(a) All alarm installation companies and alarm monitoring companies operating in Loudoun County must comply with all applicable state laws and register with the Alarm Administrator as set forth in Section 655.03 herein.
(b) The alarm installation company shall provide written and oral instructions to all of its alarm users in the proper use and operation of their alarm systems. Such instructions will specifically include all instructions necessary to turn the alarm system on and off and to avoid false alarms.
(c) It shall be the responsibility of the alarm installation company to supply the required registration forms to its users. The alarm installation company shall return completed user registration forms to the Alarm Administrator or designee. In cases of new installations, the alarm installation company shall not activate that system until the Alarm Administrator has received the user's registration. The alarm company has five (5) business days to forward any changes in their customer's registration forms to the Alarm Administrator after receipt of updated information.
(d) Upon the effective date of this chapter, alarm installation companies shall not program alarm systems so that they are capable of sending one plus duress alarms. Monitoring companies may continue to report one plus duress alarms received from alarm systems programmed with one plus duress alarms prior to enactment of this chapter. However, upon the effective date of this chapter, when a takeover or conversion occurs or if an alarm user requests an alarm system inspection or modification pursuant to Section 655.05(c) of this chapter, an alarm installation company must remove the one plus duress alarm capability from such alarm systems.
(e) Upon the effective date of this chapter, no alarm installation companies shall thereafter install a single action, non-recessed button device which activates a holdup alarm.
(f) Sixty-days after enactment of this chapter the alarm installation companies shall, on new installations, use only alarm control panel(s) that meets SIA Control Panel Standard CP-01.
(g) An alarm company shall not use automatic voice dialers.
(h) After completion of the installation of an alarm system, an alarm installation company employee shall review with the alarm user its customer false alarm prevention checklist or an equivalent checklist approved by the Alarm Administrator.
(i) The monitoring company shall not make an alarm dispatch request of a law enforcement agency in response to a burglar alarm signal, excluding panic, duress and holdup signals (only after a reasonable attempt has been made to verify the legitimacy of the alarm), during the first seven days following an alarm system installation. The Alarm Administrator may grant an alarm user's request for an exemption from this waiting period based upon a determination that special circumstances substantiate the need for the exemption.
(j) A monitoring company shall:
(1) Report alarm signals by using telephone numbers designated by the Alarm Administrator;
(2) Attempt to verify every alarm signal, except a duress or holdup alarm activation by attempting to contact at least two (2) persons, designated by the alarm user, before requesting a law enforcement response to an alarm system signal;
(3) Communicate alarm dispatch requests to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office in a manner and form determined by the Alarm Administrator;
(4) Communicate cancellations to the Sheriff's Office in a manner and form determined by the Alarm Administrator;
(5) Ensure that all alarm users of alarm systems equipped with a duress, holdup or panic alarm are given adequate training as to the proper use of the duress, holdup or panic alarm;
(6) Communicate any available information (north, south, front, back, floor, etc.) about the location on all alarm signals related to the alarm dispatch request;
(7) Communicate type of alarm activation (silent or audible, interior or perimeter);
(8) Provide an alarm user registration number when requesting law enforcement dispatch;
(9) After an alarm dispatch request, promptly advise the law enforcement agency if the monitoring company knows that the alarm user or the responder is on the way to the alarm site;
(10) Attempt to contact the alarm user or responder within 24 hours via mail, fax, telephone or other electronic means when an alarm dispatch request is made; and
(11) Upon the effective date of this chapter, monitoring companies must maintain records relating to alarm dispatch requests for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of each such request. Records must include the name, address and telephone number of the alarm user, the alarm system zone(s) activated, the time of alarm dispatch request and evidence of an attempt to verify. The Alarm Administrator may request copies of such records for individually named alarm users. Records requested shall be made available within five working days after request has been made.
(k) An alarm installation company and/or monitoring company that purchases alarm system accounts from another person shall notify the Alarm Administrator of such purchase and provide details as may be reasonably requested by the Alarm Administrator.
(Ord. 05-02. Passed 3-15-05.)