CHAPTER 6
BURGLARY AND ROBBERY ALARMS AND ALARM BUSINESSES

SECTION:

5-6-1: Purpose And Scope

5-6-2: Definitions

5-6-3: Reserved

5-6-4: Unlawful Alarm Reporting; Automatic Dialing, Prerecorded Message Systems Prohibited

5-6-5: Audible Alarm Requirements

5-6-6: Excessive False Alarms; Service Fees; Permit Revocation

5-6-7: Reserved

5-6-8: Reserved

5-6-9: Records Maintenance, Classification; Statistics

5-6-10: Operation Restrictions On Alarm Businesses

5-6-11: Operational Defects Remedied

5-6-12: City Liability Limitations

5-6-13: Administration And Enforcement

5-6-14: Collection Of Service Fees

5-6-1: PURPOSE AND SCOPE:

   A.   The purpose and scope of this chapter is to protect the emergency services of the city from misuse.

   B.   The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all alarm users, alarm businesses, employees of alarm businesses, and alarm systems which are installed, connected, operated or maintained on or prior to the date on which the ordinance codified herein became effective, and subsequent thereto.

(1979 Code § 5.15.010; amd. Ord. 88-49, 12-22-1988; Ord. 92-15, 2-25-1991; Ord. 98-63, 10-27-1998)

5-6-2: DEFINITIONS:

As used in this chapter:

ALARM BUSINESS OR COMPANY: A person engaged in the sale, installation, maintenance, alteration, repair, replacement, servicing, or monitoring of an alarm system. "Alarm business or company" does not include the activities of:

   A.   A person engaged in the manufacture and sale of alarm systems when that person is not engaged in the installation, maintenance, alteration, repair, replacement, servicing, or monitoring of alarm systems, and the manufacture or sale occurs only at a place of business established by the person engaged in the manufacture or sale and does not involve site visits at the place or intended place of installation of an alarm system; or

   B.   An owner of an alarm system, or an employee of the owner of an alarm system who is engaged in installation, maintenance, alteration, repair, replacement, servicing, or monitoring of the alarm system owned by that owner.

ALARM COMPANY AGENT: Any individual employed within the state of Utah by a person engaged in an alarm business.

ALARM SYSTEM: Any equipment and devices assembled for the purpose of detecting and signaling unauthorized intrusion or entry into or onto certain premises, or signaling a robbery, burglary or other emergency in progress, and to signal the above occurrences either by a local or audible alarm or by a silent or remote alarm. The following devices shall not constitute alarm systems within the meaning of this definition:

   A.   Devices which do not register alarms that are audible, visible, or perceptible outside the protected premises;

   B.   Devices which are not installed, operated or used for the purpose of reporting an emergency to the police department;

   C.   Alarm devices affixed to motor vehicles; and

   D.   Alarm devices installed on a temporary basis by the police department.

ALARM USER: Any person who owns or leases an alarm system.

ANSWERING SERVICE: A telephone answering service providing among its services the receiving on a continuous basis through trained employees of emergency signals from alarm systems and the subsequent relaying of such messages by a live voice to the police department.

AUTOMATIC DIALING DEVICE: A device which automatically sends over telephone lines, by direct connection or otherwise, a prerecorded voice message or code signal indicating the existence of an emergency situation that the alarm system is designed to detect.

BURGLARY OR INTRUSION ALARM SYSTEM: An alarm system signaling an entry or attempted entry into an area protected by the system.

CENTRAL STATION: An office to which alarm systems are connected, where operators supervise the circuits, and where guards and/or servicemen may or may not be maintained continuously to investigate signals.

CHIEF OF POLICE, CHIEF: Director of the police department of Ogden City or the chief's designated representative.

CITY COMMUNICATION CENTER: The city facility used to receive emergency and general information from the public to be dispatched to the respective police personnel. "City communication center" includes the dispatch facility operated by Ogden City as well as other governmental, dispatch facilities in the county used to receive emergency and general information from the public to be dispatched to the police department.

EMERGENCY: The commission or attempted commission of a robbery, burglary or other criminal action.

FALSE ALARM: Activation of any alarm system which results in a response by peace officers when a situation requiring a response by them or other emergency response unit in fact does not exist. It includes an alarm signal caused by conditions of nature which are normal for that area and subject to control by the alarm business operator or alarm user. False alarm does not include an alarm signal caused by extraordinarily violent conditions of nature not reasonably subject to control.

POLICE DEPARTMENT: The Ogden City police department.

ROBBERY ALARM SYSTEM: An alarm system signaling a robbery or attempted robbery or other physical endangerment.

(Ord. 2016-64, 1-3-2017; amd. Ord. 2023-4, 1-3-2023)