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)