Sections:
4.39.010 Findings and purpose.
4.39.020 Definitions.
4.39.025 Requirements for all alarm systems.
4.39.030 Limitations on audible alarm systems.
4.39.040 Reserved.
4.39.050 Back-up power supply.
4.39.060 Registration of alarm.
4.39.070 Alarm tests.
4.39.080 False alarm service charges.
4.39.090 Suspension of response; reinstatement.
4.39.100 Appeal.
4.39.110 Enforcement.
* Prior Ordinance History: Ordinance 3909 was previously codified herein, and was not specifically repealed by adoption of Ord. 4726.
(a) The city council finds and declares that:
(1) There are a substantial number of alarms of possible criminal activity that come into the Palo Alto police department and preventable false fire alarms that come into the Palo Alto fire department. These alarms average in excess of four hundred per month for the police department and one hundred per month for the fire department. It is the policy and practice of the Palo Alto police and fire departments to respond to all alarms except those which are known to be false and to report on all alarms genuine or false. Most alarms are false. Most false alarms are the result of improper maintenance or improper or careless use of an alarm system.
(2) False alarms needlessly divert limited police and fire resources from genuine alarms and other emergencies. Police officers and fire crews responding to false alarms are not available to carry out other public safety duties. In the interest of using limited resources most effectively, the number of false alarms can and must be reduced.
(3) The purpose of this chapter is to reduce the dangers and diversions of false alarms and to encourage alarm users to maintain their systems in good working order and to use them properly thereby conserving police and fire personnel time and increasing protection for all Palo Alto citizens.
(4) Where the alarm system in question is a fire alarm, the enforcement official for the city shall be the fire chief or his or her designee. For all other alarm systems, the enforcement official shall be the chief of police or his or her designee.
(Ord. 5441 § 1 (part), 2018: Ord. 4726 § 2 (part), 2002)
For the purposes of this chapter, certain terms used herein are defined as follows:
(a) “Alarm administrator” means a person or persons designated by the city (police chief and fire chief) to administer the provisions of this chapter.
(b) “Alarm business” means any person operating for any consideration who is engaged in the installation, maintenance, alteration or servicing of alarm systems or who responds to such alarm systems.
(c) “Alarm user awareness class” means a class conducted for the purpose of educating alarm users about the responsible use, operation, and maintenance of alarm systems and the problems created by false alarms.
(d) “Alarm system” means an assembly of equipment and devices arranged to signal the presence of any condition upon premises within the city of Palo Alto to which the police and fire department normally responds. The term “alarm system” shall include equipment which is designed to detect an emergency, or which is designed to be activated by a person to report an emergency. Alarm systems include, but are not limited to, local alarm systems, direct connection systems, central station alarm systems and automatic telephone dialing systems. Alarm systems shall not include audible alarms affixed to automobiles.
(e) “Alarm user” means any person who owns, leases, is the agent of the owner or lessee of, or otherwise is in possession or control of a premises on which an alarm system has been installed and operates.
(f) “Audible alarm system” means an alarm system which is capable of being heard outdoors when it is activated.
(g) “Automatic telephone dialing alarm system” means an alarm system which utilizes a device which automatically transmits a pre-recorded message over telephone lines to a number in the city’s communications center.
(h) “Central station alarm system” means an alarm system which transmits the alarm signal to a facility where operators monitor the system and retransmit the signal to the city’s communications center.
(i) “Direct connection alarm system” means an alarm system which transmits an alarm signal directly to the city’s communications center.
(j) “False alarm” means an alarm signal resulting in a response by the police or fire departments when an emergency does not exist. An alarm shall be presumed false if the responding police or fire personnel do not locate any evidence of an intrusion, the commission of an unlawful act, a fire, or other emergency on the premises which might have caused the alarm to sound. Alarms caused by earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, or other “violent” acts of nature, shall not be deemed false alarms.
(k) “Local alarm system” means an alarm system which is operated by the user who is normally responsible for its operation. The alarm signal is annunciated only on the premises, does not emit an audible signal, and is not monitored by a third party monitoring provider.
(l) “Person” means and includes an individual, partnership, unincorporated association or corporation.
(m) “Premises” means any land and building located within the city except land or buildings owned or leased by the federal government, State of California or any political subdivision of the state, or by any municipal corporation or special district.
(Ord. 5441 § 1 (part), 2018: Ord. 4726 § 2 (part), 2002)
(a) Before requesting a police or fire response, an alarm system monitoring company shall attempt to contact the alarm site and/or alarm user by telephone and/or other means, whether or not actual contact with a person is made, to determine whether an alarm signal is valid. A second call shall be made to an alternate number provided by the alarm user if the first attempt fails. EXCEPTION: In case of a fire, panic, or robbery-in-progress alarm or in cases where a crime-in-progress has been verified as defined in ANSI/CSAA CS-V-01-2016 (or current version).
(b) Equipment and installation methods shall comply with all appropriate nationally recognized testing laboratories and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) requirements.
(c) It shall be unlawful for automatic telephone dialing devices to dial any phone number used by the City of Palo Alto.
(Ord. 5441 § 1 (part), 2018)
Loading...