(a) Any premises located within the City may be equipped with an emergency alarm consisting of equipment, mechanical or electrical, arranged to signal the occurrence of an unauthorized entry or other activity requiring urgent attention to which the Police Department and/or the Fire Department is expected to respond.
(b) As used in this section, "false alarm" means an emergency alarm, activated by inadvertence, negligence or unintentional acts, including, but not limited to, malfunction of the alarm system, to which the Police Department and/or Fire Department responds. The definition excludes false alarms caused by: malfunction, testing or repairing of telephone equipment or lines; malfunction, testing or repairing of the normal power supply source for alarms installed on residential subdivisions; acts of God, such as earthquake, flood, windstorm, thunder or lightning; an attempted illegal entry of which there is visible evidence; or the user acting under a sincere belief that a need exists to call the Police Department and/or Fire Department. If a doubt exists as to the cause of a false alarm, the Safety Director shall resolve it in favor of the alarm user. Multiple alarms received by the Dispatch Center before the system can be deactivated within a reasonable period of time shall be considered a single alarm.
(c) False alarm charges shall be made to the person in control of the property on which an emergency alarm is installed as follows, unless waived in writing, for good cause by the Police Department. Annually means per calendar year.
(1) Residential users. A warning shall be issued and no charge shall be made for the first two false alarms annually. A charge of Fifty ($50.00) Dollars shall be made for the third false alarm annually and all subsequent false alarms. All warnings will be mailed by regular mail and bills will be mailed by certified mail with a return receipt.
(2) Business users. A warning shall be issued and no charge shall be made for the first two false alarms annually. A charge of One Hundred ($100.00) Dollars shall be made for the third false alarm annually and all subsequent false alarms. All warnings will be mailed by regular mail and bills will be mailed by certified mail with a return receipt.
(d) If there is a response by the Police Department or the Fire Department to a false alarm resulting from improper equipment, installation and/or servicing by the alarm business and/or agent, the alarm business may be charged a civil penalty of Two Hundred ($200.00) Dollars per false alarm by the Safety Director or his or her designee.
(e) A grace period of thirty days from the effective date of this Ordinance shall not be included in the charges set forth in this section.
(f) The Finance Director shall, upon notification of the respective Chiefs, give five (5) days' notice by certified mail with a return receipt to the owner of such property, at the owner's last known address, to pay the fees set forth herein. If the same is not paid within 30 days after the mailing of such notice, then the amount shall be determined to be delinquent and shall be entered upon the tax list and tax duplicate and shall be a lien on the property. This section does not preclude or limit any other means of collection as permitted by law.
(Ord. 9404-16. Passed 7-5-16.)