(Legislative History: Ordinance No. 85-026, 8/19/85; Ordinance No. 94-023, 10/3/94 (Sections 4-6-325, 4-6-335))
It shall be unlawful to buy, sell, install, or operate within the City of San Leandro an audible alarm system which upon activating emits a sound similar to sirens in use on emergency vehicles or for civil defense purposes. For the purpose of this section, any electronic sounding device that produces a variable pitch tone shall be considered similar to an emergency vehicle siren. This section shall not apply to sirens mounted inside a building which cannot be heard from outside of the building.
It shall be unlawful to operate an audible alarm system which does not silence within a maximum time of 15 minutes from the time of activation. If the alarm system has an automatic cutoff with a rearming phase, the rearming phase must be capable of distinguishing between an open and closed circuit, and if the circuit is broken, the system shall not rearm.
Each alarm business and alarm agent shall provide accurate and complete written instruction to the alarm system user in the proper use and operation of said system including but not limited to the avoidance of false alarms. All businesses which sell alarm systems, but which are not "alarm businesses" or "alarm agents" as defined in this Chapter are similarly responsible for instructing the buyer of the alarm system in the proper use of said system.
Every audible alarm system shall have a sign or notice posted on or near the audible device with the name and telephone number of the person or company responsible for the maintenance of the system. The notice shall be posted in such a position as to be readable from the ground level outside and adjacent to the building.
Upon notification by the San Leandro Police Department, the person or company named in the notice required by Section 4-6-315 of this Chapter or the representative of such person or company shall promptly proceed within at least 30 minutes to the scene of the alarm and render necessary service. This service shall include, when necessary, the opening of the premises so that the origin of the alarm may be determined and appropriate action may be taken.
The provisions prescribed in this section shall apply to all monitored alarm systems whether operated as a silent alarm, audible alarm or a combination of both.
(a) 
Alarm systems terminating in the communication center or the San Leandro Police Department shall be restricted to banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions, and similar organizations, except that alarm users who are considered subject to high risk of crime by the Police Department, in its sole discretion, may receive approval for such alarms.
(b) 
It shall be unlawful to buy, sell, install or operate any alarm system which, when activated, causes an alarm to be sent directly to the San Leandro Police Department by an automatic dialing system.
(c) 
It shall be unlawful for anyone to advertise, sell or install an automatic dialing system with the intent or instructions that said system may be utilized or operated to directly call the San Leandro Police Department.
(d) 
Any alarm business or alarm agent which operates a monitored alarm, shall, if notified by the San Leandro Police Department, provide a representative of the alarm user to respond within 30 minutes to the scene of the alarm and render necessary service. This service shall include opening the premises in order that the origin of the alarm may be determined and appropriate action may be taken.
(e) 
When the alarm business operating a monitored alarm system notifies the San Leandro Police Department's communication center of an alarm, the following information shall be provided:
(1) 
The exact location of the area covered by the alarm and the name of the business and the exact building or suite number of the business if located in a multiple unit structure;
(2) 
The name and estimated time of arrival of an agent representing the business or residence who has access to the building and knowledge of the operation of the alarm system as required in Section 4-6-320;
(3) 
The name or serial number of the alarm dispatch operator who calls in the alarm to the Police Department.
All alarm systems shall have a standby backup power supply which will automatically assume the operation of the alarm system should any interruption occur in power to the system. The transfer of power from the primary source to the backup source must occur in a manner which does not activate the alarm.