(a) All equipment used in the installation of an alarm system shall meet the applicable standards of the Underwriters Laboratories of the United States, Factory Mutual or the National Fire Protection Association or other recognized industry standard. The owner, installer or user may be required to submit evidence of the reliability and suitability of the equipment to be installed.
(b) False Alarm Response and Determination. An alarm shall be presumed to be a false alarm if the responding police personnel find no evidence of fire, smoke, robbery, burglary, vandalism, unauthorized intrusion or medical emergency. Power interruptions beyond the control of the alarm user are not presumed to be false alarms. A false alarm determination is made by responding police personnel after review of and investigation of the circumstances surrounding an alarm receipt. Responding police personnel shall post a written notice of a false alarm response at the premises and a copy shall be provided to the Alarm Administrator. The Alarm Administrator or the Alarm Administrator’s designee, for any premises that has received three (3) false alarm responses in any twelve month period, shall deliver to the alarm user, via certified mail or personal delivery, a Notice of Third False Alarm Determination. The Notice of Third False Alarm Determination shall state that the Police Department has responded to three false alarms at the premises during a twelve month period, state the dates of the false alarm responses, provide a copy of each written notice of false alarm response, notify the alarm user that the false alarm determination may be appealed to the Alarm Administrator within ten days of receipt of the Notice of Third False Alarm Determination and state the false alarm fees associated with additional false alarms.
(c) False Alarm Fees. If the Police Department responds to a fourth false alarm for the same premises during any twelve month period, the alarm user shall pay a fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00). If the Police Department responds to more than four false alarms for the same premises during any twelve month period, the alarm user shall pay a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for every false alarm that the Police Department responds to over four false alarms for the same premises during any twelve month period. All false alarm fees shall be paid within thirty days of the date the invoice is mailed.
(d) No person shall knowingly allow his or her alarm system to be used by any person to create a false alarm as defined in this chapter. Violation of this subsection shall be a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(e) If any of the charges for false alarms imposed herein are not paid upon receipt of the invoice for same, or within thirty days thereafter, such charges shall be referred to the Director of Law for collection.
(Ord. 2011-36. Passed 7-13-11.)