This chapter, together with any amendments hereinafter enacted
shall be known and may be cited as the “Glendale Alarm Ordinance.”
(Prior code § 19-50)
For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings ascribed to them unless otherwise noted:
means any person employed by an alarm business whose duties
include installing, altering, maintaining, moving, repairing, replacing
or servicing an alarm system.
means any business engaged in the installation, maintenance,
alteration or servicing of alarm systems or which responds to such
alarm systems.
means a method of providing information from the alarm site
to a predesignated monitoring location by means of audio, video, personal
contact, or other type of device approved by the police chief and/or
fire chief, which information shall be used to make a reasonable determination
of the need for a police response prior to notifying the police or
fire divisions of an activated alarm system.
means any device, whether mechanical, electrical or otherwise,
which creates, produces, generates or relays any sound signal or message,
whether audible or not, in order to detect the commission, or attempted
commission, of any crime, fire or medical emergency. Such definition
shall not include any alarm system:
Which is not used or intended to evoke any response from the
police and/or fire divisions and which is intended for use solely
by persons employed by the permittee or owner of the premises where
it is installed or used;
Utilized by commercial telephone or telegraph utilities doing
business and regulated by the public utilities commission;
Installed in, or used in connection with, any motor vehicle.
means any person who or which submits an application for
a permit pursuant to any provision or section of this chapter and/or
on whose behalf such permit is submitted.
means any alarm system which is intended to, or can, be heard
from outside of the building, structure or facility wherein such alarm
system is installed.
means the official identification card approved and issued
by the California Department of Consumer Affairs to any permittee
under this chapter, or to any authorized employee or agent of such
permittee.
means any device, whether mechanical, electrical or other,
capable of being programmed to send prerecorded sound, signal or message
over a telephone line, radio or other communication system and used
as part of, or in connection with, any alarm system.
means the city of Glendale.
means any alarm system connected to the city police and/or
fire division by a leased telephone line having no intermediate station
and terminating at a terminal monitor module at such division.
means any condition which results in, or which could result
in, the response of police, fire or paramedics in authorized emergency
vehicles or any condition which jeopardizes or could jeopardize public
safety and results in or could result in the evacuation of any area,
building, vehicle, or of any other place which any individual may
enter.
means the activation of any alarm system because of malfunction,
mechanical or electrical defect, improper operation or procedure by
any person and no fire, crime or other emergency occurred requiring
an immediate or emergency response by the city police or fire division.
“False alarm” does not include an alarm system activated
as a result of any malfunction of equipment owned or operated by the
telephone company or resulting from the authorized servicing, testing,
maintenance, adjustments, alterations or installations of such alarm
system, provided that the respective permittee or authorized agent
thereof, notifies the police division emergency communications supervisor
prior to commencement of any of the aforesaid activities. “False
alarm” also means a report including any oral or written statement,
made by any person to any agency of the city that an emergency exists,
and who knows, or should know under the existing circumstances, that
such report is false.
means the chief of the city fire division or any person or
persons designated by the fire chief and authorized to administer
the provisions of this chapter.
means a 12 month continuous period commencing the first day
of July and ending the following thirtieth day of June.
means any alarm system other than a direct alarm as defined
in this section, including any audible alarm, direct dial answering
relay service or commercial telephone line.
means written notice of any act, event, decision, change,
addition, deletion or modification as required or permitted pursuant
to the provisions of this chapter, given, served upon or mailed to
any applicant or permittee or to any authorized employee or agent
thereof.
Any notice personally served shall be effective at the time
of such service.
Any notice mailed shall be effective on the third day thereafter
provided such notice was deposited in the United States mail, postage
prepaid and addressed to the party to be notified as set forth on
the party’s last application or, if there be no such application,
the last known address for such party.
means any person who, or which, has been granted a permit
pursuant to any provision of this chapter to install or maintain an
alarm system in or on any building, structure, facility, trailer or
upon any property or land which is owned, leased or rented by the
applicant or any subscriber.
means and includes, but is not limited to, a natural person,
corporation, partnership, firm, association or other business.
means the chief of the city police division or any person
or persons designated by the police chief, and authorized to administer
the provisions of this chapter.
means any telephone line installed for the city police and/or
fire division and to which is assigned a telephone number that is
published in the directory of the public making and/or authorizing
such installation and which is designed for general public use.
means all written documents, diagrams, schematics, applications
or other written material submitted pursuant to, and in compliance
with, any provision of this chapter.
means any alarm system, or portion thereof, which is designed
to alert any person not present on the premises where such alarm system
is installed.
The police department shall be deemed as being on “special
assignment” when:
A police or fire response occurs as a result of a fifth and/or
subsequent false alarm from an alarm system at the same address or
location within the same fiscal year;
A police or fire response occurs as a result of a false alarm
to a location for which no permit has been issued or if issued, the
permit has expired, or has been suspended or revoked.
means any person entitled or eligible by the provisions of
this chapter to install and maintain an alarm system.
means a device installed at the city police and/or fire division
communications center to which direct alarms are connected by means
of a leased telephone line.
means any device which is intended to emit a lighted signal,
beacon or message to visually alert any person, or persons, of a fire,
crime, emergency, or other threat to personal or public safety within
or about any building, structure or facility.
(Prior code §§ 19-51, 19-51.1—19-51.10,
19-51.10.5, 19-51.11—19-51.25)
All alarm systems and equipment required by, or installed pursuant
to this chapter shall meet standards acceptable to the police chief
and/or the fire chief in accordance with the standards and practices
set forth within this section or hereafter promulgated. In determining
the acceptability of installations or procedures, equipment or materials,
the police chief or fire chief may base acceptance on compliance with
National Fire Protection Association or other appropriate standards.
In the absence of such standards, the police chief and/or fire chief
may require evidence of proper installation, procedure or use. The
police chief or fire chief may also refer to the listings or labelings
practices of nationally recognized testing laboratories, inspections
agency or other organizations concerned with product evaluations which
are in a position to determine compliance with appropriate standards
for the current production of listed items, and the satisfactory performance
of such equipment or materials in actual usage.
(Prior code § 19-69)
A.
All
audible alarm systems, excluding fire alarms that emit sound to indicate
the functioning of an automatic fire sprinkler system, shall include
a device that will limit the generation of the audible sound of the
system to not longer than fifteen minutes after activation when the
alarm system is protecting a residential structure, and not longer
than thirty minutes when the alarm system is protecting a commercial
or industrial structure.
B.
All audible alarm systems referred to in subsection A of this section shall include an automatic resetting device which shall cause the system to be rearmed upon automatic reset.
C.
Any
audible alarm system which does not automatically reset and/or rearm
itself as provided in this section, and which generates an audible
sound in excess of the time limitations prescribed in this chapter,
is declared to be a public nuisance and may be summarily abated by
the police or fire chief. Such summary abatement shall not be a bar
to any other remedy provided in this chapter, or at law, including
but not limited to revocation and/or suspension of any permit issued
for such alarm or alarm system and/or criminal prosecution.
(Prior code § 19-70)
The police chief and/or fire chief shall have the right to inspect
any alarm system, whether direct or indirect, including any telephone
device or connection, on the premises where it is intended to function
prior to issuance of any permit for its operation and may cause an
inspection of such system or systems to be made at any time after
issuance of a permit to determine whether they are being used in conformity
with the terms of the permit and provisions of this chapter.
(Prior code § 19-71)
A.
There
shall be a service charge, which may be set forth by resolution, assessed
against the following persons and under the following circumstances:
1.
Against
the permittee when a police or fire response occurs as a result of
a third false alarm from an alarm system at the same address or location
within the same fiscal year;
2.
Against
the permittee when a police or fire response occurs as a result of
a fourth false alarm from an alarm system at the same address or location
within the same fiscal year;
3.
Against
the permittee when a police or fire response occurs as a result of
a fifth and/or subsequent false alarm from an alarm system at the
same address or location within the same fiscal year;
4.
Against
any person owning, maintaining or using an alarm system when such
system is the source or cause of any false alarm resulting in a police
or fire response and no permit has been issued for such alarm system
or, if issued, has expired or been suspended or revoked.
B.
There
may be a service charge assessed against any person who intentionally,
or in violation of the law, reports or causes to be reported, a false
alarm to any agency of the city. The service charge will be based
on the costs incurred by the city agency as a result of the emergency
response. The service charge shall constitute a debt of that person
and is collectible by the city in the same manner as in the case of
any obligation under contract, expressed or implied.
(Prior code § 19-72)
A.
The costs incurred by personnel utilized while on special assignment shall be assessed against the permittee, according to a fee schedule which may be set forth by resolution. This special assignment assessment shall include personnel and equipment costs expended during a police response while on special assignment, as defined in Section 8.12.020
(Prior code § 19-72.1)
A.
It is
unlawful for any person to install or use any alarm system which,
upon activation, emits a sound similar to sirens in use on emergency
vehicles or for civil defense purposes. Any such alarm is declared
to be a public nuisance and may be summarily abated by the police
chief or fire chief of the city.
B.
It is
unlawful for any person to use, or permit or cause to be used, any
telephone device or telephone attachment that automatically selects
a primary trunk line and then reproduces any prerecorded message to
report any crime, fire or medical emergency.
C.
It is
unlawful for any person to fail or refuse to permit an inspection
provided for in this chapter when requested to do so by any member
or representative from the city police or fire division.
D.
It is
unlawful for any person to provide, install or maintain at any location
or site within the city any alarm system without first having obtained
a license in connection therewith as required by the Department of
Consumer Affairs or other state or federal agency.
E.
Notwithstanding
any other provision of law, the police or fire chief may designate
one or more telephone numbers for receiving approved prerecorded emergency
messages.
(Prior code § 19-73)
A.
It is
unlawful to assign or transfer, or to attempt to assign or transfer,
any permit issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
B.
Any
such assignment or transfer shall be null and void and of no legal
effect for any purpose whatsoever.
(Prior code § 19-74)
A.
The
police chief and/or fire chief are authorized and empowered to adopt,
modify, amend or delete from time to time such rules and regulations
as are necessary to fulfill and further the purposes and intent of
this chapter. Such rules and regulations shall become effective upon
approval by the city council by ordinance, resolution or motion, and
thereafter shall have the full force and effect of law.
B.
Such
rules and regulations shall be in writing and shall be given to the
permittee at the time of first issuance of a permit. Any subsequent
changes or modifications in such rules and regulations shall be given
upon renewal of said permit or upon request of the permittee, whichever
shall occur first.
C.
A copy
of all current rules and regulations promulgated under this section
shall be kept on file in the police division and made available for
public inspection upon request.
(Prior code § 19-75)
A.
Any records required by, or submitted pursuant to, this chapter shall be deemed to be confidential in nature, and neither the records nor the contents thereof shall be provided for, or disclosed to, any person except the applicant/permittee, his/her duly authorized representative, or as provided in subsection B of this section.
B.
Nothing in subsection A of this section, or otherwise in this chapter, shall be construed to prevent disclosure of such records or their contents to duly authorized city officials, employees or other persons reasonably necessary to implement or administer the provisions of this chapter, or to prevent compliance with any applicable municipal, county, state or federal records disclosure law.
C.
All
records submitted pursuant to this chapter shall be maintained by
the police chief and shall be kept in the police division unless returned
to the applicant or permittee. Such records may be destroyed in any
manner provided by law.
(Prior code § 19-76)
The conviction or punishment of any person for violation of
the provisions of this chapter or for failing to secure a permit as
required by this chapter shall not relieve such person from paying
any permit fee, service charge, or special assignment assessment due
and unpaid at the time of such conviction, nor shall the payment of
any permit fee, service charge, or special assignment assessment prevent
criminal prosecution for the violation of any of the provisions of
this chapter. All remedies shall be cumulative, and the use of one
or more remedies by the city shall not bar the use of any other remedy
for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this chapter. The amount
of any permit fee, service charge or special assignment assessment
shall be deemed a debt to the city. An action may be commenced in
the name of the city in any court of competent jurisdiction for the
amount of any delinquent permit fee. All permit fees shall be deemed
delinquent 30 days after expiration of the permit.
(Prior code § 19-77)
All permits issued by the police chief and/or fire chief for
alarm systems which are current and valid on the date the ordinance
codified in this chapter takes effect shall continue to be valid until
the expiration date shown on such permit, after which such permittee
shall comply with the provisions of this chapter.
(Prior code § 19-78)
B.
To reflect
cost-of-living changes and to ensure that changing economic conditions
do not impair the real value of the fees and charges under this chapter,
on July 1st of each year, the chief of police shall:
1.
Review
each fee and each charge; and
2.
Adjust
the fee, or the charge, or both:
a.
Upward or downward by the same percentage increase or decrease occurring
during the previous 12 months, in the Consumer Price Index for All
Urban Consumers (“CPI-U”) for the Los Angeles-Orange County-Riverside
Metropolitan Area (published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.
Department of Labor), or applying a similar index if the CPI-U is
not published or available, and
b.
To the nearest one dollar ($1.00).
C.
In addition to adjusting the fees and charges for the cost-of-living changes annually under subsection B of this section, the chief of police, at any time, shall recommend, with the city manager’s approval, that the city council revise the fees and charges when a change in either the administration of the emergency alarm permits or the cost of police response makes the revision appropriate.
D.
The
chief of police may prepare, adopt, amend, and enforce rules, regulations,
or procedures for calculating, collecting, paying, and administering
the fees and charges under this chapter.
E.
A copy
of the resolution establishing the current fees and charges under
this chapter will remain on file, and will be available for inspection,
in the police department.
(Ord. 5583 § 1, 2007)
When a person fails, neglects, or refuses to pay or remit the
fees and charges authorized by this chapter, or when a person otherwise
pays that fee but later cancels or stops payment on it, and in either
situation that fee’s payment, collection, or remittance is lawfully
due or owing, the entire amount of the unpaid, uncollected, or non-remitted
emergency alarm fee constitutes a debt to the city by that person
from whom the city may recover in a civil action.
(Ord. 5583 § 2, 2007)
