As used in this chapter:
(a) "Alarm site" means the specific property or area of the premises upon or within which an alarm system is installed.
(b) "Alarm system" means any device used to detect or prevent burglary, theft, fire or other such emergency situations which, when activated, causes notification to be made directly or indirectly to the Police Division or Fire Division or any device or system designed primarily for the purpose of giving an audible or visual signal of an attempted burglary, theft, fire or other such emergency, or any device that, when manually or automatically activated, will sound an audio or visual warning device on or off the protected premises and which will cause notification to be made directly or indirectly to the Fire Division or Police Division.
An alarm system does not include:
(1) An alarm installed on a motor vehicle;
(2) An alarm designed so that no notification is given to the Police Division or the Fire Division until after the occupant or an agent of the owner or lessee has checked the alarm site and determined that there is physical evidence at the site showing that the alarm was the result of criminal activity of the kind for which the alarm system was designed to give notice, if a person who is able to grant access to the alarm site remains at such site until the Police Division or the Fire Division arrives whenever it is notified after an alarm has been activated, and such person renders access and such other assistance as he or she is able to give and that is needed by the Police Division or the Fire Division to properly investigate the situation; or
(3) An alarm installed upon premises occupied by the United States Government, the State, the City or any county government situated within the corporate limits of the City.
(c) "Alarm system business" means any person who installs, services or responds to an alarm system for remuneration.
(d) "Automatic dialing device" means any device connected to an alarm system which automatically sends a prerecorded message or coded signal indicating the activation of the alarm system to a predetermined location.
(e) "Burglar alarm" means any device intended to prevent or detect an unauthorized entry or attempted unauthorized entry into the alarm site.
(f) "Central station" means that part of an alarm system business which intercepts signals indicating the activation of an alarm device and which relays this information by live voice to the Police Division or the Fire Division.
(g) "False alarm" means any alarm which was not the result of an emergency of the kind for which the alarm system was designed to give notice.
(h) "Fire alarm" means a functionally related group of devices that will sound audio or visual warning devices on or off the protected premises when either manually or automatically activated.
(i) "Thirty-minute shut-off" means an automatic device associated with a local alarm which automatically causes the alarm to shut off and discontinue the emission of an audible signal after not more than thirty minutes of continuous operation.
(j) "Hold-up alarm" means any device activated by human action as a result of a robbery or attempted robbery at or of the alarm site.
(k) "Local alarm" means any alarm emitting audible and/or visual signals in, at or on the alarm site when activated and which causes notification to be made, directly or indirectly, to the Police Division or the Fire Division.
(l) "Permit" means a certificate of authorization issued by the Director of Safety-Service to the person in control of the property which authorizes the operation of an alarm system.
(m) "Permit holder" means the individual, corporation, partnership or other legal entity to whom or which an alarm system permit is issued.
(n) "Safety-Service Director" means the Safety-Service Director of the City or his or her authorized representative.
(o) "Telephone answering service" means any business, other than an alarm system business, which intercepts signals indicating the activation of an alarm system and which relays this information by live voice to the Police Division or the Fire Division.
(Ord. 87-193. Passed 6-1-87.)