§ 19-183. Definitions.

The following words, terms, and phrases, when used in this article, have the following meanings, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning.

Alarm business means the business of selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving, monitoring, or installing any alarm system or causing to be sold, leased, maintained, serviced, repaired, altered, replaced, moved or installed any alarm system.

Alarm coordinator means the individual designated by the police chief to administer the provisions of this article.

Alarm dispatch request means a notification to the police communications center or to the fire department that an alarm, either manual or automatic, has been activated at a particular location.

Alarm signal means a detectable signal, audible, visual or both, generated by an alarm system indicating an illegal entry or other activity to which police or fire personnel are expected to respond to on an emergency basis. It does not include a local alarm system.

Alarm system means any assembly of equipment, mechanical or electrical, arranged to signal the occurrence of an illegal entry or other activity requiring the urgent attention and to which police or fire personnel are expected to respond.

Alarm user means any person who owns, controls, or occupies premises where an operating alarm system is located.

Answering service means a telephone answering business providing among its services the service of receiving on a continuous basis, through trained employees, emergency signals from alarm systems and thereafter immediately relaying the message by live voice to the police communication center or the fire department.

Central station means a location where operators are in attendance at all times to monitor alarm systems, record alarm signals, and to submit alarm dispatch request to the police communications center or to the fire department.

Central station protective system means a system or group of systems in which the operations of alarm systems are transmitted to, recorded in, maintained and supervised from a central station having operators in attendance at all times.

False alarm means an alarm signal eliciting an urgent response by police or fire personnel when a situation requiring an urgent response does not in fact exist.

(1)

A false alarm includes:

a.

Negligently or accidentally activated signals;

b.

Signals that are the result of mechanical or electronic failure, malfunction, improper installation, improper adjustment, or improper maintenance; and

c.

Signals that are purposely activated in a nonemergency situation, except for testing.

(2)

False alarm does not include signals activated by:

a.

Unusually severe weather conditions;

b.

Vandalism causing physical damage to the premises;

c.

Telephone line outage;

d.

Attempted entry of a location causing visible, physical or other evidence of damage to the location;

e.

The test of an alarm system by a licensed alarm business agent who is servicing, repairing or installing the alarm when such testing does not result in the alarm being activated for an uninterrupted period exceeding 60 seconds; or

f.

Other extraordinary circumstances not reasonably subject to control by the alarm business or alarm user.

(3)

For purposes of this article, multiple incidents that are classified as false alarms and occur on the same calendar day shall constitute one false alarm.

Fire chief means the chief of the fire department of the city or his designated representative.

Fire department means the city fire department.

Local alarm system means an alarm system that causes an audible or visual signaling device to be activated only on the premises where the system is installed or on a motor vehicle and which is intended to be heard or seen by others outside of the protected premises or vehicle.

Notice means written notice given by United States mail, postage prepaid.

Police chief means the chief of police of the city or his designated representative.

Police communication center means the city police department communication center.

Police department means the city police department.

Radio room alarm means an alarm system monitored by the police communications center or by the fire department that, once activated, requires the police or fire dispatcher to send police or fire personnel to the location to determine the need for police or fire department assistance.

(Code 1988, § 19-462; Ord. No. 65971, § 2, 12-22-1994; Ord. No. 66176, § 1, 12-5-1996)

Cross reference

Definitions generally, § 1-2.