For the purpose of this subchapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context indicates or requires a different meaning.
ACT OF GOD. An unusual, extraordinary, sudden and unexpected manifestation of the forces of nature, which cannot be prevented by reasonable human care, skill or foresight.
ALARM or ALARM SYSTEM.
(1) Any electrical instrument(s) or other device(s) which as one of its purposes is used to protect buildings, premises or persons from criminal acts, unauthorized entries, fire or medical emergencies by warning persons of a crime, unauthorized entry, or medical emergency through the emission or transmission of a sound or signal.
(2) Exceptions:
(a) Single unit smoke detectors or personal protection alerting devices which alert only the user and which do not require special wiring.
(b) Alarms installed in or on motorized vehicles.
ALARM AGENT. Any person who is employed by an alarm business either directly or indirectly, whose duties include any of the following: maintaining, servicing, repairing any alarm or alarm system in or on any building, place or premises. Any person whose duties consist solely of resetting an alarm following activation shall not be deemed to be an ALARM AGENT.
ALARM BUSINESS. Any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other entity which owns or conducts the business of selling, leasing, renting, maintaining or monitoring alarm systems, devices or services, provided, however, that such activities undertaken by agencies of the town for public safety purposes and not for profit shall not be deemed an ALARM BUSINESS.
ALARM SUBSCRIBER. Any person, firm, partnership, corporation or business which leases, rents or purchases any monitored alarm system, device or service from an alarm business or which leases or rents an audible alarm system or device.
AUDIBLE ALARM. A device designed for the detection of an unauthorized entry on premises and which when activated generates an audible sound on the premises.
COMMON CAUSE. A common technical difficulty or malfunction which causes an alarm system to generate a series of false alarms. Said series of false alarms shall be counted as one false alarm only if the false alarms have occurred within a 72 hour period, and the responsible alarm business has documented, to the Florence Police Department, the action taken to rectify the cause and a 30 day period expires with the alarm system generating no additional false alarms from the documented cause.
FALSE ALARMS. Any activation of an alarm not caused by or as a result of a criminal act, unauthorized entry, fire, medical emergency or act of God except for activation for testing purposes when the Police Department has been given advance notice of such testing, or activation caused by the Police Department.
MONITORED ALARM. A device designed for the detection of an unauthorized entry, criminal activity, medical or life threatening emergencies, in premises and which when activated generates an inaudible signal to a monitoring station. A MONITORED ALARM may also generate an audible sound on the premises.
POLICE CHIEF or POLICE DEPARTMENT. The Police Chief or the Police Department of the town.
PROPRIETOR ALARM. Any alarm, or alarm system which is not leased or rented from, or owned or maintained under contract by an alarm business.
(Ord. 456-07, passed 9-4-2007)