1. Whenever Fire Department personnel respond to an activated fire alarm system the fire official in charge of the incident shall determine if the response was caused by a false alarm and shall indicate that fact upon the incident report.
2. The Fire Department shall regularly review incident reports to monitor the accumulation of false alarms at any one location. When two false alarms have occurred at the same location within one year, and the location is within the incorporated area of the City of Ankeny, the Fire Department shall notify the fire alarm user by letter, citing the location and date of each false alarm. The letter shall recommend that appropriate action be taken on the part of the fire alarm user to alleviate the causes of false alarms and shall include a statement that an accumulation of more than three (3) false alarms within a year shall result in a charge for services. Another similar letter shall be sent when three false alarms have occurred at the same location within the year.
3. When four false alarms have occurred at one location within a year, a user fee for service for false alarm response shall be billed to the property owner. Each additional false alarm within the year shall require the billing of an additional fee. However, no fire alarm user shall be charged with accumulating more than one false alarm in any 24-hour period. In the event that payment of the fee is not made within thirty (30) days of billing, an administrative charge for collection shall be assessed. All fees shall be established by resolution of the Council, as adopted from time to time. The fee hereby established affords only partial recovery of the expenses incurred in responding to the false alarm.
4. Whenever Fire Department personnel respond to a fire alarm that has been activated due to testing and maintenance, the fire official in charge of the incident shall determine if the response resulted from failure to make the proper notification to the Polk County Communication Center and shall so indicate on the incident report. Notwithstanding anything contained in any other section of this chapter, if a fire alarm is activated due to testing and maintenance and the Polk County Communication Center was not given proper notification, a user fee established by resolution will be imposed upon each false alarm. The responsible party will be the agency, testing or maintenance company representative, or individual that initiated the alarm testing or maintenance.