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The Menahga Police Department responds to a large number of false alarms each year, a level which places intolerable burdens upon the time and resources of the Police Department. These many false alarms also create an increased level of risk on the safety of the responding officers and to the public as well. Therefore, the justification of this chapter is to reduce the high level of risk and expense by reducing the frequency of occurrence of these false alarms.
(Ord. 114, passed 3-8-04)
For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ALARM AGENT. Any person who is employed by an alarm business, either directly or indirectly, including an owner, corporate officer, or director, whose duties include any of the following: selling, maintaining, leasing, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving, or installing on any building, place, or premises, any police alarm system, central station system, or burglar alarm system.
ALARM BUSINESS. Shall include the business of selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving, or installing, any police alarm system.
ALARM SYSTEM. A burglar alarm system, a central station system or a police alarm system.
ALARM USER. Any person as defined herein, using the services of a police alarm system, a central station system, or a burglar alarm system.
ANSWERING SERVICE. A telephone answering service which receives signals from any alarm system and thereafter immediately relays the message by live voice to the Communications Center of the Sheriff's Department.
AUTOMATIC DIALING DEVICE. Refers to an automated alarm system which sends a prerecorded voice message or coded signal indicating the existence of the emergency situation which the alarm system is designed to detect.
BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEM. An alarm system signaling an entry or attempted entry into an area protected by the system, but which system is not connected to a police alarm or central station system.
CENTRAL STATION. An office to which remote alarm and supervisory signaling devices are connected, where operators supervise the circuits, and where guards are maintained continuously to investigate signals.
CENTRAL STATION SYSTEM. A system, in which the operation of electrical protection circuits and devices are signaled automatically to, recorded in, maintained, and supervised from, a central station having operators and security personnel on duty at all times.
DIRECT LINE. A telephone line leading directly from a central station to the Communications Center of the Wadena Sheriff's Department that is used only to report emergency signals on a person-to-person basis.
EXCESSIVE ALARMS. Ten or more false alarms signaled by any police alarm system within a calendar year.
FALSE ALARM. The activation of an alarm system through mechanical failure, malfunction, improper installation, or the action(s) of the owner or lessee of an alarm system, or its employees or agents, to which a police officer has been dispatched, where an emergency situation does not exist. Such terminology does not include alarms caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, lightning, power failure, damage to power lines, or other such severe weather conditions.
PERSON. Any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or other entity.
POLICE ALARM SYSTEM. Any device designated for the detection of an unauthorized entry on premises or for alerting others of the commission of an unlawful act, or both, and, when actuated, emits a sound or transmits a signal or message, which system is connected to or monitored by the Wadena County Sheriff's Department who dispatches for the Menahga Police Department.
PRIMARY TRUNK LINE. Any telephone line leading directly into the Communications Center of the Sheriff's Department that is for the purpose of handling emergency calls on a person-to-person basis, and which is identified as such by a specific number included among the emergency numbers listed in the telephone directory issued by the telephone company(s) and covering the service area(s) within the Menahga Police Department jurisdiction.
PROPRIETARY SYSTEM. An alarm system sounding and/or recording alarm and supervisory signals at a control center located within the protected premises, the control center being under the supervision of the proprietor of the protected premises. If a proprietary system includes a signal line connected directly to the Sheriff's Department Communications Center, a central station, or answering service, it thereby becomes an ALARM SYSTEM as defined in this chapter.
SPECIAL TRUNK LINE. A telephone line leading directly into the Communications Center of the Sheriff's Department and having a primary purpose of handling emergency signals or messages originating, either directly or through a central location, from automatic dialing devices.
(Ord. 114, passed 3-8-04)
After being notified in writing of the alarm policy, all persons using an alarm system, without first complying with the provisions of this chapter and without first obtaining the proper permit as required by this chapter shall be denied response to the alarm location by the Police Department. The provisions of this chapter shall not be applicable to audible alarms affixed to motor vehicles, as allowed by law, or to the City of Menahga, its officers, agents, and employees, in their official capacity.
(Ord. 114, passed 3-8-04)
(A) Applications for permits required under this chapter shall be made to the Chief of Police on forms provided by the Police Department. It shall be the responsibility of the alarm user to obtain the permit required under this chapter. It shall not be a defense to a violation of this chapter that the owner of the premises or the owner, installer or security company that operates and maintains the alarm system did not obtain a permit.
(B) Each permit shall be valid for a period of one calendar year and shall expire on the last day of the month of December unless sooner revoked as provided herein. Application for the next ensuing year may be filed with the Chief of Police beginning 90 days before the first day of January.
(C) The application for an alarm user permit shall state the name, address, and telephone number to the applicant's property serviced by a police alarm system or by a central station system and the name, address, and telephone number of the applicant's residence, if different. If the applicant's police alarm system or central station system is serviced by an alarm business the application shall include the name, address, and telephone number of such business. Each alarm system must be inspected each year by qualified personnel, the application shall state the name, address, telephone number, the date of inspection, and a statement as to the condition of the system. The application may include such other information as the Police Chief shall find necessary to determine the qualifications of the applicant for such permit.
(Ord. 114, passed 3-8-04)
(A) The Chief of Police shall approve or deny applications made pursuant to this chapter within five working days of the receipt of the completed application forms of the alarm user, if upon investigation; there shall appear no reason to deny the permit as provided in this chapter.
(B) Each alarm user shall maintain a current registration card with the Police Department, containing his name, address, and telephone number, as well as the name, address, and telephone number of a person or persons who can render service to the alarm at any hour of the day or night (Each alarm user shall immediately inform the Chief of Police of any and all changes in the information on file with the Police Department regarding such permit).
(Ord. 114, passed 3-8-04)
An alarm user permit shall be revoked or suspended by the Chief of Police for such period of time as decided, for any reason for which the granting of such permit might be lawfully denied, or for a violation of any provision of this chapter or of any rule or regulation made in implementation thereof, by the Chief of Police under § 95.10.
(Ord. 114, passed 3-8-04)
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