The following definitions shall be fully applicable to this Chapter 5.40 in its entirety, except as expressly stated to the contrary herein.
A. “Alarm site” means the location at which a subscriber’s alarm system is installed.
B. “Alarm system” or “alarm device” means any system, device, or mechanism which, when activated, transmits a telephonic, wireless, electronic, video, or other form of message to an alarm system monitoring company, or some other number, or emits an audible or visible signal that can be heard or seen by persons outside the protected premises, or transmits a signal beyond the premises in some other fashion. An alarm system or alarm device may consist of one or more components (e.g., motion detector, window breach detector, or similar components) all reporting to a central unit/system panel which, in turn, is connected to or reports to an alarm system monitoring company via telephonic, wireless, electronic, video, or other form of message. For purposes of this chapter, a system, device, or mechanism primarily protecting a motor vehicle, or one designed to communicate a medical emergency, including but not limited to a panic alarm button or similar device, is not considered to be an alarm system or alarm device.
C. “Alarm system monitoring company” means any individual, partnership, corporation or other form of association that engages in business or accepts employment to monitor any property, burglary, and/or robbery alarms located in the city. For purposes of this chapter, alarm system monitoring companies include those dealers and installers who contract with a property owner, subscriber, or customer to perform alarm system monitoring services and then subcontract with another alarm system monitoring company to provide the actual monitoring service.
D. “Alarm system user” or “alarm user” means the person having or maintaining a property, burglary, robbery, or panic alarm. It means only the subscriber when the system is connected to an alarm system monitoring company. It means only the self-monitored alarm user when the system is not connected to an alarm system monitoring company.
E. “Burglary alarm.” See “Property alarm” below.
F. “Chief of Police” or “Chief” means the Chief of Police of the City of Chico and his or her designee.
G. “Department” means the Department of Finance and Administrative Services of the City of Chico.
H. “Director” means the Director of Finance and Administrative Services of the city or any officer, agent or employee of the city designated to act on the Director’s behalf.
I. “Dispatch” means a discretionary decision whether to direct police units to a location where there has been a report made, by whatever means, that police assistance or investigation is needed. There is no duty to dispatch under any circumstances whatever, whether automatic alarms are involved or not, and all dispatch decisions are made subject to competing priorities and available police response resources.
J. “Enhanced call verification” means telephone verification which requires as a minimum that a second telephone call be made from the alarm system monitoring company to a different telephone number provided by the alarm system user, if the first attempt fails to reach the alarm system user who can properly identify themselves, to attempt to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting City of Chico Police dispatch.
K. “False Alarm” means the notification to the Chico Police Department or concerning the activation of an alarm system or alarm device when:
1. There is no evidence of a crime or other activity that warrants the assistance of the Chico Police Department on the premises, as indicated by the investigation of a police officer on the scene or by the lack of a police report filed by the property owner, and no individual who was on or near the premises or who had viewed a video communication from the premises, called for the dispatch or confirmed a need for police response; or
2. The dispatch of police was cancelled by the alarm system monitoring company after the arrival of police at the premises.
L. “Monitoring” means the process by which an alarm system monitoring company or self-monitored alarm system user receives signals from an alarm system or alarm device.
M. “Panic alarm.” See “Robbery alarm” below.
N. “Person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, trust, incorporated or unincorporated entity, or other entity or group of persons, but excludes the United States, the State of California and any political subdivision or municipal corporation thereof.
O. “Property alarm” or “burglary alarm” means any system, device, or mechanism for detection and reporting of any unauthorized entry or attempted entry or property damage upon real property protected by the system which may be activated by sensors or other techniques, and, when activated, automatically transmits a telephone message, emits an audible or visible signal that can be heard or seen by persons outside the protected premises, or transmits a signal beyond the protected premises.
P. “Robbery alarm” or “panic alarm” means any system, device, or mechanism, activated by an individual on or near the premises, to alert others that a robbery or any other crime is in progress, or that the user is in need of immediate assistance or aid in order to avoid injury or serious bodily harm, which meets the following criteria:
1. The system is installed on real property (the “protected premises”);
2. It is designed to be activated by an individual for the purpose of summoning assistance to the premises;
3. It transmits a telephone message or emits an audible, visible, or electronic signal that can be heard, seen or received by persons outside the protected premises; and
4. It is intended to summon police assistance to the premises.
Q. “Self-monitored alarm system user” means any person who does not engage in business or accepts employment to monitor property, burglary, and/or robbery alarms, but elects to internally monitor its own property, burglary, and/or robbery alarms located within the city.
R. “Subscriber” means a person having or maintaining an alarm system or alarm device where such system is connected to or in communication with an alarm system monitoring company.
S. “Verification” means an independent method of determining that a signal from an automatic alarm system reflects a need for police assistance or investigation. The means of verification shall include, and be limited to, one or more of the following:
1. An independent confirmation that a signal reflects a need for police assistance or investigation either by the alarm system user, an individual at or near the premises, an individual viewing video surveillance of the premises, or an alternate response agency made before dispatching police; or
2. An alternate system that the Chief determines has or is likely to have a high degree of reliability.
(Ord. 2452, Ord. 2460 §1 (part))