As used in this chapter:
"Alarm system"
shall mean any assembly of equipment, mechanical or electrical,
arranged to signal the occurrence of an illegal entry, fire, or other
activity requiring urgent attention and to which public safety officers
are expected to respond.
"Alarm user"
shall mean a person, firm, partnership, association, corporation,
company, or organization of any kind in control of any building, structure,
or facility wherein an alarm system is maintained.
"False alarm"
shall mean an alarm signal, eliciting a response by public
safety officers when a situation requiring a response by the public
safety officers does not in fact exist, but does not include an alarm
signal caused by violent conditions of nature or extraordinary circumstances
not reasonably subject to control by the alarm business operator or
alarm user.
"Public safety officer"
shall mean a member of the Fire or Police Department, employed
by or volunteers for the City.
(Ord. 1180-A § 2, 2013)
A. Signals
from an alarm system that are false are a nuisance.
B. Beginning
with the third false alarm in any 12-month period, the City shall
impose fees set by resolution for each false alarm.
C. Any
alarm user delinquent in payment of false alarm fees in excess of
60 days shall have the account submitted to collections and an additional
fee of 50% of the total will be applied to the account.
(Ord. 1180-A § 3, 2013; Ord. 1256 § 1, 2022)
Whenever an alarm user or alarm system salesperson deems it
necessary to test or otherwise intentionally set off or activate an
alarm system, he or she shall notify the Police Department or Fire
Department of the test or otherwise intentional activation of an alarm
prior to actual testing being conducted. The Police Department should
be notified if the activation is a security alarm and the Fire Department
should be notified if the activation is a fire alarm. Failure to do
so shall result in that user being considered as having a false alarm.
(Ord. 1180-A § 4, 2013)
It is unlawful for any person to program an automatic dialing
device to call a 911 line, the Warrenton Police Station, or the Warrenton
Fire Station.
(Ord. 1180-A § 5, 2013)
At such times as an alarm user or alarm system salesperson disagrees
with determinations relating to the designation of a "false alarm,"
he or she may appeal in writing to the City Manager and shall receive
a determination. He or she may then appeal in writing and request
a hearing before the City Commission. The decision of the City Commission
will be final.
(Ord. 1180-A § 6, 2013)