The following terms are defined for use in this chapter:
1. “Alarm” or “alarm system” means any mechanical or electrical device that is used to detect an unauthorized entry into a building or other facility, or to alert other persons of the occurrence of a commission of an unlawful act against a person or within a building or other facility, and that may be designed to emit an audible alarm or transmit a signal or message when activated.
A. Alarms or alarm systems include but are not limited to silent, panic, holdup, robbery, duress, burglary, check welfare, and proprietor alarms.
B. Alarms or alarm systems do not include telephone call diverters and systems that are designed to report environmental and other occurrences and that are not designed to alert, or cause other persons to alert, public safety personnel.
C. Alarms or alarm systems do not include alarms installed in a vehicle unless said vehicle is permanently located at the alarm site.
2. “Alarm administrator” means the designated representative appointed by the Police Chief whose duties shall be to promulgate rules and regulations for the implementation of the terms and conditions of this chapter related to alarms. The alarm administrator will administer, control and review alarm applications, permits, alarm forms, alarm dispatch requests, and will be part of the Alarm Review Board.
3. “Alarm business” means the business, by an individual, partnership, corporation or other authorized designated agents registered and licensed to sell, lease, maintain, monitor, service, repair, alter, replace, move, or install any alarm system in or on any building, structure, or facility in the City.
4. “Alarm business agent or employee” means any person who is employed by an alarm business responsible for selling, leasing, maintaining, monitoring, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving, installing any alarm system in or on any building, structure, or facility in the City.
5. “Alarm dispatch request” means a notification to the police by the alarm business that an alarm, either manual or automatic, has been activated at a particular alarm site.
6. “Alarm form” means a form designated by the alarm administrator for recording false alarms. Said form shall record the following information, but not be limited to only these questions:
A. Identification of the permit number for the alarm site.
B. Identification of the alarm site.
C. Arrival time at the alarm site and dispatched received time.
D. Date and time, weather conditions.
E. Area and/or or sub area involved.
F. Name of contact person on premises.
G. Identification of the responsible alarm business.
H. Indications that the alarm was caused by a criminal offense, an attempted criminal offense, or if it was a false alarm dispatch.
7. “Alarm permit” means a document issued by the alarm administrator allowing an alarm business and/or user to place an alarm in service or maintain an existing alarm at the specified alarm site. A permit is valid for one year from date of issue.
8. “Alarm site” means any building or structure or portion thereof protected by an alarm system. In the case of two or more buildings or structures or portions thereof on the same property under the same ownership protected by alarm systems that are not connected to a single control system, each building or structure or portion thereof shall be deemed to be separate and distinct alarm sites.
9. “Alarm user” or “user” means any person who leases, rents, or purchases any monitored alarm system, device, or service from an alarm business or who leases, rents, or purchases an audible alarm system or device, or who contracts with an alarm business for alarm monitoring, repair or maintenance services.
10. “Apartment provided alarm” means an alarm that is installed in a multifamily dwelling and the landlord handles the burglar alarm-monitoring contract and/or fees.
11. “Automatic voice dialer” means any electrical, electronic, mechanical, or other device capable of being programmed to send a prerecorded message, when activated, over a telephone line, radio, or other communication system, to a law enforcement, public safety, or emergency service agency requesting dispatch.
12. “Communications center” means the public safety answering point used to receive emergency and general information from the public to be dispatched to police personnel.
13. “Contact person” means the individual or individuals that will be utilized as being responsible for contact to be made by the Police Department when the need arises. This person is capable of reaching the alarm site within thirty minutes and has access to the site, the code to the alarm or alarm system, and the authority to approve repairs to the alarm or alarm system.
14. “Conversion” means the transaction or process by which one alarm business begins monitoring an alarm system previously monitored by another alarm business.
15. “Duress alarm” means a silent alarm signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a crisis situation requiring immediate police response. A “one-plus duress alarm” is the manual activation of a silent signal by entering at a keypad, a code that adds one to the last digit of the normal arm/disarm code (normal code = 1234; one plus duress code = 1235).
16. “False alarm” means the activation of an alarm system when a situation requiring police response does not actually exist. Such activation may be caused by malfunction or failure of the alarm equipment, error, and/or negligence by the alarm user or said user’s agents or employees, improper alarm installation, or error on the part of the alarm business agent or employee. Exceptions: Alarms resulting from the following conditions shall not be construed as false alarms:
A. Violent conditions of nature or other extraordinary circumstances not reasonably subject to control by the alarm business or alarm user, or
B. Tornado, causing structural damage to the protected alarm site, or
C. Lightning bolt, causing physical damage to the protected alarm site, or
D. Telephone line malfunction verified in writing to the alarm administrator by at least a first line telephone company supervisor or by municipal personnel on the scene of an alarm, or
E. Notifications to the communications center the alarm business agent, employee, contact person, and/or an alarm user before a unit is dispatched to investigate that the alarm has been verified and does not require a response.
17. “False alarm education program” means a public information program to educate alarm system users on provisions of the false alarm ordinance, the proper use and maintenance of their alarm systems, and the knowledge on how to prevent false alarms.
18. “Immediate family” means an ancestor or descendant by blood or adoption; or sibling of the whole or half-blood or by adoption or stepchild or stepparent, or aunt, uncle, nephew or niece of the whole or half-blood.
19. “Keypad” means a device that allows control of an alarm system by the manual entering of a coded sequence of numbers or letters.
20. “Monitoring” means the process by which an alarm business receives signals from alarm systems and relays an alarm dispatch request to the Police Department for a response to the alarm site.
21. “Takeover” means the transaction or process by which one alarm user takes over control of an existing alarm system which was previously controlled by another alarm user. A takeover does not occur if the users are immediate family members.
22. “Secondary response” means the police receive an alarm dispatch request but will not provide alarm response until after the alarm business has provided its own alarm response to the alarm site and has determined evidence of actual or attempted criminal activity.
23. “Verify” means an attempt, by the alarm business, the alarm user or his agents or employees to contact the alarm site by telephonic or other electronic means, whether or not actual contact with an alarm user is made, before requesting a police dispatch, in an attempt to avoid an unnecessary alarm dispatch request.
24. “Year” means three hundred sixty-five consecutive days.