person, who (which) has contracted for monitoring, repair,
installation or maintenance service from an alarm installation company
or monitoring company for an alarm system, or who (which) owns or
operates an alarm system which is not monitored, maintained or repaired
under contract.
AUTOMATIC VOICE DIALER OR DIRECT DIAL SYSTEM
Any electrical, electronic, mechanical, or other device capable
of being programmed to send a prerecorded voice message, when activated,
over a telephone line, radio or other communication system, to the
police department requesting dispatch.
CANCELLATION
The process where response is terminated when a monitoring
company (designated by the alarm user) for the alarm site notifies
the responding law enforcement agency that there is not an existing
situation at the alarm site requiring law enforcement agency response
after an alarm dispatch request.
CITY
The City of Burleson, Texas.
CONVERSION
The transaction or process by which one alarm installation
company or monitoring company begins the servicing and/or monitoring
of a previously unmonitored alarm system or an alarm system previously
serviced and/or monitored by another alarm company.
DIRECTOR
The city manager or the city manager's authorized representative.
DURESS ALARM
A silent alarm system signal generated by the entry of a
designated code into an arming station in order to signal that the
alarm user is being forced to turn off the system and requires police
department response.
FALSE ALARM
An alarm notification to the police department, when the
responding personnel find no evidence of unauthorized intrusion, attempted
unauthorized intrusion, robbery, attempted robbery or an attempt to
take a person hostage and the responding personnel arrived within
30 minutes of the notification.
HOLD-UP ALARM
A silent alarm signal generated by the manual activation
of a device intended to signal a robbery in progress or immediately
after it has occurred.
LICENSE
A license issued by the state department of public safety
private security bureau to an alarm installation company or monitoring
company to sell, install, monitor, repair, or replace alarm systems.
MONITORING
The process by which a third party including, but not limited
to, a monitoring company receives signals from an alarm system and
relays an alarm notification to the police department for the purpose
of summoning police department personnel to the alarm site.
ONE PLUS DURESS ALARM
The manual activation of a silent alarm signal by entering
at an arming station a code that adds one to the last digit of the
normal arm/disarm code (e.g., normal code = 1234, One plus duress
code = 1235).
PANIC ALARM
An audible alarm system signal generated by the manual activation
of a device intended to signal a life threatening or emergency situation
requiring police department response.
PERSON
An individual, corporation, partnership, association, organization
or similar entity.
RESPONDER
An individual capable of reaching the alarm site within 45
minutes and having access to the alarm site, the code to the alarm
system and the authority to approve repairs to the alarm system.
SIA CONTROL PANEL STANDARD CP-01
The ANSI—American National Standard Institute 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 the incidence of false alarms. Control
panels built and tested to this standard by Underwriters Laboratory
(UL), or other nationally recognized testing organizations, will be
marked to state: "Design evaluated in accordance with SIA CP-01 Control
Panel Standard Features for False Alarm Reduction".
SPECIAL TRUNKLINE
A telephone line leading into the communications center of
the police department which is used by monitoring companies for alarm
notifications.
TAKEOVER
The transaction or process by which an alarm user takes over
control of an existing alarm system, which was previously controlled
by another alarm user.
UNMONITORED ALARM SYSTEM
An alarm system which is not monitored, maintained, or repaired
under contract with a third party which emits a signal at an alarm
site that is audible or visible from the exterior of the premises.
VERIFY
An attempt by the monitoring company to determine the validity
of an alarm signal prior to requesting police department personnel
to respond. The verification process to be utilized is described in
appendix A, alarm verification and notification procedures with annex
A thereto, which are attached to this article and are made a part
hereof by reference. A copy of the procedures is available from the
city police department communications section.
ZONES
Division of devices into which an alarm system is divided
to indicate the general location from which an alarm system signal
is transmitted.