§ 34.071 DEFINITIONS.
   For the purpose of this subchapter the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
   ALARM BUSINESS. The business, by an individual, partnership, corporation or other entity of selling, leasing maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving, installing or monitoring an alarm system in an alarm site.
   ALARM DISPATCH REQUEST. A notification to the police or fire by the alarm business that an alarm, either manual or automatic has been activated at a particular alarm site.
   ALARM SITE. A single premises or location served by an alarm system or systems. Each tenancy, if served by a separate alarm system in a multi-tenant building or complex shall be considered a separate alarm site.
   ALARM SYSTEM. A device, or series of devices, included but not limited to, systems interconnected with radio frequencies signals, or telephone systems, which are designed to discourage crime, or fire, by emitting or transmitting a remote or local audible, visual or electronic signal indicating an alarm condition. ALARM SYSTEM does not include:
      (1)   An alarm installed on a vehicle unless the vehicle is permanently located at a site; or
      (2)   An alarm designated to alert only the inhabitants of a residence or site.
   ALARM USER. Any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other entity who (which) uses an alarm system and its alarm site.
   ASSESSMENT. A sum of money billed to an alarm user intended to represent costs of responding to false alarms and to encourage proper maintenance and operation of the alarm system.
   CHIEF. The Chief of Police or Chief of Fire Department of the city or an authorized representative.
   CONVERSION. The transaction or process by which one alarm business begins monitoring of an alarm system previously monitored by another alarm business.
   DURESS ALARM. A silent alarm signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a crisis situation requiring a Police or Fire Department response.
   FALSE ALARM DISPATCH. An alarm dispatch request to the Police or Fire Department, when the responding agency representative finds no evidence of a criminal offense or fire emergency after having completed a timely investigation of the alarm site. An alarm dispatch request which is canceled by the alarm business or alarm user prior to the time the responding units reaches the alarm site shall be considered a false alarm dispatch.
   FINE. A sum of money imposed by the Circuit Court Judge for a violation of this subchapter, if the assessment is not paid.
   HOLDUP ALARM. A silent alarm signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a robbery in progress.
   KEYPAD. A device that allows control of an alarm system by the manual entering of a coded sequence of numbers or letters.
   MONITORING. The process by which an alarm business receives signals from an alarm system and relays the alarm dispatch request to the Police or Fire Department for the purpose of summoning the Police or Fire response to the alarm site.
   PERSON. An individual, corporation, partnership, association, organization or similar entity.
   TAKEOVER. The transaction or process by which an alarm user takes over control of an existing alarm system which was previously controlled by another alarm user.
   VERIFY. An attempt, by the alarm business, or its representative, to contact the alarm site by telephonic or other means, whether or not actual contact with a person is made, before requesting a police or fire dispatch, in an attempt to avoid an unnecessary alarm dispatch request.
(Ord. 99-4974, passed 8-21-2001)