The board of supervisors of the county of Orange is authorized
to provide by resolution the amount of each fee which shall be charged
to those city residents who request, require or incur fire prevention,
false alarm and other miscellaneous services provided by the Orange
County Fire Department. Said fees as may be amended by the county
of Orange from time to time are imposed effective August 3, 1991.
(Ord. 91-O-111 § 1, 1991)
The county of Orange is authorized to administer the fire department
fee schedule and take collection and enforcement action as may be
necessary.
(Ord. 91-O-111 § 1, 1991)
An administrative charge of 10% of each fee collected by the
city for the county of Orange fire department is imposed.
(Ord. 91-O-111 § 1, 1991)
For the purpose of this chapter the words set out in this section
shall have the following meanings:
means the giving, signaling or transmission to the fire department,
its station(s) or companies or to any officer or employee thereof,
whether by telephone, spoken word or otherwise, an indication or information
to the effect that there is a fire or other emergency at or near the
place indicated by the person, devices or system giving, signaling
or transmitting such information.
means the work, occupation or profession of any person who
performs, authorizes, directs, or causes the selling, leasing, maintaining,
servicing, inspection, repairing, altering, replacement, moving or
installing of any alarm system, including any business that monitors
alarms.
means any person who purchases, leases, contracts for, or
otherwise obtains an alarm system or the servicing or maintenance
of an alarm system.
means any manual, mechanical or electrically operated circuits,
instruments and/or devices, which when activated emits a sound or
transmits alarms, a message and/or trouble signals for the protection
of life and property from heat, smoke, fire, hazardous materials or
medical emergency. Provided, however, that this definition shall not
include domestic smoke, fire or burglar alarm devices whose primary
purpose is to awaken or alert persons on the premises and which emit
a light or sound only within the protected premises.
means any electrical, electronic or mechanical device capable
of being programmed to send a prerecorded message, when activated,
over a telephone line or dedicated circuit to a central station.
means an office to which remote and supervisory signaling
circuits are connected, where personnel are in attendance at all times
to supervise the circuits and investigate signals.
means alarms systems electrically or otherwise connected
directly to the emergency response agency from the protected premises.
means an alarm necessitating response by the fire department
where an emergency situation does not exist. This shall include mechanical
failure, accidental tripping, misoperation, malfunction, misuse or
neglect of an alarm system.
means the Orange County Fire Department. "Fire department"
includes and also means the emergency response agency.
means any individual, occupant, business owner, partnership,
corporation, or other entity.
(Ord. 91-O-112 § 1, 1991)
All alarm systems shall meet or exceed the standards established by the fire department including National Fire Protection Association Codes 72A and 72C, and such other regulations as may be adopted by the Orange County board of supervisors. All alarm systems, equipment, installations and repairs and all fire and other emergency drills shall comply with rules and regulations promulgated by the emergency response agency or the fire department regulating the times and conditions under which such installations, repairs, tests or drills may be made. All audible alarm systems shall, after activation, limit the generation of the audible sound to a maximum of fifteen minutes when the system is protecting residential premises, and thirty minutes when an alarm is protecting any other premises. This limitation shall be incorporated into the equipment at the protected premises. Said systems may include an automatic resetting device causing the alarm system to rearm upon automatic shutoff. The director or designee of the fire department may exempt any alarm system or kind or type of alarm system from any or all of the requirements of the ordinance codified in Sections 5.12.100 through 5.12.900 if in his opinion such system does not create a substantial danger of generating false alarms necessitating a response by an emergency response agency or the fire department.
(Ord. 91-O-112 § 1, 1991)
All central stations or any business which receives signals
that an emergency exists at a protected premises and transmits that
information to the emergency response agency or the fire department
shall be required to have a permit from the fire department which
shall be renewed annually.
(Ord. 91-O-112 § 1, 1991)
(a)
No
automatic communication device shall be programmed to the "911"
emergency line.
(b)
Direct
alarm systems shall not be connected to an emergency response agency
or the fire department except with permission of the emergency response
agency or said department.
(c)
No
person shall lease, maintain, install or use any alarm system which
automatically direct dials the telephone number of the fire department.
(Ord. 91-O-112 § 1, 1991)
(a)
Each
alarm business shall provide accurate and complete instructions to
the alarm system user in the proper use and operation of said system
which is provided to the use by that business or which is monitored
by that business. Specific emphasis shall be placed on the avoidance
of false alarms.
(b)
The
alarm subscriber or user shall maintain the alarm system and equipment
in proper working order at all times.
(c)
When
an alarm system has been activated for an alarm subscriber, the alarm
business or central station shall arrange for a representative to
have the ability to be present at the location of the alarm within
one hour after being requested by the fire department. The user of
an alarm system which is not connected to an alarm business or central
station shall designate a person to be available to respond to the
protected property within one hour after being requested by the fire
department.
(Ord. 91-O-112 § 1, 1991)
In addition to such other fines or penalties established by
law, a false alarm service fee is imposed upon the residential occupants
and/or commercial owner and/or operator of the premises wherein a
false alarm was made and any central station owners and operators
who initiated the fire department's response to such premises.
The board of supervisors of the county of Orange is authorized to
provide by resolution the amount of each fee which shall be charged
to those city residents who incur false alarm charges and/or penalties
and other miscellaneous charges relating to alarm systems and businesses
for services provided by the fire department. Said fees as may be
amended by the county of Orange from time to time, are imposed effective
August 3, 1991. The county of Orange is authorized to administer and
take collection and enforcement action as may be necessary on such
fees, charges and/or penalties.
(Ord. 91-O-112 § 1, 1991)
No person shall intentionally initiate a false alarm except
for purposes of testing an alarm system and then only if made in accordance
with the rules and regulations of the fire department therefor and
after having given the emergency response agency or the fire department
prior notice thereof. Any person who violates this section shall be
guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be also subject to such other penalties
prescribed by law.
(Ord. 91-O-112 § 1, 1991)
It is unlawful for any person to tamper with, render inoperative
or maliciously damage any alarm system maintained for the purpose
of sounding or transmitting alarms excepting alarm systems undergoing
approved maintenance or repairs.
(Ord. 91-O-112 § 1, 1991)
