In this article:
Alarm site.
A single premises or location (one street address) served by an alarm system or systems that are under the control of one owner.
Alarm system.
Electronic equipment and devices; electronic equipment and devices using a computer or data processor; or television camera, still camera, or video devices that emit, transmit, or relay a signal intended to summon, or that would reasonably be expected to summon, Police Department services, Fire Department services or Fire Department emergency medical services including, but not limited to, local alarms. “Alarm system” does not include:
(1) 
An alarm installed on a vehicle unless the vehicle is permanently located at a site; or
(2) 
An alarm designed to alert only the inhabitants of a premises which does not have a local alarm.
Burglar alarm notification.
A notification intended to summon the police which is initiated or triggered manually or by an alarm system designed to respond to a stimulus characteristic of an unauthorized intrusion.
Burglary.
An offense as defined in the Texas Penal Code, chapter 30.
Communications center.
The designated unit of the City Police and Fire Departments that has the responsibility of answering incoming phone calls and dispatching police and fire units.
Director.
The City of Garland Chief of Police or his authorized representative.
Emergency medical assistance alarm notification.
A notification intended to summon emergency medical assistance from the City Fire Department.
False burglar alarm notification.
A burglar alarm notification to the Police Department that is uncorroborated by eyewitness, video, or photographic evidence and where police officer(s) respond within thirty (30) minutes of being notified and from an inspection of the interior or exterior of the alarm site find no evidence that criminal activity occurred.
False emergency medical assistance alarm notification.
An emergency medical assistance notification to the Fire Department when the responding Fire Department personnel find no evidence of a need for emergency medical assistance.
False fire alarm notification.
A fire alarm notification to the Fire Department when the responding Fire Department personnel find no evidence of a fire having occurred or of a need for Fire Department services.
False robbery alarm notification.
A robbery alarm notification to the Police Department when the responding police officer(s) find no evidence of a robbery.
Financial Institution.
A bank or savings and loan association required to have an alarm system pursuant to the provisions of the Bank Protection Act of 1968 (12 U.S.C. 1882).
Fire alarm notification.
A notification to the Fire Department intended to summon units of the Fire Department which is initiated or triggered manually or mechanically by an alarm system designed to react to any of the visual or physical characteristics of a fire.
Local alarm.
An alarm system that emits a signal at an alarm site that is audible or visible from the exterior of the alarm site.
Permit holder.
The person designated in the application as required in section 26.71.
Person.
A natural person, corporation, partnership, association or unit of government.
Personal emergency response system.
An alarm system that is: installed in the residence of a person; monitored by an alarm systems company; designed only to permit the person to signal the occurrence of a medical or personal emergency on the part of the person so that the company may dispatch appropriate aid; not part of a combination of alarm systems that includes a burglar alarm or fire alarm.
Robbery.
An offense as defined in the Texas Penal Code, chapter 29.
Robbery alarm notification.
A notification by means of an alarm system designated to be activated by an intentional act so that the police will be notified when a robbery occurs.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11; Ordinance 6889, sec. 1, adopted 2/21/17)
(A) 
A person commits an offense if he operates or causes to be operated an alarm system without an alarm permit issued by the director unless that person has opted to exclude the City from receiving an alarm signal by an alarm system located at the alarm site as provided in subsection (H).
(B) 
Any person owning, possessing, or operating an alarm system on the effective date of this article shall apply for an alarm permit within ninety (90) days after the enforcement date.
(C) 
Upon receipt of a completed application form, the director shall issue an alarm permit unless:
(1) 
The applicant has failed to pay a service fee assessed under this article;
(2) 
The applicant has outstanding fines or violations of this article; or
(3) 
The applicant has had an alarm permit for the alarm site revoked and the violation causing the revocation has not been corrected.
(D) 
Each permit application shall contain the following information:
(1) 
The name, home address and primary telephone number of the person who will be the permit holder and will be responsible for the proper maintenance and operation of the alarm system and payment of fees and fines assessed under this article. The primary telephone number provided under this section should be the same as the primary telephone number on file with the monitoring alarm company.
(2) 
Classification of the alarm site as residential, commercial, financial institution or senior citizen.
(3) 
Identification of each alarm type at the alarm site (e.g. burglary, robbery, fire, etc.).
(4) 
The names, home addresses and telephone numbers of at least two (2) persons, in addition to the permit holder, who have key access to the alarm site and who can respond to the alarm site within thirty (30) minutes when notified by the Police or Fire Departments.
(5) 
The name, address and telephone number of the alarm company that maintains or services each alarm system at the alarm site.
(6) 
The type of alarm announcer, whether audible or silent, at the alarm site.
(7) 
Other information required by the director which is necessary for the enforcement of this article.
(E) 
Any false statement of a material matter made by an applicant for the purpose of obtaining an alarm permit or renewal, or while making a change thereto, shall be sufficient cause for refusal to grant, or for suspension of, an alarm permit.
(F) 
An alarm permit may not be transferred or assigned to another person. A permit holder may transfer the permit to another address (of the same classification) by filing an address transfer application with the director on a form to be provided by the director for that purpose and by paying a permit transfer fee in the amount designated in the Master Fee and Rate Schedule, Article VII, Section 10.85, of Chapter 10. The permit holder may change person(s) designated to respond to an alarm or to relay an alarm by providing written notice of the change to the director at least five (5) business days prior to the effective date of the change. The permit holder shall inform the director of any event, occurrence or change in circumstance that renders any information listed on the permit application inaccurate within five (5) business days of such event, occurrence or change in circumstance. No fee shall be assessed for such a change.
(G) 
All fees or fines owed by an applicant shall be paid before a permit may be issued or renewed.
(H) 
A person opting to exclude the City from receiving an alarm signal by an alarm system located on the person’s property shall submit a notification form containing the following information:
(1) 
The name, home address and primary telephone number of the person who will be responsible for the alarm system and payment of any fines assessed under this article;
(2) 
Classification of the alarm site as residential, commercial, financial institution or senior citizen;
(3) 
Identification of each alarm type at the alarm site (e.g. burglary, robbery, fire, etc.);
(4) 
The type of alarm announcer, whether audible or silent, at the alarm site;
(5) 
An acknowledgement that the person will be responsible for fee not to exceed $250.00 for each response requested to the alarm site; and
(6) 
Other information required by the director which is necessary for the enforcement of this article.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 6260, sec. 7, adopted 9/2/08; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11; Ordinance 6889, secs. 2–3, adopted 2/21/17; Ordinance 7363 adopted 9/6/2022)
The fees for alarm permits or renewal of alarm permits are in the amounts designated in the Master Fee and Rate Schedule, Article VII, Section 10.85, of Chapter 10. Alarm site locations described in section 26.83(I) of this article are required to maintain valid permits, but are exempt from any permit fee. A permit is valid for one year from the date of its issuance. It is the responsibility of the permit holder to renew the permit prior to expiration. The City will provide at least thirty days’ notice to the permit holder of the expiration date. A completed renewal application must be completed not less than ten days before the expiration of the alarm permit.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 4654, sec. 1, adopted 2/16/93; Ordinance 5847, sec. 6, adopted 9/7/04; Ordinance 6260, sec. 8, adopted 9/2/08; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11; Ordinance 6889, sec. 4, adopted 2/21/17; Ordinance 7086, sec. 11, adopted 9/3/19; Ordinance 7363 adopted 9/6/2022)
(A) 
A permit holder or person in control of an alarm system shall:
(1) 
Maintain the premises containing an alarm system in a manner that ensures proper operation of the alarm system;
(2) 
Maintain the alarm system in a manner that will minimize false alarm notifications;
(3) 
Respond or cause a representative to respond within a reasonable period of time when notified by the director to repair or inactivate a malfunctioning alarm system, to provide access to the alarm site, or to provide security for the alarm site; and
(4) 
Not manually activate an alarm for any reason other than an occurrence of an event that the alarm system was intended to report.
(B) 
A permit holder or person in control of a local alarm shall adjust the mechanism or cause the mechanism to be adjusted so that an alarm signal will sound for no longer than twenty (20) minutes after being activated.
(C) 
A permit holder shall display or cause to be displayed street address numbers in a prominent exterior location at both the front and rear of the alarm site. The address number(s) shall be not less than three (3) inches in height and of a color contrasting to its background. Nonresidential alarm sites shall display, in a prominent exterior location, in English, the name of the business at the front of the alarm site.
(D) 
A permit holder or person in control of an alarm system shall adjust the mechanism or cause the mechanism to be adjusted in order to suppress false indications of force so that the alarm system will not be activated by impulses due to:
(1) 
Transient pressure changes in water pipes;
(2) 
Flashes of light;
(3) 
Wind noise caused by the rattling or vibration of doors or windows;
(4) 
Vehicular noise adjacent to the alarm site; or
(5) 
Other forces unrelated to actual emergencies.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11)
A permit holder or person in control of a local alarm or an alarm system that causes an alarm notification to be sent directly to the Police or Fire Departments shall adjust the mechanism or cause the mechanism to be adjusted so that, upon activation, the system will not transmit another alarm signal without first being manually reset.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11)
A permit holder shall not report alarm signals through a relaying intermediary that does not meet the requirements of this article and the rules and regulations promulgated by the director.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11)
(A) 
A person shall not install or maintain an alarm system except for the purpose of eliciting responses to burglaries, robberies, fires or requests for emergency medical assistance, unless specifically authorized by the director.
(B) 
If innovations in alarm systems or other types of alarm devices adversely affect emergency services of the City, the director may promulgate rules and regulations in order to protect the emergency services of the City.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11)
A person who is engaged in the business of relaying alarms to the Police or Fire Department shall:
(1) 
Send notification of an alarm to the Police or Fire Department by a human operator only;
(2) 
Send alarm notifications to the Police and Fire Departments in a manner and form determined by the director; and
(3) 
Send alarm notifications only on special trunk lines designated by the director.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11)
(A) 
No permit holder and no person shall operate or cause to be operated any automatic dialing service which, when activated, uses a telephone device or attachment to automatically select a telephone line leading into the Police or Fire Department communications center and then transmit any prerecorded message or signal.
(B) 
Any alarm system that incorporates an automatic dialing mechanism may be considered in compliance with this section for a period not to exceed one (1) year from the date of enactment of this article, providing the alarm system employs a manual reset and meets the specific guidelines set forth by the director for such systems.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11)
(A) 
A financial institution that is required to have an alarm system pursuant to the provisions of the Bank Protection Act of 1968 (12 U.S.C. section 1882) may install, with the permission of the director, a circuit line directly to the Police Department for the purpose of reporting burglaries and robberies. If such an arrangement is made, all other requirements of this article shall be met. The financial institution shall execute a letter of agreement with the City of Garland, permitting the installation of all necessary equipment on an indicator panel monitored in the Police Department communications center. The installation shall be accomplished at the expense of the financial institution. The installation shall be made in accordance with procedures set forth by the director.
(B) 
The director may, at reasonable times and upon oral notice, inspect the alarm system and the alarm site and require necessary repairs or improvements. If the director finds that the alarm system continually fails to operate or be operated in compliance with this article, the director may terminate the privilege to have equipment and indicators in the communications center of the Police Department and require prompt removal of same at the expense of the financial institution.
(C) 
The financial institution, at its expense, shall make arrangements to provide service for the alarm system at the request of the financial institution or the director on a twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week basis. In no event shall the City of Garland become liable for service charges for repairs and maintenance of any such equipment.
(D) 
The financial institution may cancel its agreement with the City at any time by giving the City written notice through the director, whereupon such institution, at its expense, shall have its equipment and indicators removed from the monitor panel in the Police Department communications center.
(E) 
The director may require a change, modernization or consolidation of alarm signaling equipment to bring such equipment into compliance with this article. In no event shall the City become liable for charges for such changes.
(F) 
Alarm system testing shall be performed according to rules promulgated by the director.
(G) 
Instead of a direct circuit, a financial institution may choose to report burglaries and robberies by indirect alarm reporting.
(H) 
Only financial institutions and facilities owned or operated by the City shall be permitted to install equipment directly to the alarm indicator panel monitored in the Police Department communications center.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11)
(A) 
Upon reasonable notification, the director, fire chief, fire marshal or their designated representative may inspect an alarm site and alarm system of a permit holder.
(B) 
An inspection does not constitute a warranty or representation that an alarm system will work, is appropriate, or will otherwise ensure safety.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11)
A permit holder or person in control of an alarm system shall maintain, at each alarm site, a complete set of written operating instructions for each alarm system. Special codes, combinations or passwords shall not be included in these instructions. The instructions shall be available during an inspection of the alarm site.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11)
(A) 
If there is reason to believe that an alarm system is not being used or maintained in a manner that ensures proper operation and that suppresses false alarms, the director may require a conference with an alarm permit holder and the individual or person responsible for maintenance of the alarm system to review the circumstances of each false alarm.
(B) 
The director may require a permit holder to produce a record of all alarm notifications at a particular alarm site at the sole expense of the permit holder.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11)
(A) 
False burglar alarms.
(1) 
The director may assess the permit holder of an alarm site, or anyone who operates or causes to be operated an alarm system without an alarm permit issued by the director, a fee in the respective amounts designated in the Master Fee and Rate Schedule, Article VII, Section 10.85, of Chapter 10.
(2) 
The director may assess anyone who operates or causes to be operated an alarm system without an alarm permit issued by the director, a fee in the amount in the amount designated in the Master Fee and Rate Schedule, Article VII, Section 10.85, of Chapter 10, for the signaling of a false burglar alarm.
(3) 
A false burglar alarm shall not be considered to have occurred unless a response is made by an agency of the City within 30 minutes of the alarm notification, there is no corroborated eyewitness, video, or photographic evidence of criminal activity, and the agency determines from an inspection of the interior or exterior of the alarm site that the alarm was false.
(B) 
False fire alarms.
If, within any twelve-month period, two (2) false fire alarm notifications are emitted from an alarm site, the director may assess the permit holder of that alarm site, or anyone who operates or causes to be operated an alarm system without an alarm permit, a fee in the amount in the amount designated in the Master Fee and Rate Schedule, Article VII, Section 10.85, of Chapter 10, for each subsequent false alarm notification emitted from the site within the same twelve-month period.
(C) 
False robbery alarms.
If, within any twelve-month period, three (3) false robbery alarm notifications are emitted from an alarm site other than a financial institution, the director may assess the permit holder of that alarm site, or anyone who operates or causes to be operated an alarm system without an alarm permit a fee in the amount in the amount designated in the Master Fee and Rate Schedule, Article VII, Section 10.85, of Chapter 10, for each subsequent false robbery alarm notification emitted from the site within the same twelve-month period.
(D) 
False emergency medical assistance alarms.
If, within any twelve-month period, two (2) false emergency medical assistance alarms are emitted from an alarm site, the director may assess the permit holder of that alarm site, or anyone who operates or causes to be operated an alarm system without an alarm permit, a fee in the amount designated in the Master Fee and Rate Schedule, Article VII, Section 10.85, of Chapter 10, for each subsequent false emergency medical assistance alarm notification emitted from the alarm site within the same twelve-month period.
(E) 
False robbery alarms–Financial institutions.
The director may assess the permit holder for a financial institution alarm site, or anyone who operates or causes to be operated a financial institution alarm system without an alarm permit, fees in the amounts designated in the Master Fee and Rate Schedule, Article VII, Section 10.85, of Chapter 10, for the indicated number of false robbery alarm notifications emitted from the site within any twelve-month period.
(F) 
New alarm system installation.
If a person notifies the director and applies for an alarm permit before the installation of a new alarm system, no service fee shall be assessed during the first sixty (60) days after installation, and alarm notifications during that period will not be counted in determining when a service fee will be assessed, provided the permit holder has met the requirements of this article.
(G) 
Non-assessment of service fee.
A service fee shall not be assessed if the responding Police or Fire Department personnel determine that the alarm notification was caused by:
(1) 
A natural or manmade catastrophe;
(2) 
Severe weather that causes physical damage to the alarm system or alarm site;
(3) 
Telephone line outage; or
(4) 
A criminal offense.
(H) 
Time for payment.
A permit holder shall pay a fee assessed under this section within thirty (30) days after receipt of notice that it has been assessed.
(I) 
Exemption from service fees.
The following alarm sites shall be exempt from alarm service fees, but shall comply with all other requirements of this article:
(1) 
Alarm sites or alarm systems owned or operated by:
(a) 
The United States Government;
(b) 
The state;
(c) 
Political subdivision of the state;
(d) 
Dallas County; or
(e) 
The City of Garland; and
(2) 
Alarm sites where the alarm system is a personal emergency response system; provided, however, that:
(a) 
A reasonable inspection and reinspection fee shall be charged for any personal emergency response system that causes at least five (5) false alarms within a 12-month period; and
(b) 
Service of an alarm signal device that, because of mechanical malfunction or faulty equipment, causes at least five (5) false alarms in a 12-month period, shall be discontinued until repaired to the satisfaction of the director. A false alarm caused by human error or an act of God shall not be considered mechanical malfunction or faulty equipment.
(J) 
Exemption.
Alarm systems operated by the Police Department of the City shall be exempt from the provisions of this article.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 4544, sec. 1, adopted 11/19/91; Ordinance 6260, sec. 9, adopted 9/2/08; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11; Ordinance 6889, sec. 5, adopted 2/21/17; Ordinance 7363 adopted 9/6/2022)
(A) 
The director may suspend, or refuse to issue or renew, an alarm permit for any violation of this article, including the generation of an excessive number of false alarm notifications in a twelve-month period. In each respective category, an excessive number shall be:
(1) 
Eight (8) false burglar alarm notifications;
(2) 
Six (6) false robbery alarm notifications;
(3) 
Three (3) false emergency medical assistance alarm notifications; and
(4) 
Four (4) false fire alarm notifications.
(B) 
A suspension may be lifted or a permit renewed upon sufficient showing that the conditions which caused the action have been corrected, and the director determines that the alarm system is likely to be maintained and operated in a responsible manner in accordance with the provisions of this article.
(C) 
A person commits an offense if he operates an alarm system during a period of suspension or after the director has refused to issue or renew a permit for the alarm system.
(D) 
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the director shall suspend a financial institution robbery alarm permit upon the eleventh (11th) and any subsequent false robbery alarm notification within a twelve-month period.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11)
(A) 
If the director refuses to issue or renew a permit or suspends a permit, he shall send to the applicant or permit holder by certified mail, return receipt requested, written notice of the action and a statement of the right to an appeal. The applicant or permit holder may appeal a denial or suspension, and a permit holder who has been assessed a service fee pursuant to section 26.83 may appeal the assessment of that fee, to a hearing officer by filing a written request for a hearing with a hearing officer appointed under the provisions of Article II, Chapter 24, of the Code of Ordinances, within ten (10) days after receipt of the notice from the director, setting forth the reasons for the appeal. Upon receipt of the request, the City shall notify the person of the date and time of the hearing on the appeal. The filing of a request for an appeal with the hearing officer stays an action of the director in suspending a permit or assessing a fee until the hearing officer makes a final decision. If a request for an appeal hearing is not made within the ten-day period, the action of the director is final.
(B) 
The hearing officer may affirm, reverse or modify the action of the director, and the decision is final.
(C) 
A request for a hearing with a hearing officer to appeal the director’s refusal to issue, renew or suspend a permit, or to appeal the assessment of a service fee, may be filed by mail by directing the appeal to the Garland Police Department, Attn: Records Unit, P.O. Box 469002, Garland, Texas 75046-9002, or delivered in person to the Garland Police Department at 1891 Forest Lane, Garland, Texas.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 6260, sec. 10, adopted 9/2/08; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11)
The Police or Fire Department personnel responding to a dispatch resulting from a burglary, robbery, fire or emergency medical assistance alarm notification shall record such information as necessary to permit the director to maintain records, including, but not limited to, the following information:
(1) 
Exact address of alarm site;
(2) 
Dispatch time and date;
(3) 
Event or incident number;
(4) 
District of alarm site;
(5) 
Primary responding unit and officer;
(6) 
Apparent cause for alarm; and
(7) 
The name of representative of the permit holder on premises, if any.
(Ordinance 4166, sec. 1, adopted 12/1/87; Ordinance 6442, sec. 1, adopted 2/8/11)