(a) (1) The holder of an alarm permit or the person in control of an alarm system shall pay a service fee in the following dollar amounts for each false alarm notification when a burglar alarm system has signaled at least three other false alarms during the preceding 12-month period:
# of False Alarms | Fee |
0—3 | No charge |
4—5 | $50 |
6—7 | $75 |
8 or more | $100 |
(2) A service fee of $60 shall be charged for all users for each robbery or other manually activated alarm system that is in excess of two alarms within any 12-month period.
(b) An alarm notification will not be counted in determining when a service fee will be assessed or when revocation proceedings commence if the permitee can prove that the alarm notification was the result of severe weather condition, such as a tornado, hurricane or earthquake or other weather condition that causes physical damage to the alarm site, or the result of a malfunction in the operation of telephone lines for the transmission of alarm signals, proof of the latter being documented in the form of telephone company work orders or time stamped records from the alarm company showing the periods of interrupted service. If there is evidence that an alarm is the result of some other circumstance that is beyond the reasonable control of the permit holder, the alarm unit supervisor, at his or her discretion, will not count the alarm notification when determining service fees or alarm revocation. If a service fee is assessed or revocation proceedings commence as a result of the alarm notification determination, the applicant or permit holder may appeal the decision to the chief by filing a written request for a conference within ten days of the decision by the alarm unit.
(c) An alarm notification will not be counted when determining when a service fee will be assessed or when revocation proceedings commence if more than 30 minutes elapse between the time the police department’s communications division receives the notification and the time a responding officer arrives at the location of the alarm notification.
(Ord. 15750, § 1, passed 11-18-2003; Ord. 16622, § 3, passed 9-27-2005; Ord. 16908, § 9, passed 4-25-2006)