Section
8.20.010 Purpose.
8.20.020 Definitions.
8.20.030 Administration; funding; increases in fees and fines; annual evaluation.
8.20.040 Alarm registrations required; terms; fees and fee collection.
8.20.050 Registration application; contents.
8.20.060 Transfer of registration prohibited.
8.20.070 Duties of alarm users.
8.20.080 Audible alarms; restrictions, abatement of malfunctioning alarm.
8.20.090 Registration and duties of alarm installation companies and monitoring companies.
8.20.100 Duties and authority of the Alarm Administrator.
8.20.110 False alarm fines; fees; late charges.
8.20.120 Notice to alarm users of false alarms and suspension of a police response.
8.20.130 Alarm registration suspension; fees, fines; violation to make alarm dispatch request for suspended alarm site.
8.20.140 Appeals of determinations regarding alarm registrations, fees and fines.
8.20.150 Reinstatement of suspended alarm registrations.
8.20.160 Suspension of police response to dispatch requests from certain alarm installation companies and monitoring companies.
8.20.170 Police Department response.
8.20.180 Confidentiality of alarm information.
8.20.190 Scope of police duty; immunities preserved.
The City Council finds and declares that:
A. The majority of alarms to which the Police Department responds are false alarms, which are reported to the police by alarm companies.
B. Most false alarms are the result of improper maintenance or improper or careless use of an alarm system.
C. The public and police officers can be subjected to needless danger when the officers are called to respond to false alarms.
D. Officers responding to false alarms are not immediately available to carry out other police duties.
E. In the interest of using limited police resources most effectively and efficiently, the number of false alarms can and must be reduced.
F. The purpose of this chapter is to reduce the potential dangers and inefficiencies associated with false alarms and to encourage alarm companies and property owners to maintain the operational reliability, properly use alarm systems, and to reduce or eliminate false alarm dispatch requests.
G. This chapter governs systems intended to summon a police response, establishes fees, fines, establishes a system of administration, sets conditions for the suspension of a police response and establishes a public education and training program.
(Ord. 1479, passed 5-16-2018)
For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
Alarm Administrator means the person or persons designated by the Police Department to administer the provisions of this chapter.
Alarm Agreement means the legal contract or agreement by and between the alarm installation company and/or monitoring company and the alarm user.
Alarm Agreement Holding Company means the alarm installation company or monitoring company that holds the alarm agreement with the alarm user.
Alarm Dispatch Request means a notification to the Police Department that an alarm, either manual or automatic, has been activated at a particular alarm site.
Alarm Installation Company means a person in the business of selling, providing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving or installing an alarm system at an alarm site for compensation, and includes individuals or firms that install and service alarm systems used in a private business or proprietary facility.
Alarm Registration means a registration and unique number issued by the Alarm Administrator to an alarm user, which authorizes the operation of an alarm system.
Alarm Response Manager (ARM) means a person designated by an alarm installation company and monitoring company to handle alarm issues for the company and act as the primary point of contact for the city’s Alarm Administrator.
Alarm Site means a location served by 1 or more alarm systems. In a multi-unit building or complex, each unit shall be considered a separate Alarm Site if served by a separate alarm system. In a single unit building that houses 2 or more separate businesses with separate alarm systems, each business will be considered a separate Alarm Site.
Alarm System means a device or series of devices, which emit or transmit an audible or remote visual or electronic alarm signal, which is intended to summon police response. The term includes hardwired systems, surveillance cameras and systems interconnected with a radio frequency method such as cellular or private radio signals, and includes local alarm systems, but does not include an alarm installed in a motor vehicle or a system which will not emit a signal either audible or visible from the outside of the building, residence or beyond, but is designed solely to alert the occupants of a building or residence.
Alarm User means any person who has contracted for monitoring, repair, installation or maintenance service for an alarm system from an alarm installation company or monitoring company, or who owns or operates an alarm system which is not monitored, maintained or repaired under agreement.
Alarm User Awareness Class means a class conducted for the purpose of educating alarm users about the responsible use, operation, and maintenance of alarm systems and the problems created by false alarms.
Alarm User List means a list provided by the alarm user’s alarm installation company or if no alarm agreement exists between the alarm user and an alarm installation company, the alarm user’s monitoring company.
Arming Station means a device that controls an alarm system.
Automatic Voice Dialer means any electronic, mechanical, or other device which, when activated, is capable of being programmed to send a prerecorded voice message to the Police Department or city requesting an officer dispatch to an alarm site.
Burglar Alarm means an alarm intended to identify the presence of an intruder in either a business or residence.
Business License means a business license issued by the City Business License division to an alarm installation company or monitoring company to conduct business in the city.
Cancellation means the termination of a police response to an alarm site after an alarm dispatch request is made but before an officer’s arrival at the alarm site.
City means City of Canby.
Conversion of Alarm User means the transaction or process by which 1 alarm installation company or monitoring company begins the servicing or monitoring of a previously unmonitored alarm system or an alarm system that was previously serviced or monitored by another alarm company.
Duress Alarm means a silent alarm system signal generated by the entry of a designated code into an arming station in order to signal that the alarm user is being forced to turn off the system and requires an officer response.
Enhanced Call Confirmation (ECC) means an attempt by the monitoring company, or its representative, to contact the alarm site and/or alarm user and/or the alarm user’s designated representatives by telephone and/or other electronic means, whether or not actual contact with a person is made, to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting a police burglar alarm dispatch, in an attempt to avoid an unnecessary alarm dispatch request. For the purpose of this chapter, telephone confirmation shall require, as a minimum that a second call be made to a different number, if the first attempt fails to reach an alarm user who can properly identify themselves to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting an officer dispatch. Names and numbers or those contacted or attempted to contact, shall be provided when requested.
False Alarm means an alarm dispatch request to the Police Department, which results in the responding officer finding no evidence of a criminal offense or attempted criminal offense after completing an investigation of the alarm site, or, in the alternative, the same officer finding by a preponderance of evidence a blatant misuse or error of the alarm system.
Holdup Alarm means a silent alarm signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a robbery in progress.
Local Alarm System means an unmonitored alarm system that annunciates an alarm only at the alarm site or is a self-monitored alarm site.
Monitoring means the process by which a monitoring company receives signals from an alarm system and relays an alarm dispatch request to the Police Department.
Monitoring Company means a person in the business of providing monitoring services.
One Plus Duress Alarm means the manual activation of a silent alarm signal by entering a code that adds 1 number to the last digit of the normal arm/disarm code (e.g., normal code = 1234, one plus duress code = 1235).
Panic Alarm means an alarm system signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a life threatening or emergency situation requiring an officer response.
Person means an individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association, organization or similar entity as defined by Oregon law.
Police Department means the Canby Police Department.
Protective or Reactive Alarm System means an alarm system that produces a temporary disability or sensory deprivation through use of chemical, electrical, sonic or other means, including use of devices that obscure or disable a person’s vision.
Registration Number means a unique individual number assigned to an alarm user as part of alarm registration issued by the Police Department.
Responsible Party means a person capable of appearing at the alarm site upon request who has access to the alarm site, the code to the alarm system and the authority to approve repairs to the alarm system.
Robbery Alarm means an alarm signal generated by the manual or automatic activation of a device, or any system, device or mechanism on or near the premises intended to signal that a robbery is in progress and that a person needs immediate police assistance in order to avoid bodily harm, injury or death. The term has the same general meaning as “holdup alarm” or “duress alarm.”
SIA Control Panel Standard CP-01 means the ANSI - American National Standard Institute- approved Security Industry Association - SIA CP-01 Control Panel Standard, as may be updated from time to time, that details recommended design features for security system control panels and their associated arming and disarming devices to reduce the incidence of false alarms. Control panels built and tested to this standard by Underwriters Laboratory (UL), or other nationally recognized testing organizations are marked as follows: “Design evaluated in accordance with SIA CP-01 Control Panel Standard Features for False Alarm Reduction.”
Takeover means the transaction or process by which an alarm user takes over control of an existing alarm system that was previously controlled by another alarm user.
Zones mean a division of devices into which an alarm system is divided to indicate the general location from which an alarm system signal is transmitted.
(Ord. 1479, passed 5-16-2018)
A. Responsibility for administration of this chapter is vested with the Police Department.
B. The Police Department may designate an Alarm Administrator to carry out the duties and functions described in this section.
C. Monies generated by fees and fines assessed pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the city’s General Fund.
D. The amount of the fees and fines set forth in this section shall be specified in the City Fee Schedule, which may only be revised by a duly-adopted resolution of the City Council. For purposes of this division, “fees” include any type or class of fee and includes late charges.
E. The Alarm Administrator shall conduct an annual evaluation and analysis of the effectiveness of this chapter and identify and implement system improvements as warranted.
(Ord. 1479, passed 5-16-2018)
A. An alarm user shall not operate, or cause to be operated, any alarm system without a valid alarm registration. A separate alarm registration is required for each alarm site having a distinct address or business name. A registration fee including a completed alarm registration application shall be received and approved by the Alarm Administrator prior to any alarm system activation. A 30-day grace period shall be granted from the date of all new alarm installations or takeovers between 2 alarm users, to accommodate the registration application process. There may be reduced residential registration fees for senior citizens, low-income and disabled persons, or governmental entities. The City Council shall establish such classes of persons by resolution.
B. Owners of local alarm systems are required to adhere to all sections of this chapter and are subject to all fees, fines, suspensions, penalties or other requirements that are applicable.
C. The fee for a new initial alarm registration and the alarm registration renewal fee shall be collected by the Alarm Administrator.
D. Existing Alarm Systems.
1. Any alarm system that has been installed before the effective date of this chapter shall be registered and a registration fee collected by the Alarm Administrator.
a. The alarm agreement holding company shall provide within 40 days of the effective date of this chapter, an alarm user list of existing alarm users in the city, in a format approved by the Alarm Administrator, including name, address, billing address and telephone number to the Alarm Administrator.
b. The alarm agreement holding company may apply to the Alarm Administrator for an extension of the time limit in division D.1.a. based on extenuating circumstances.
2. The alarm agreement holding company may, through a mutual written agreement, have another alarm company provide the alarm user’s list.
E. New Alarm Systems.
1. Any alarm installation company that installs an alarm system on premises located within the city shall notify the Alarm Administrator within 20 days that an alarm system has been installed and send the Alarm Administrator the required information.
2. In the case of self-installed alarm systems that are to be monitored by a monitoring company, the monitoring company shall act as the alarm installation company regarding the duties to notify the Alarm Administrator.
3. Failure of an alarm installation company to notify the Alarm Administrator of a new alarm system installation within 20 days of installation shall result in a fine as established by resolution of the City Council to be imposed on the alarm installation company.
4. The initial alarm registration fee shall be collected by the Alarm Administrator. Failure of the alarm user to submit an application and registration fee within the 30 days after notice shall result in the alarm system being classified as non-registered and late charges being assessed.
F. Alarm Registration and Renewal Fees.
1. An alarm registration shall expire 1 year from the date of issuance, and must be renewed annually by the alarm user. The Alarm Administrator shall notify the alarm user of the need to renew their registration 30 days prior to the expiration of the registration. It is the responsibility of the alarm user to submit the updated information and renewal fees prior to the registration expiration date. Failure to renew shall be classified as use of a non-registered alarm system and subject the alarm site to a suspension and late charge.
2. Registration fees shall be collected annually based on a 1-year registration period. The amount of the registration and renewal fees required are established by resolution of the City Council.
G. Late Charge. Alarm users who fail to make payment for an alarm registration prior to the registration’s expiration date will be assessed a late charge as established by resolution of the City Council.
H. Refunds. No refund of a registration fee or registration renewal fee will be made.
I. Upon receipt of a completed alarm registration application form and the alarm registration fee, the Alarm Administrator shall issue a registration number or alarm registration renewal to the applicant unless:
1. The applicant has failed to pay any fee or fine assessed under this chapter; or
2. An alarm registration for the alarm site has been suspended, and the condition causing the suspension has not been corrected; or
3. The alarm installation company and/or the monitoring company listed on the registration application are not in possession of current valid state licensing; or
4. Any false statement of a material fact made by an applicant for the purpose of obtaining an alarm registration shall be sufficient cause for refusal to issue an alarm registration.
J. Exceptions.
1. Government entities, including but not necessarily limited to the city, county, state, federal and school districts, must obtain alarm registrations for all alarm systems on property under their control within the boundaries of the city, but may be subject to reduced payment of alarm registration and renewal fees.
2. All registration-fee-exempted alarm sites or reduced fee sites are required to obtain and maintain a valid alarm registration for a police response and are subjected to all other fees, fines and suspension enforcements, except when this action is prohibited by statute or through a court ruling.
(Ord. 1479, passed 5-16-2018)
An application for an alarm registration must be in a format provided by the Police Department. The information required on such forms shall be determined by the Alarm Administrator. Registration applicants acknowledge that the police response may be influenced by factors including, but not limited to, the availability of officers, priority of calls, traffic conditions, weather conditions, emergency conditions, prior alarm history, administrative actions and staffing levels.
(Ord. 1479, passed 5-16-2018)
A. An alarm registration cannot be transferred to another person or alarm site. An alarm user shall inform the Alarm Administrator and their alarm company of any change to the information listed on the alarm registration application within 10 business days after such change.
B. Exceptions may be made in the discretion of the Alarm Administrator when the transfer proposed is among members of the family of the original registration holder or successors in interest to the property for which the alarm registration has been issued.
(Ord. 1479, passed 5-16-2018)
Loading...