For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ALARM COMPANY. A person, company, firm or corporation engaged in selling, leasing, installing, servicing or monitoring alarm systems and which is licensed by the state’s Alarm Systems Licensing Board.
ALARM ORDINANCE ADMINISTRATOR. A person or persons designated by the town to administer the provisions of this chapter.
ALARM SIGNAL. A detectable signal, audible or visual, generated by an alarm system, to which emergency responders are requested to respond.
ALARM SYSTEM. Any single device or assembly of equipment designed to signal the occurrence of an illegal or unauthorized entry, detection of smoke and/or fire, alerting other of an medical emergency or other activity to which emergency responders are requested to respond, and which may emit a sound or transmit a signal or message which, when activated cause an automatic signal transmission to be made directly or indirectly to the emergency response personnel. This does not include motor vehicle or boat alarms.
ALARM USER. Any person, corporation, partnership, proprietorship, governmental or educational entity or any other entity owning, leasing or operating an alarm system, or on whose premises an alarm system is maintained for the protection of such premises.
ALARM USER AWARENESS CLASS. A class conducted for the purpose of educating alarm users about the responsible use, operation and maintenance of alarm systems and the problems created by false alarms.
AUTOMATIC DIAL PROTECTION DEVICE. An automatic dialing device or an automatic telephone dialing alarm system which, upon being activated, automatically initiates to the emergency responders a recorded message or code signal indicating a need for emergency response.
FALSE ALARM. The activation of an alarm system when, upon inspection by the Police Department, Fire Department or other responders that there is no evidence of unauthorized entry, robbery, smoke, fire or other such crime attempted in or on the premises which would have activated a properly functioning alarm system. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a FALSE ALARM does not include an alarm which can reasonably be determined to have been caused or activated by unusually violent conditions of nature.
HEARING COMMITTEE. The committee appointed by the town’s Board of Commissioners to hear appeals of false alarm determinations.
LOCAL ALARM SYSTEM. An alarm system that emits a signal at an alarm site that is audible or visible from the exterior of a structure and is not monitored by a remote monitoring facility, whether installed by an alarm company or user.
POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRE OR OTHER EMERGENCY RESPONSE. The Police Department, Fire Department or any other emergency response team authorized by the town.
VERIFY. An attempt by the alarm system monitoring company 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 determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting law enforcement response. A second call shall be made to an alternate number provided by the alarm user if the first attempt fails.
YEAR. The 12-month period beginning on January 1 of each year.
(Ord. passed 10-3-2016)