[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Board of
the Village of Elm Grove 2-13-1984; amended in its entirety 8-14-2000, effective 1-1-2001. Subsequent amendments noted
where applicable.]
The intent of this chapter is to regulate alarm
systems as defined in this chapter in the Village of Elm Grove and
to prevent carelessness, improper maintenance or any other cause which
results in false police and/or fire and/or emergency medical services
(EMS) alarms from privately owned, commercially owned, leased or contracted
alarm systems. Such false alarms initiate police, EMS and/or fire
personnel and apparatus responses which result in unnecessary expenses
to the village, increase the risk of damage to property or injury
to persons and dilute the level of police and fire protection available
to other areas of the village.
As used in this chapter the following words
will have the meanings indicated:
A permit which must be applied for by any person having control
over any property within the Village of Elm Grove at which there is
installed any alarm system. A new permit must be applied for whenever
such system is upgraded or modified in any way with respect to its
operation.
An intrusion, fire, burglar, robbery, elevator, or medical
emergency alarm system that is designed or utilized to summon a single
or combined response by the Elm Grove emergency medical services,
Police or Fire Department.
[Amended 12-18-2007]
Any party having an interest in or property at the premises where an alarm system is installed and who submits the data required by § 91-3 for an alarm permit.
One or all of the following: Fire or Police Department or
emergency medical services of the Village of Elm Grove.
A signal from an alarm system resulting in a response by
one or more of the Elm Grove Police or Fire Department or emergency
medical services when an emergency situation does not exist, regardless
of the manner in which the village is alerted to respond.
A.Â
Any person having control over any property within the Village of Elm Grove at which there is installed or exists any alarm system shall make an application for an alarm permit as required by the definition of "alarm permit" in § 91-2 by providing information as follows. Such permit shall be issued by the Village Clerk.
(1)Â
Name, address and telephone number of party who can
be contacted in the event of an emergency or false alarm and who is
available upon request of the village within 1/2 hour to provide a
key to the premises for which an alarm has been activated for the
purposes of inspecting such premises or resetting such alarm system.
(2)Â
Identification of party installing the alarm system.
(3)Â
Identification of person or firm that can be contacted
by the village to report any apparent malfunction in the alarm system.
(4)Â
Any other information deemed necessary by the Village
Police or Fire Chief for the purpose of providing an appropriate response.
B.Â
No information required for an application for alarm
permits shall be deemed public information under § 19.31,
Wis. Stats., and instead constitutes information whose disclosure
would result in a compromise of public safety which is not outweighed
by the benefit to the public in disclosure of the same. All information
so required shall be maintained in a secured manner by village personnel
upon receipt from the Village Clerk.
C.Â
There shall be no fee for any application for alarm
permit made.
D.Â
Each alarm permit application shall provide notice
to the applicant that the Village of Elm Grove warrants no higher
standard of care in providing any police or fire protection or emergency
medical services than is available to persons not having such alarm
system.
A.Â
Audible alarms. No person, firm or corporation shall
use or install an alarm system which upon activation shall emit an
audible outside alarm unless such system shall automatically shut
off within five minutes after being activated.
B.Â
Automatically activated phone dialer. No person or
entity shall use, or cause to be used, any telephone or electronic
device or attachment that automatically selects either the 911 or
other telephone line of the Police Department, Fire Department or
any other department of the Village of Elm Grove and then utilizes
a prerecorded message to report the burglary, fire or other emergency.
C.Â
Non-UL-approved alarms. Any alarm system or major components thereof that are not approved by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) shall not be installed within the Village of Elm Grove after the effective date of this chapter. No application for an alarm permit shall by issued under § 91-3 for any non-UL-approved alarm system.
[Amended 7-26-2005; 12-18-2007]
A.Â
Each false alarm that results in the emergency dispatch
of any Fire Department personnel, Police Department personnel, or
emergency medical services personnel shall be charged a fee per the
Village of Elm Grove Fee Schedule, as amended from time to time by
the Village Board of Trustees. If the possessor of the alarm can show
to the satisfaction of the Police Chief that the false alarm was not
the result of negligence, or improper maintenance, such fee may be
waived.
[Amended 2-24-2009]
C.Â
Installation of an alarm system without obtaining
a permit shall be punishable according to the fee schedule for alarm
violations. A separate offense shall be deemed committed each six-month
period which elapses without the procurement of a permit.
D.Â
This section shall not be applicable to any publicly
owned structure within the Village.
