When a fire detection system, burglar alarm, or other alarm device is activated, the City's Fire Department or Police Department respond to protect the lives and property of the citizens and businesses of the City of Battle Creek. This response often requires the Fire or Police Department to place numerous emergency vehicles on the streets, which inherently increases the dangers to members of the Fire and Police Departments, and to the residents and visitors of the City. Although the City supports and encourages the use of alarm systems to alert to fires and detect intruders, malfunctions of alarm systems result in increased dangers, and unnecessary expense.
The purpose of this chapter is to require alarm users throughout the City to maintain operational reliability and to properly use alarm systems connected to an alarm monitoring company in a manner which will reduce false alarm responses required by Fire Department or Police Department personnel, thereby reducing and preventing the misuse of fire and police resources at taxpayer expense. Communities throughout the nation have found that the use of a regulatory ordinance designed to first encourage remedial measures, with progressively increased penalties imposed for failure to implement such measures, reduces the overall number of false alarms by significant percentages. Therefore, in order to further public safety and welfare, and to reduce the undue burden incurred by taxpayers for false alarm responses, the City Commission hereby amends this Chapter 803, which shall be known as "The City of Battle Creek Alarm Systems Ordinance."
(Ord. 06-2023. Passed 6-6-23.)