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)
For the purpose of this chapter the words set out in this section shall have the following meanings:
"Alarm"
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.
"Alarm business"
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.
"Alarm subscriber"
means any person who purchases, leases, contracts for, or otherwise obtains an alarm system or the servicing or maintenance of an alarm system.
"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.
"Automatic communication device"
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.
"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.
"Direct alarm systems"
means alarms systems electrically or otherwise connected directly to the emergency response agency from the protected premises.
"False alarm"
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.
"Fire department"
means the Orange County Fire Department. "Fire department" includes and also means the emergency response agency.
"Person"
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)