(A) Definitions.
(1) "FIRE ALARM SYSTEM" means any assembly of equipment, mechanical or electrical by a fire alarm business, or individual, arranged to signal the occurrence of a fire, smoke, water flow or other condition to which the Fire Department is expected to respond.
(2) "FIRE ALARM USER" means a person, firm, partnership, associate, corporation, company or organization of any kind that is in control of any building, structure, or facility where a fire alarm is present.
(3) "FALSE ALARM" means the reporting or transmitting by any means to the Fire Department or other emergency response organization false information which would reasonably be expected to result in any action or responses by the Fire Department.
(Ord. 99-019, passed 9-28-99)
(B) Fire alarm system false alarm.
(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 reports to monitor the accumulation of false alarms at any one location. When two false alarms have occurred at the same location within any 365 day period, 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 cause of false alarms and shall include a statement that an accumulation of more than three false alarms within any consecutive 365 day period shall result in a charge of services. A similar letter shall be sent when three false alarms have occurred at the same location within the period.
(3) False alarms that are activated by fire alarm or sprinkler system service personnel shall not be charged against the fire alarm user as false alarms when user has notified the Fire Department in advance of service or repair.
(4) Fire alarm systems that are reset prior to the arrival of the Fire Department shall be considered false alarms as defined by this section regardless of the actual cause of the alarm.
(5) For the fourth and each subsequent false alarm which occurs at one location within any 365 day period, a user fee of $100 shall be assessed against the fire alarm user. Such assessment shall be served on the alarm user by hand delivery of notice at the location of the false alarm. If the assessment is not paid within 30 days of service, the assessed fee shall increase to $200 and the city may seek a civil judgment and execution against the fire alarm user.
(6) If within ten days of receipt of an assessment, a fire alarm user submits a statement to the Fire Chief from a licensed alarm business specifying repairs made to the alarm system to prevent recurrence of the false alarm, the assessed fee may be waived; provided that only one fee will be waived for any fire alarm user in any 365 day period.
(7) Final appeal of an assessment fee may be made to the City Manager within ten days following service of notice of assessment.
(8) A 30 day grace period, during which no alarms will be counted, shall be permitted for each new installation of a fire alarm system.
(Ord. 99-019, passed 9-28-99)