For purposes of this chapter the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ALARM AGENT. Any person who is employed by an alarm company either directly or indirectly, whose duties include selling, maintaining, leasing, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving or installing on or in any building, structure, facility or grounds any alarm system.
ALARM COMPANY. Any person or entity whether an individual, partnership, corporation, or other entity selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, removing, or installing any alarm system or causing to be sold, leased, maintained, serviced, repaired, altered, replaced, removed, or installed any alarm system in or any building, structure or facility.
ALARM SYSTEM.
(1) An assembly of equipment and devices arranged to signal the presence of a hazard requiring attention and to which Police or Fire Department personnel are expected to respond. Alarm systems include those through which public safety personnel are notified directly of such signals through automatic recording devices or are notified indirectly by way of third persons who monitor the alarm systems and who report such signals to the
Consolidated Communications Partnership. Alarm systems also include those designed to register a signal which is audible, visible or in other ways perceptible outside a protected building, structure or facility as to notify persons in the neighborhood beyond the zoning lot where the signal is located who in turn may notify the appropriate emergency provider of the signal. Alarm systems do not include auxiliary devices installed by telephone companies to protect telephone equipment or systems which might be damaged or disrupted by the use of an alarm system. Alarm system shall include the terms AUTOMATIC or MANUAL HOLD UP ALARM SYSTEM, BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEMS, SECURITY ALARM SYSTEMS, and AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS.
(2) ALARM SYSTEM does not include audible alarms fixed to automobiles or other vehicles; or smoke detectors for dwellings which are not connected to a monitoring agency.
ALARM USER. Any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company, or other entity or organization of any kind having ownership or control (as a tenant, owner or otherwise) of any dwelling or commercial building, structure, or facility where an alarm system is maintained or activated.
AUDIBLE ALARM. A device designed for the detection of a condition that would result in a public safety response on the premises, which generates an audible sound on the premises when it is activated.
AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE DIALING DEVICE. A device which is interconnected to an alarm system which automatically sends a pre-recorded message or coded signal to a law enforcement agency indicating the activation of the alarm system or a device which is interconnected to telephone lines and is programmed to select a pre-determined number and transmit by voice message or code signal and emergency message indicating a need for emergency response.
COMMERCIAL BUILDING. A commercial building is any building or portion thereof which is not a one-, two-, three-, or multi-family dwelling.
DWELLING. A building or portion thereof used primarily as a place of abode for one or more human beings, but not including hotels, lodging or boarding houses or tourist homes.
DWELLING, MULTI-FAMILY. A building or portion thereof used for occupancy by four or more families living independently of each other.
DWELLING, ONE-FAMILY. A building used for occupancy by one family.
DWELLING, THREE-FAMILY. A building used for occupancy by three families living independently of each other.
DWELLING, TWO-FAMILY. A building used for occupancy by two families living independently of each other.
DWELLING UNIT. A dwelling or a portion of a dwelling or of an apartment or hotel used by one family for cooking, living, and sleeping purposes.
EXEMPTED FACILITY OR ENTITY. The following facilities or entities shall be exempted from the payment of penalties for false alarms as designated in this section:
(1) Long term care facility as defined in IC 12-7-2-125.5;
(2) Nursing facilities as defined in IC 12-7-2-133;
(3) Private psychiatric institutions as defined in IC 12-7-2-145 and IC 12-15-18-3;
(4) Psychiatric hospitals as defined in IC 12-7-2-151; and
(5) Facilities owned, or leased by the city and under the control and operated by the Parks and Recreation Department.
FALSE ALARM. The activation of an alarm system through mechanical failure, malfunction, improper installation, or as a result of the negligence, misuse or misconduct of an alarm user
or alarm company of an alarm system or of the agents, employees or representatives of an alarm user or alarm company. This does not include alarms caused by severe weather, natural or manmade disaster, power or telephone service outages, authorized alarm testing, for which prior notification to the Consolidated Communications Partnership has been made or malicious acts of person or persons not under the direct control of the owner, lessee, or his employees or agents.
LICENSE. An authorization of the City of Fort Wayne to allow an alarm company to install or maintain an alarm system within the City of Fort Wayne which is commercially monitored or which is electronically connected to the Consolidated Communications Partnership or an alarm system which when activated would result in a Police or Fire Department response.
LOCAL ALARM SYSTEM. A signal system which when activated causes an audible and/or visible signaling device to be activated only in or on the premises in which the alarm system is installed, operated or maintained.
MONITORED ALARM SYSTEM. An alarm system using a digital alarm communication system or supervised dedicated circuits transmit alarm, supervisory and trouble signals from one or more protected premises to a remote location at which appropriate action is taken.
VIOLATIONS BUREAU. The Violations Bureau of the City of Fort Wayne whose address for the purposes of this chapter shall be City Clerk's Office Suite 110, 200 East Berry Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802 and whose phone number for the purposes of obtaining information concerning this chapter shall be (260) 427-1208.
(Ord. G-2-15, passed 4-14-15)