For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ACCESSIBILITY. Any building or portion thereof that is serviced by an alarm must be capable of being reached by the emergency responders whether by patrol vehicle, fire apparatus, by foot, or no more than 300 feet from where the emergency vehicle can be parked. If there is any barrier such as a wall, gate, cliff, dog or any other material object that prevents, impedes or jeopardizes the safety of the emergency responders so that the alarm and/or building cannot be checked, it will be classified as "Inaccessible".
ALARM ADMINISTRATOR. The administrator of the alarm is based on the nature of the alarm. Security alarms, including; burglary, duress, intrusion, panic, robbery/holdup alarms, or alarms resulting in Police Department response will be administered by the Eureka Police Department. Fire and life safety alarms, including; private fire alarm systems and private medical alarms, chemical release alarms, carbon monoxide (CO) alarms, or alarms resulting in Fire Department response administered by the Fire Department. The Police Chief may assign the administrative tasks that are the responsibility of the city in this chapter. The Humboldt Bay Fire Joint Powers Authority (or any third party under contract with the city to provide fire protection services) may contract with the city for the administration of this chapter, on its behalf. If, at any time, a department, whether internal to the city, is established to provide fire protection services, then the Fire Chief of that department may assign the administrative tasks.
ALARM COMPANY. Any person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving, removing, installing or monitoring an alarm system in or on any building, place or premises. This chapter specifically excludes retail establishments which sell, as part of their products, components for alarm systems; but which do not offer service, maintenance, repair, alteration, replacement, moving or installation of systems in or on any business, place or premises.
ALARM PERMIT. A permit issued under the provisions of this chapter by the Alarm Administrator.
ALARM SITE. The location identified in the alarm permit where the alarm system is located.
ALARM SYSTEM. Any combination of city-approved compatible alarm system devices or equipment which is designed or intended to notify persons of an emergency at a particular location to which Police or Fire respond. The term ALARM SYSTEM includes any equipment which is designed to detect an emergency, or which is designed to be activated by a person to report an emergency.
ALARM USER. Any person owning or using an alarm system at his or her place of residence or business, whether it be owned, leased or rented and made available for use by his or her agents, employees, tenants, representatives, or family.
ARMING STATION. A device that allows control of an alarm system.
AUDIBLE ALARM. Any alarm system which, when activated, emits a sound which is capable of being heard outside the structure where the system is located, even if the system is completely located within the structure.
AUTOMATIC DIALING SYSTEM. Any alarm system which automatically sends over regular telephone lines, by direct connection or otherwise, a pre-recorded voice message indicating the existence of an emergency situation that the alarm system is designed to detect.
DIRECTOR. The City Manager or his or her designee.
DURESS ALARM. A silent alarm system signal generated by the entry of designated code into an arming station in order to signal that the alarm user is being forced to turn off the system and requests law enforcement response.
ENHANCED CALL CONFIRMATION. An attempt by the alarm system monitoring company to contact the alarm site and/or alarm user, to determine whether an alarm event is valid before requesting law enforcement response. A second call will be made to contact the alarm user if the first attempt fails. EXCEPT:
(1) As defined by ANSI/CSAA CS V 01 2016 or current version, in case of a fire, panic robbery-in-progress alarm or verified alarm, or
(2) As defined by the local jurisdiction or state law.
EXCESSIVE FALSE ALARMS. False alarms to be considered excessive shall be any alarm system, either silent or audible, that emits more than two false alarms within any 12-month fiscal year period and is therefore deemed an immediate safety hazard, and as such, is subject to revocation by recommendation of the Alarm Administrator.
FALSE ALARM. The notification to the Eureka Police Department ("EPD") and the Fire Department 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 Eureka 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 dispatch or confirmed a need for police response; or
(2) There is no indication or presence of a fire on the premises that warrants a call for assistance from or investigation by the Fire Department 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 fire response; or
(3) The dispatch of police or fire personnel was cancelled by the alarm system monitoring company, whether the alarm was cancelled before or after the arrival of police or fire personnel at the alarm site.
FIRE DEPARTMENT. Refers to the Humboldt Bay Fire JPA or any other provider of fire protections services for the City of Eureka.
HOLD-UP ALARM. Activation of an alarm system or alarm device that notifies EPD that the alarm site is being held-up.
INTRUSION ALARM. An alarm whose purpose is to detect entry or attempted entry into a structure or a defined area, whether interior or exterior in nature.
LATE APPLICATION FEE. If Police or Fire responds to the alarm activation without having an alarm permit on file, the permit holder is subject to a late alarm application fee for the first false alarm activation and shall be subject to the normal false alarm assessments for the second and subsequent false activations. (See the City of Eureka Schedule of Fees and Service Charges for specific fee and assessment amounts.)
MONITORING COMPANY. A person in the business of providing monitoring services.
PANIC ALARM. Any alarm system that is activated by the direct action of the person who believes they are or are about to be the victim of a crime requesting the emergency response of police officers.
PENALTY ASSESSMENT. The civil penalty against the permit holder in the form of a letter or bill for the misuse or false activation of any alarm.
PERMITTEE or PERMIT HOLDER. Any person holding an alarm permit issued under the provisions of this chapter. For purposes of this subchapter, this includes any individual or entity who has failed to obtain an alarm permit pursuant to the requirements of this subchapter.
PERSON. Any natural person, partnership, corporation, unincorporated association, or other business entity.
PRIVATE FIRE ALARM SYSTEM (PFAS). Any combination of approved compatible alarm systems devices that are designed or intended to notify the occupant(s) of the alarm location of a fire emergency to which the Fire Department responds. The PFAS alarm system shall be installed in compliance with California State Fire Marshal standards.
PRIVATE MEDICAL LIFELINE ALARM. Any alarm system which is activated by a person needing emergency medical/welfare assistance and/or the alarm monitoring company requests an emergency medical response because the alarm subscriber did not respond to a regularly scheduled "well person" check.
RESIDENTIAL. Any premises used as dwelling units which includes apartments, hotels, motels and lodging houses, whether or not the location is occupied.
RESPONSE. The point in time that a police unit has been dispatched or an engine company has moved the fire apparatus to respond to an alarm activation.
ROBBERY/HOLD-UP. Any alarm system that is activated by the direct action of the person being robbed or an observer of the robbery.
SILENT ALARM. Any alarm system which, when activated, transmits an alarm signal to a receiving center without obvious local indication of alarm activation.
VERIFY. An attempt by the monitoring company, or its representative, to contact the alarm site and/or alarm user by telephone and/or other electronic means, whether or not actual contact with a person is made to attempt to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting police or fire dispatch, in an attempt to avoid an unnecessary alarm dispatch request. For the purpose of this subchapter, telephone verification shall require, as a minimum, that a second call be made to a different number if the first attempt fails to reach an alarm user who can properly identify themselves to attempt to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting law enforcement dispatch.
(Ord. 921-C.S., passed 9-7-21)