(A)
The primary purpose of this chapter is to reduce the number of unnecessary responses by public safety personnel to mechanically or electronically activated burglar, hold-up, fire and medical emergency alarms and to charge the cost of such responses to that portion of the village’s resident and business population wishing to use or required to use such alarms.
(B) False or unnecessary alarms severely impact and endanger the safety and general welfare of the residents of the village. In addition to the significant cost involved in responding to such alarms and the concurrent loss of manpower and ineffective utilization of equipment, such alarms require emergency responses which may contribute to a high accident rate.
(C) False alarms will be reduced by imposing certain regulations on alarm systems and charging the cost of alarm responses to that portion of the village resident and business population that use such alarms. Therefore, the village adopts these regulations and imposes, among other things, a gradually increasing service charge on the occurrence of more than four alarms for an alarm system in one calendar year. In addition, the failure to pay service charges or permit fees, the occurrence of 11 or more alarm occurrences in one calendar year, and the failure to otherwise comply with this chapter, may constitute grounds for suspension or revocation of an alarm user permit, which may result in public safety personnel not responding to additional alarm occurrences.
(D) Nothing in this chapter, however, shall be deemed to require or obligate public safety personnel to respond to an alarm. Nothing herein shall preclude public safety personnel from responding to any call or request for assistance that is other than an alarm occurrence (i.e., notification of the public safety personnel by means other than activation of an alarm system).
(Ord. 20-20, passed 5-18-2020)