[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Rice Lake as Title 5, Chapter 4 of the Code of Ordinances. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Peace and good order — See Ch. 177.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ALARM SYSTEM
Any device designed for detection of an unauthorized entry on premises and/or for alerting others of commission of an unlawful act or for detection of a fire. When actuated, it gives a signal, visual and audible, or transmits a signal. Facilities, circuits or equipment utilized by a telephone utility regulated by the State Public Service Commission shall not be included.
FALSE ALARM
A signal from an alarm system, a telephone call to or other contact with the Fire or Police Department resulting in response by the Department when an emergency situation does not exist.
A. 
Permit required. There shall be a permit for each alarm system on premises within the city on June 28, 1977, or installed thereafter.
B. 
Permit fee. A permit fee as set forth in the fee schedule adopted as part of the annual budget document shall be paid when filing an application for a permit.
C. 
Time to acquire. For alarm systems on the premises in the city on June 28, 1977, a permit shall be obtained within 90 days. For any alarm system installed after June 28, 1977, a permit shall be received before the system is installed.
D. 
Interior alarms. A permit under this chapter is not required for an alarm system which gives a signal, visual or audible or both, solely within the interior of the building in which it is located.
A. 
Issuing authority. The issuing authority shall be the Chief of Police.
B. 
Application. Application for the permit required under this chapter shall be filed with the Chief of Police. The Chief of Police shall prescribe the form of the application and request such information as is necessary to evaluate and act upon the permit application. The Chief of Police shall deny a permit if the alarm system for which it is sought does not comply with this chapter.
C. 
Appeal. Any person required by this chapter to have a permit who has been denied such a permit by the Chief of Police shall have a right to appeal that decision to the Council. The procedure for this appeal shall be as set forth in § 66-6.
Alarm systems installed within the city shall have a Class A type signal from the premises upon which the alarm system is installed, which Class A system shall provide for telephone line supervision.
No person owning or using an alarm system shall cause or permit giving a false alarm, whether intentional or accidental.
A. 
Hearing. Before a permit issued pursuant to this chapter may be revoked, a hearing shall be held before the Chief of Police. Notice setting forth the time, place and nature of the hearing shall be sent by mail or delivered to the permittee at the address shown on the permit application not less than seven days prior to the hearing.
B. 
Grounds for revocation. The Chief of Police may revoke a permit on the following grounds:
(1) 
The application for a permit contains a false statement of a material fact.
(2) 
A licensee has repeatedly failed to comply with the provisions of this chapter.
(3) 
An alarm system repeatedly actuates false alarms.
C. 
Appeals. Any permittee may appeal the decision of the Chief of Police by filing a written notice of appeal with the City Clerk-Treasurer within 10 days after the decision. Such appeal shall be heard by the Common Council within 30 days after filing the appeal. The Common Council may affirm, amend or reverse the decision or take other action deemed appropriate. An appeal timely taken suspends the revocation until the Council gives its decision. The City Clerk-Treasurer shall give written notice of the time and place of the hearing to the appellant by certified mail or personal delivery not less than seven days before the hearing. In conducting the hearing, the Council shall not be limited by the technical rules of evidence.
[Amended 5-10-1994 by Ord. No. 774]
A. 
Certain alarm systems include a dialer so that when the system is actuated the dialer automatically dials the police station using the regular telephone lines and repeatedly giving its recorded message.
B. 
Automatic dialers. No person shall use or cause to be used any telephone, electronic device or attachment that automatically selects a public telephone trunk line of the Police Department, Fire Department or any other department, bureau, office, officer or employee of the city and then reproduces a prerecorded message to report a burglary, fire or other emergency unless such device or attachment is approved by the Common Council.
A. 
Any person who shall violate any section of this chapter shall be subject to a penalty as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, § 1-20, General penalty.
B. 
When any premises located in the city is owned, leased or occupied by two or more persons as joint tenants, tenants in common, joint lessees or in any other manner, each person shall see that the provisions of this chapter are complied with, and each person may be subjected to a penalty on violation of this chapter.
C. 
In addition to a forfeiture, any person using a private alarm system whose false alarm requires a response to the premises by city personnel shall be charged for the men and equipment used to answer the false alarm as determined by the cost estimate as set by the Department. Nonpayment of the charge will result in the cost being placed on the tax roll.