For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms have the respective meanings given herein:
ALARM COMPANY: A business providing among its services alarm sales, installation, service, monitoring or billing of alarm users or the service of receiving on a continuous basis, through trained employees, emergency signals from alarm systems, and thereafter immediately relaying the message by live voice to the emergency dispatch center or such other places as directed by the city.
ALARM REVIEW BOARD: A three (3) member committee comprised of one representative of the Clive police department, one representative of Clive fire department and one resident selected and appointed by the mayor of Clive, to serve a four (4) year term. In the event a vacancy shall occur during the term of any member, the successor shall be appointed for the unexpired portion of the term in the same manner as the original appointment. Those members from the police and fire departments shall be appointed by each department's chief.
ALARM SYSTEM: Any device used to detect or prevent intrusion, criminal activity or other such emergency situation which, when activated, causes notification to be made directly or indirectly to the police department or fire department, or any such device or system designed primarily for the purpose of giving an audible or visual signal of an attempted intrusion, criminal activity, fire or other such emergency. An alarm system, for the purpose of this chapter, does not include an alarm installed on a motor vehicle.
ALARM SYSTEM OPERATOR: An alarm user or other person using an alarm system.
ALARM USER: The person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company or organization of any kind in control of any building who owns, leases, installs or contracts for or otherwise obtains an alarm system and thereafter contracts with or hires an alarm company to monitor and/or service the alarm device, or who owns or operates an alarm system.
BUILDING: Any single-family housing, multi-family dwelling, apartment, commercial business, school, church, religious facility, structure or place within the city.
CHIEF: The police chief and/or fire chief or designated representative who is authorized by the chief to exercise any power or duty conferred to the chief under this chapter.
CITY: The city of Clive, Iowa.
COORDINATOR: An individual designated to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
FALSE ALARM: A. Any alarm signal that is activated by error or mistake, system malfunction, malicious misuse, or on purpose when an emergency situation requiring a response did not exist at or about the time of the response. "False alarm" does not include unintentional activations.
1. Error Or Mistake: Any action by an alarm user or any action by an agent or employee of the alarm user or any other person in the building which results in the activation of the alarm system when no emergency exists, and no attempt to cancel the alarm by contacting the 911 call center was made.
2. System Malfunction: Any unintentional activation of an alarm system caused by a mechanical malfunction, flaw in the design, installation or maintenance of the alarm system. This does not include any activation caused by extraordinary violent conditions of nature.
3. Malicious Misuse: Any intentional activation of an alarm system when no emergency exists.
4. Unintentional Activation: Any system activation that did not constitute an emergency, however the system operated properly based on conditions or human actions at that time. (Examples include: smoke detector activation from burned food, children activating a pull station, unintentional security system activation with prompt follow up to the 911 call center, or extraordinary violent conditions of nature.)
B. The burden of proving that such an alarm signal was not a false alarm shall be on the alarm user.
MONITORING: The process by which an alarm company or its designated alarm answering service receives signals from an alarm system and relays an alarm dispatch request to the emergency dispatch center, or other places as directed by the city, for the purpose of summoning police and/or fire personnel to the building. (2000 Code § 126.01)