[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Board of
the Village of Pleasant Prairie 8-5-1991 (§ 9.18 of the 1988 Code).
Amendments noted where applicable.]
It is the intent of this chapter that the safety
and welfare of the public be promoted by efficient use of alarm systems
requiring the response of law enforcement or fire personnel. It is
hereby recognized that well-maintained alarm systems aid in the detection
of crime and other emergency situations. It is also recognized that
negligently maintained alarm systems cause an undue burden on law
enforcement and fire protection and create dangers to members of the
responding agency and the public. It is the purpose of this chapter
to establish regulations relating to the installation, use and termination
of such alarms and to establish a Safety Building Central Alarm System,
located in the Pleasant Prairie Safety Building, under the jurisdiction
of the Village of Pleasant Prairie, to monitor alarms.
This chapter shall be liberally construed to
give effect to its purpose. It is intended that this chapter be interpreted
to be consistent with applicable state and federal law.
In this chapter, the following words shall have
the following meanings:
Any mechanical or electrical device which, upon being activated
by a criminal act, fire, emergency, or any other reason, transmits
a signal to the Safety Building Central Alarm System or to a central
alarm system to elicit a response from law enforcement personnel or
Fire Department personnel or which produces an audible or visual signal
to notify members of the public within range of such signal of a need
for help.
Any electric or mechanical unit which has the capability
of automatically dialing any telephone number programmed into it.
Once the call has been answered, an automatic dialer may have the
capability to deliver a prerecorded message or signal or connect the
call to a live person.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. II)]
A signal from an alarm resulting in response
by Fire Department personnel when an emergency or a crime did not
exist at the location of the alarm.
A signal from an alarm resulting in response
by law enforcement personnel when an emergency or a crime did not
exist at the location of the alarm.
"False alarm" does not include such a signal
caused solely by a malfunction of equipment, unless said malfunction
is due, in whole or in part, to failure of the owner or operator to
maintain or arrange maintenance of said equipment according to the
requirements of this chapter.
Members of Village of Pleasant Prairie Fire & Rescue
Department.
Members of the Village of Pleasant Prairie Police Department.
Any person, association, corporation, institution or organization
who or which has a hookup to the Safety Building Central Alarm System
or any other alarm system.
Any individual, association, corporation, institution or
organization.
The Pleasant Prairie Police Department and Pleasant Prairie
Fire & Rescue Department.
A.Â
A central alarm system shall be maintained in the
Pleasant Prairie Safety Building at such location as the Police Chief
shall designate.
B.Â
The Village Board and responding agencies shall determine
who shall be allowed an alarm connection or connections to the Safety
Building Central Alarm System, and the total number of connections
to be made, according to written policies developed by the Village
Board and the responding agencies. Said policies may be changed from
time to time as deemed advisable by the Village Board. The Village
Board and responding agencies may consider, along with other factors,
state or federal laws or local regulations which require certain persons
to connect.
C.Â
Persons desiring to have an alarm system connection
to the Safety Building Central Alarm System shall file an application
with the Village Board. The Village Board shall forward copies of
the application to the responding agency for approval of the application.
Written notice of the decision of the responding agency shall be returned
to the Village Board within 10 working days. Written notice of the
decision of the responding agency and Village Board on an application
shall be mailed to the applicant at the address given on the application
within 30 days of the date of such application. No person shall connect
to the Safety Building Central Alarm System without receiving prior
written approval from the Village Board and responding agencies.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. II)]
D.Â
All approvals by the Village Board and responding
agencies for connection of alarm systems shall be subject to the following
conditions:
(1)Â
The applicant shall use only alarm equipment that
meets minimum alarm device standards of Underwriters' Laboratories,
Inc., and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and which
shall be compatible with the Safety Building Central Alarm System
equipment.
(2)Â
All installation costs associated with connection
to the Safety Building Central Alarm System shall be borne by the
applicant.
(3)Â
All costs associated with disconnection or termination
of service shall be borne by the applicant, whether such disconnection
or termination is required by the Village Board or the responding
agency or by choice of the owner. Such costs include the costs of
termination and reconnection in the event the Safety Building Central
Alarm System is relocated.
(4)Â
The applicant shall cause the alarm system to be periodically
inspected and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations
and the requirements of the Village Board. The Village Board reserves
the right to inspect the applicant's equipment at any time for any
reason related to the efficient operation of the alarm system. Failure
to allow inspection shall be cause for immediate removal.
(5)Â
The applicant shall sign an agreement holding the
Village of Pleasant Prairie, its agents and employees, the Village
Board and responding agencies harmless for any and all damages or
losses resulting directly or indirectly from an alarm connection with
the Safety Building Central Alarm System.
(6)Â
The applicant shall pay a reasonable monitoring fee
as set by the Village Board.
A.Â
Any person who maintains an audible or visual alarm
shall use and install only alarm equipment which meets minimum alarm
device standards of Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc., and the National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and shall regularly test, inspect,
and maintain such equipment in accordance with the manufacturer's
recommendations in ensuring that such equipment is in proper operating
condition.
B.Â
No person shall sell, install or use an alarm which
upon activation emits a sound the same or similar to civil defense
sirens or emergency vehicle sirens.
C.Â
No audible residential alarms shall be permitted.
Private alarm companies, including persons engaged
in the business of monitoring burglary alarm systems, shall be responsible
for the monitoring, maintenance and use of private central alarm stations.
Any such company shall staff its central office during all hours said
company operates and shall dispatch a company representative to the
location of any alarm in its system immediately upon oral request
of Pleasant Prairie police or the responding agency's dispatch. Private
alarm companies shall provide the Pleasant Prairie Police Department
or Pleasant Prairie Fire & Rescue Department or the responding
agency's dispatch with a telephone number at which a company representative
can be contacted at any time. When reporting an alarm to the Safety
Building, a caller from such company shall first identify the private
alarm company and the name of the caller.
No person shall intentionally cause the activation
of an alarm device if such person knows that no crime or emergency
exists which requires law enforcement personnel or Fire Department
personnel to respond to such alarm.
A.Â
Persons with alarm systems intended to elicit a response
from law enforcement personnel or Fire Department personnel shall
pay to the Village Board a charge for false alarms responded to by
such personnel according to the schedule set forth in the Village
Fee Schedule for each calendar year, for each connection to the Safety
Building Central Alarm System.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. II)]
B.Â
Where persons employ the services of a private alarm
company, said company shall be responsible for payment to the responding
agencies of the above-listed charges for false alarms responded to
by law enforcement personnel or Fire Department personnel.
C.Â
Each business, residence or other premises to which
law enforcement personnel or Fire Department personnel are dispatched
or arrive shall be considered a separate occurrence for purposes of
determining the number of false alarms.
The Village Board and responding agencies may,
on 30 days' notice to the owner, require the disconnection, at the
owner's expense, of any alarm system for any reason reasonably related
to the intent and purpose of this chapter, including but not limited
to failure to pay monitoring fees, repeated false alarms, repeated
malfunctions of equipment, or failure to pay false alarm fees.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. II)]
Prerecorded automatic dialer messages to the
Pleasant Prairie Safety Building are not permitted.
Any person found guilty of a violation of any
of the provisions of this chapter shall forfeit not less than $50
nor more than $500 for each such offence and, in default of payment
thereof, shall be imprisoned in the Kenosha County Jail for a period
of not more than 30 days.
Any person, association or corporation aggrieved by any decision of the Village Board or the responding agency under the terms of this chapter may appeal in writing to the Village Board, in care of the Village Clerk, within 10 days of receipt of notice of the reason such party believes it is aggrieved. All written notices provided by the Village Board and responding agencies pursuant to this chapter will be presumed to be received within four days of the date of mailing. The appropriate committee shall hear such grievance within 30 days of the date such grievance is filed with the Village Clerk. The procedures found in Ch. 68, Wis. Stats., shall govern such appeal.
