(A) Definitions: For purposes of this section, the following terms, phrases, and words shall have the meaning given herein:
ALARM AGENT: | Persons acting as agents for the alarm user or for occupants of the alarm user's property who are conducting repairs, testing, installation, altering or maintaining any system supervised by the automatic fire alarm system. |
ALARM BUSINESS: | Any individual, partnership, corporation or other entity, which engages in the activity of altering, installing, leasing, maintaining, repairing, replacing, selling or servicing of automatic fire alarm systems or which causes any of these activities to take place. |
ALARM USER: | The person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company or organization of any kind in control of the premises or property where an automatic fire alarm system is installed. Automatic fire alarm systems in separate structures are to be counted as separate systems, even though owned by the same person or entity. |
AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEM: | An assembly of equipment, mechanical or electrical, arranged, designed or used to signal the occurrence of a fire emergency, medical emergency or other event requiring urgent attention and to which Dixon Fire Department personnel and equipment are expected to respond. This includes those through which public safety personnel are notified directly of such signals through electronic signal devices or are notified indirectly by way of third persons who monitor the alarm systems and who report such signals to the Dixon Fire Department or its agents. Also included are those designed to register a signal, which is so audible, visible or in other ways perceptible outside a protected building, structure or facility as to alert persons beyond the zoning lot where the signal is located. Those persons in turn may notify the Fire Department or its agents and generate a response. |
FALSE ALARM - GENERAL: | An alarm signal within the City eliciting a response by the Dixon Fire Department or an authorized mutual aid Fire Department when a situation requiring such a response does not in fact exist. This shall include activation of the automatic fire alarm system or any system supervised by this system due to mechanical or electronic failure, malfunction, improper installation, failure to properly maintain or the negligence of the alarm user or the alarm user's employee or agent. False Alarms shall not include alarms determined to be of the following nature: (a) Fire or smoke are present at the location as verified by the Dixon Fire Department. (b) Malicious acts of persons not under the control of the alarm user. (c) Criminal activity. (d) Alarms caused by tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, or natural disasters. (e) Physical damage to the property by lightning. (f) Telephone line malfunction verified to the Dixon Fire Department by an authorized telephone company supervisor within seven (7) days of the occurrence. (g) Plumbing or electrical malfunctions unrelated to the fire protection systems. (h) Alarms occurring on a repeated basis without an apparent cause within the first thirty (30) days after the installation or renovation of the automatic alarm system provided that the installation complies with all applicable codes. |
FALSE ALARM - NEGLIGENT - FAILURE TO NOTIFY: | An alarm signal within the City eliciting a response by the Dixon Fire Department or an authorized mutual aid Fire Department due to negligence on the part of an alarm business, alarm agent, alarm user or the alarm user's employee or agent. Said negligence arising from that party's failure to notify the proper alarm-monitoring agency in conjunction with testing, repairing, altering or maintaining the automatic fire alarm system or any system or device supervised by the automatic fire alarm system. |
(B) False Alarm Fines:
1. False Alarm - General: Any alarm user whose automatic fire alarm system generates three (3) or more false alarms as defined in this section as False Alarm - General, in a calendar year, shall be assessed a fine in accordance with the following:
False Alarms, 3 to 4: | $125.00 per response, beginning with the third response |
False Alarms, 5 to 7: | $250.00 per response, beginning with the fifth response |
False Alarms, 8 to 9: | $500.00 per response, beginning with the eighth response |
False Alarms, 10 or more: | $750.00 per response, beginning with the tenth response |
2. False Alarm - Negligent - Failure to Notify: Any alarm user whose automatic fire alarm system generates a false alarm as defined in this section as a False Alarm - Negligent - Failure to Notify shall be assessed a fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) per response. These will not be counted as part of the alarm users calendar year total.
3. Penalty For Non-Payment Of Fines: Upon the occurrence of a covered False Alarm - General or False Alarm - Negligent - Failure to Notify, the Dixon Fire Department shall invoice the alarm user for payment of the applicable fine. Invoices shall be paid within sixty (60) days.
(C) Penalty For Non-Payment Of Fines: Upon the occurrence of a covered False Alarm - General or False Alarm - Negligent - Failure to Notify, the Dixon Fire Department shall invoice the alarm user for payment of the applicable fine. Invoices shall be paid within sixty (60) days. If the alarm uses fails or refuses to pay such invoice within said sixty (60), the alarm user shall be deemed in violation of this chapter and, upon conviction, shall be subject to the penalty set forth in section 1-4-1
of this code. The alarm user shall also be responsible for all costs of re-inspection.
(D) Notification: The Dixon Fire Department shall notify the alarm user via U.S. Mail of each instance wherein a False Alarm - General or a False Alarm - Negligent - Failure to Notify has been recorded. In the case of a second recorded False Alarm - General in any one calendar year, the notice shall further inform the alarm user that any additional False Alarms - General shall result in the imposition of False Alarm fines as set forth herein. In the case of a False Alarm - Negligent - Failure to Notify the written notice shall indicate the imposition of the false alarm fine set forth herein.
(E) Out Of Service Alarm: If an automatic fire alarm system gives three (3) or more false alarms within a forty-eight (48) hour period, the Dixon Fire Department reserves the right to place out-of-service the automatic fire alarm system and may require a fire watch at its discretion. Any automatic fire alarm system placed out-of-service under this section must be repaired and placed back in service within the time period specified by the Dixon Fire Department. (Ord. 3311, 6-20-2022)