(A) Each time the Washington County Sheriff's Office responds to a false intrusion alarm due to system malfunction or when no reason can be determined for the false alarm, the Washington County Sheriff's Office shall issue a false alarm warning notice.
(B) A service fee for excessive false intrusion alarms shall be charged as follows:
(1) No service fee shall be charged for the first 3 false alarms occurring within a 12-month period, calculated from the date of the first such alarm.
(2) Each false alarm in excess of 3 and up to and including 6 within a 12-month period shall result in a service fee per false alarm as set forth in § 33.01.
(3) Each false alarm in excess of 6 within a 12-month period shall result in a service fee per false alarm as set forth in § 33.01.
(C) No service fee shall be assessed if the false alarm is:
(1) Caused by an electrical storm, tornado, or other act of God when there is clear evidence of physical damage to the alarm system;
(2) Caused by the intermittent disruption of telephone circuits beyond the control of the alarm site owner;
(3) Caused by electrical power disruption or failure in excess of 2 hours beyond the control of the alarm site owner; or
(4) At a location where the Washington County Sheriff's Office has installed the Varda or other similar alarms.
(D) All false alarm service fees are due and payable within 30 days from date of invoice. In the event that false alarm service fees are not paid as required by this chapter, the Washington County Sheriff's Officer may refer the matter to the City Attorney for appropriate legal action, including but not limited to certifying same for collection against the real property taxes as with other unpaid municipal services.
(E) A person commits an offense in violation of this chapter if the person suffers or permits false alarms in excess of 3 within a 12-month period, each false alarm constituting a separate violation.
(Prior Code, § 1505.030) (Ord. 98-7481, passed 7-21-1998) Penalty, see § 10.99