Except where otherwise indicated by the context, the following definitions shall apply in the interpretation and enforcement of this chapter:
“Act of nature” means an unusual, extraordinary, sudden and unexpected manifestation of the forces of nature, the effects of which cannot be prevented by reasonable human care, skill or foresight.
“Alarm or alarm system” means any mechanical or electrical device used for alerting others of unauthorized entry, an emergency, or the commission of an unlawful act within buildings or on premises.
“Alarm agent” means any person employed by an alarm business, either directly or indirectly, whose duties include any of the following: installing, maintaining, servicing or repairing an alarm or alarm system in or on any building, place or premises. Any person whose duties consist solely of resetting an alarm following activation is not an alarm agent.
“Alarm business” means any person, firm or corporation that is in the business of selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing or repairing any alarm or alarm system in or on any building, structure or facility.
“Alarm coordinator” means the police chief, or an individual designated by the police chief to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
“Alarm permit” means written authorization granted by the alarm coordinator to an alarm user to operate an alarm system.
“Alarm site” means any single location served by an alarm system or alarm systems. Each unit, if served by separate alarm systems in a multi-unit building/complex, shall be considered a separate alarm site.
“Alarm user” means any person or business that leases, rents, purchases or uses a monitored or proprietor alarm, alarm system, device or service.
“Audible alarm” means a device designed for the detection of unauthorized entry of premises and which, when activated, generates an audible sound on the premises.
“Automatic dialing device” means a device that is interconnected to a telephone line, and is programmed to select a predetermined telephone number and transmit an emergency message indicating a need for emergency response, either by voice or code signal or by maintaining an open line with emergency services.
“Cost recovery” means an assessment for the recovery of costs incurred by the police department in responding to false alarm activations.
“False alarm” means an alarm signal or message indicating an emergency, causing the police department to respond and which, upon investigation, results in a police officer finding no evidence of a criminal offense or an emergency situation. Excluded from the definition of “false alarm” are:
1. Alarms occurring as a result of an acts of nature;
2. Any disruption of the telephone circuit beyond the control of the alarm company and/or user;
3. Electrical power disruptions or failure; and
4. Alarms caused by failure of the equipment at the monitoring station.
“Holdup/robbery alarm” means any signal manually activated to indicate a robbery or holdup in progress, but is not the result of a robbery, holdup, or any exclusion from the “false alarm” definition listed above.
“Monitoring station” means any person in the business of providing monitoring services that will notify the police department of an emergency.
“Panic alarm” means an alarm system signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a life-threatening or emergency situation, requesting law enforcement response.
“Person” means an individual, firm, partnership, joint venture, association, corporation, estate, trust, or any other group or combination acting as a unit, and the plural as well as the singular number.
“Proprietor alarm” means any alarm or alarm system that is not leased or rented from, or owned or maintained under contract by an alarm business.
(Ord. 1397.08.19 § 2 (part), 2008)