(A) The location of the fire alarm devices must match the design professional's approved plans. All deviations without revised plans shall be approved by the Fire Chief, or his or her designee, and shall be filed with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Division of Fire and Building Safety, Plan Review Section.
(B) All required fire alarm systems shall be monitored by an approved supervising station in accordance with NFPA72.
(C) Fire alarm initiating devices, alarm signaling devices, annunciators, or control panels shall not be concealed, obstructed, or impaired.
(D) All fire alarm systems required to be installed per the Indiana Building Code (675 IAC 13) shall be equipped with addressable fire alarm components that can have their respective status individually identified or that is used to individually control other functions.
(E) Access panels shall be provided to facilitate the testing, inspection, and cleaning of HVAC duct detectors.
(F) A posted diagram of all HVAC duct detectors shall be provided at the main electrical panel or a location approved by the Fire Chief, or his or her designee.
(G) HVAC duct detectors that are not accessible from the finished floor shall be provided with remote test buttons. The location of the remote test buttons shall be approved by the Fire Chief, or his or her designee.
(H) A copy of as-built fire alarm plans for all required fire alarm installations shall be kept permanently on-site in an approved location near the fire alarm control panel (FACP).
(I) In all newly-constructed Class 1 Structures, a listed fire alarm notification device shall be required in all walk-in freezers and coolers that exceed 100 square feet.
(J) Duties of fire alarm users. An alarm user shall:
(1) Maintain the premises fire alarm system in a manner that will minimize or eliminate false alarms;
(2) Review all fire alarm system operating instructions;
(3) Take reasonable action to ensure the Fire Department is notified of the non-emergency nature of a false alarm as soon as the alarm user is aware of the false alarm; and
(4) Refrain from manually activating the fire alarm system, except when needing the Fire Department to respond to an emergency.
(K) False alarm determination procedure.
(1) Whenever a fire alarm system is activated and results in the dispatch and arrival of the Fire Department, the senior officer responding to the premises where the alarm system is activated shall inspect the area protected by the fire alarm and shall determine whether there exists reasonable apparent evidence of fire, threatened fire or other circumstances that would warrant a call for immediate fire assistance.
(2) If the senior officer determines there exists no such evidence, the officer shall make a false alarm report by conveying the time, date, location and circumstances of the false alarm to Central Dispatch. The Fire Chief or his or her designee shall maintain records of false alarms and those records, when property authenticated, shall be presumptively valid as proof of the false alarm sounding in any ordinance violation proceeding based thereon.
(L) False alarm unlawful.
(1) It is unlawful for an alarm user to sound a false alarm or permit a false alarm to be sounded upon their property, whether by negligence or otherwise.
(2) Upon each false alarm the Fire Chief or his or her designee, shall:
(a) Notify the property owner and/or tenant in writing that a false alarm was sounded;
(b) Identify the property by address; and
(c) The date and time of the false alarm.
(3) Each notification shall include false alarms in excess of six calls per calendar year may result in the imposition of fines. Additional educational information is to be included to assist in minimizing future false alarms and the possibility of subsequent fines.
(4) Upon the seventh and any subsequent false alarm for identified properties, the Fire Chief, or his or her designee shall forward notification of the false alarm to the property owner and/or tenant and said notice shall specify the amount of the fine assessed and information that additional false alarms shall result in additional fines and may also result in the necessary legal action to correct the false alarm reporting.
(M) Penalty/fines for false fire alarms. The owner and/or tenant shall pay penalty/fines in accordance with the following schedule based on a calendar year:
Up to and including 6th false alarm | No penalty/fine |
7th false alarm up to and including 10th false alarm | $50 each |
11th false alarm up to and including 14th false alarm | $100 |
15th false alarm up to and including 19th false alarm | $200 |
20th false alarm up to and including 24th false alarm | $300 |
25th false alarm and above | $500 |
(Ord. 2017-35, passed 12-19-2017)