(a) The alarm contractor shall be required to pay to the City the false alarm fee for each false alarm in excess of two false alarm occasions within any one- year period. No alarm contractor shall be requested to pay the false alarm fee on the first two occasions of a false alarm during any one-year period, but the alarm contractor thereafter shall be advised in writing of said false alarm and of the existence of this §§ 31-19.1 through 31-19.6 by the Flint Police Department.
(b) Said notice shall direct the alarm contractor to submit a report of service/repair and/or a report of corrective measures against improper use within fifteen (15) calendar days of receipt of said letter to the Department confirming that:
(1) The alarm system has been examined by a qualified alarm technician;
(2) A description of the bona fide attempt made to identify and correct any defect of design, installation, operation, or misuse of the alarm system which was identified as a possible cause of the false alarm.
(c) Failure of the alarm contractor to return a satisfactory report described herein within the 15-day period shall result in the imposition of a service fee to the alarm contractor.
(d) A false alarm fee shall be assessed for the third and each subsequent false alarm at the same premises requiring response by the Police/Fire Department during any calendar year.
(e) A false alarm fee required by this article may be imposed on an alarm contractor up to forty-five (45) days after the date of installation of the alarm system for existing buildings and forty-five (45) days after the date an occupancy permit is issued to an alarm user for newly constructed buildings in which an alarm system is installed.
(f) Should any service fee assessed pursuant to this article remain unpaid in excess of thirty (30) days, a late fee shall be assessed and shall be payable in addition to the original service fee.
(g) The false alarm fee established by this article shall begin at seventy-five dollars ($75.00) for a Fire Department response and seventy-five dollars ($75.00) for a Police Department response and shall increase by twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for each additional false alarm within the calendar year, and shall be reviewed periodically based on employee labor rates, equipment costs and Department service costs and established by appropriate resolution adopted by the Flint City Council. Late fees as previously identified shall be thirty-five dollars ($35.00) and shall be added to the false alarm fee.
(h) Alarm conditions caused by the following extenuating circumstances shall not constitute a false alarm, and no false alarm fee shall be charged by the City:
(1) Alarm conditions being activated by an agent of the alarm contractor working on the alarm system or testing the alarm system with prior notification to the Police or Fire Department of the City.
(2) Alarm conditions being activated by severe weather or other violent conditions beyond the control of the alarm user.
(3) Alarm conditions activated by disruption or disturbance of telephone or other communication systems.
(Ord. 3376, passed 7-27-1998; Ord. 3753, passed 5-20-2009)