[Amended 5-29-2001 by Ord. No. 14-2001]
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
ALARM AGENT —
A. Any person who is self-employed in or employed by an alarm business whose duties include any of the following: altering, installing, maintaining, moving, repairing, replacing, selling, servicing, or responding to an alarm system.
B. Exemptions: This definition shall not include a person who engages in the manufacture or sale of an alarm system from a fixed location and who neither visits the location where the alarm system is to be installed, nor designs the scheme for physical location and installation of the alarm system in a specific location. Further, new construction personnel not in the employ of an alarm business may be involved under contracts or subcontracts in the use or installation of alarm systems.
ALARM BUSINESS —
A. Any business operated by any individual, including a person self-employed, partnership, corporation, or other entity which engages in the activity of altering, installing, leasing, maintaining, repairing, replacing, selling, servicing, or responding to an alarm system.
B. Exemptions. This definition shall not include any business that engages in the manufacture or sale of an alarm system from a fixed location and who neither visits the location where the alarm system is to be installed, nor designs the scheme for physical location and installation of the alarm system in a specific location.
ALARM COORDINATOR — The individual designated by the Chief of Police to issue permits and enforce the provisions of this chapter.
ALARM SYSTEM —
A. Any single device or assembly of equipment, mechanical, electrical, or battery operated arranged to detect and signal an unauthorized intrusion into a premises or to signal an attempted or actual robbery or police emergency at a protected premises, and with respect to such signal public police and/or private guards are expected to respond.
B. Devices maintained and operated by the Reading Department of Police used for the detection of unlawful acts and known as "Antiburglary/Antirobbery" (ABAR) systems shall not be included under this definition. Devices which are designed for and installed upon motorized vehicles and trailers shall not be included under this definition.
ALARM USER — Any person on whose premises an alarm system is maintained within the City except for an alarm system on motor vehicles or proprietary systems. If, however, an alarm system on a motor vehicle is connected with an alarm system at a premises (other than a proprietary system), the person using such system is an alarm user.
ANSWERING SERVICE — A telephone answering service providing among its services the service of receiving on a continuous basis through trained employees, emergency signals from alarm systems, and thereafter immediately relaying the message by live voice to the complaint office of the Department of Police.
AUDIBLE ALARM — Any device, bell, horn, or siren which is attached to the interior or exterior of a building, structure, or facility and emits a warning signal audible outside the building, structure, or facility and is designed to attract attention when activated by a criminal act or other emergency requiring police response.
AUTOMATIC DIALING DEVICE — Any device which is interconnected to a telephone line and is programmed to transmit by prerecorded voice message or coded signal an emergency message indicating a need for emergency response.
BILLING AGENT — The company that the City has contracted with to collect all fees payable under this chapter. [Added 7-9-2012 by Ord. No. 76-2012]
CENTRAL STATION — A protective system or group of such systems operated privately for customers by a person, firm or corporation which accepts recorded or coded messages from automatic dialing devices at a central station having operators and guards in attendance at all times who have the duty to take appropriate action upon receipt of a signal or message, including the relaying of messages to the Reading Department of Police.
CHIEF OF POLICE — The Chief of the Department of Police of the City of Reading, Pennsylvania, or his designated representative.
CITY — The City of Reading, Pennsylvania.
DEPARTMENT OF POLICE or POLICE — The publicly supported Department of Police of the City of Reading, Pennsylvania or any authorized agent thereof.
FALSE ALARM —
A. An alarm activated in the absence of an emergency, whether willfully or by inadvertence, negligence, or unintentional act, including the malfunction of the alarm system, to which the Department of Police responds. The definition excludes testing or repairing of telephone or electrical lines or equipment outside the premises; acts of God, such as earthquake, flood, windstorm, thunder, or lightning; an attempted illegal entry of which there is visible evidence; or a crime in progress. If doubt exists as to cause of the alarm, the Chief of Police or his designee shall make a decision regarding the circumstances of the activation.
B. Multiple alarms received by the Department of Police before the system can be deactivated within a reasonable period of time shall be considered a single alarm.
C. A false alarm shall also mean the intentional activation of a robbery alarm for other than a robbery in progress, the intentional activation of a burglary alarm for other than a burglary in progress and the intentional activation of a police emergency alarm for other than a police emergency in progress.
INTERCONNECT — To connect an alarm system including an automatic dialing device to a telephone line, either directly or through a mechanical device that utilizes the telephone line to transmit a message upon the activation of the alarm system.
LOCAL ALARM SYSTEM — A system which is attached to the interior or exterior of a building, structure, or facility which when activated causes an audible and/or visual warning signal which can be heard and/or seen outside the building, structure, or facility and designed to attract attention when activated by a criminal act or other emergency requiring police response.
PERMIT — Written permission duly granted to an applicant by the City of Reading upon payment of the required fee.
POLICE EMERGENCY — An incident requiring prompt response by the Department of Police.
PRIMARY TRUNKLINE — A telephone line leading into the complaint office of the Department of Police 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 and covering the service area within the City of Reading.
PROPRIETARY ALARM — Any alarm system which sounds within the protected premises or control center under the supervision of the proprietor of the protected building, structure, or facility. If police response is expected or is a result of this proprietary alarm signal or message, it thereby becomes an alarm system as defined by this chapter.
SUBSCRIBER — A person who buys and/or leases, or otherwise obtains an alarm system and thereafter contracts with or hires an alarm business to monitor and/or service the alarm.