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The Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco finds and declares that:
(a) The vast majority of emergency alarms to which law enforcement officials respond are false alarms. Most false alarms are the result of improper maintenance or improper or careless use of an alarm system.
(b) The public and the police are subjected to needless danger when the police are called to respond to false alarms. In addition, police officers responding to false alarms are not available to carry out other police duties. In the interest of using limited law enforcement resources most effectively and efficiently, the number of false alarms can and must be reduced.
(c) The purpose of this Article is to reduce the dangers and annoyances associated with the use of particular types of alarm systems and to encourage property owners to maintain their systems in good working condition and to use them properly.
(d) A prolonged sound from an audible alarm system fixed to a motor vehicle is a public nuisance.
(Added by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002)
(Former Sec. 3701 added by Ord. 524-83, App. 11/4/83; repealed by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002)
In this Article the following terms and phrases shall have the following meanings:
(a) "Police" or "Police Department" means the San Francisco Police Department.
(b) "Chief of Police" means the Chief of the San Francisco Police Department or his or her designee.
(c) "Alarm installation company" means a person in the business of selling, providing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving, or installing an alarm system in an alarm site.
(d) "Alarm dispatch request" means a notification to the Police Department that an alarm, either manual or automatic. has been activated at a particular alarm site.
(e) "Alarm license" means authorization granted by the Chief of Police to an alarm user to operate an alarm system.
(f) "Alarm monitoring company" means a person in the business of providing monitoring services.
(g) "Alarm site" means a single fixed premises or location served by an alarm system or systems. Each unit, if served by a separate alarm system in a multi-unit building or complex, shall be considered a separate alarm site.
(h) "Alarm system" means a device or series of devices, including, but not limited to, hardwired systems and systems interconnected with a radio frequency method such as cellular or private radio signals, which emit or transmit a remote or local audible, visual or electronic signal indicating an alarm condition and intended to summon law enforcement response, including local alarm systems. Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Article "alarm system" does not include an alarm installed in a vehicle or on someone's person unless the vehicle or the personal alarm is permanently located at a site. Independently controlled alarm systems within the same premises shall constitute separate alarm systems. Alarm devices installed on a temporary basis by the Police Department shall not constitute alarm systems. The Director of the Department of Emergency Management may by regulation exclude low-end local alarm systems that are not intended to summon law enforcement response from some or all of the requirements of this Article.
(i) "Alarm user" means any person, who (which) has contracted for monitoring, repair, installation or maintenance service from an alarm installation company or monitoring company for an alarm system, or who (which) owns or operates an alarm system which is not monitored, maintained or repaired under contract.
(j) "Arming station" means a device that allows control of an alarm system.
(k) "Automatic voice dialer" means any electrical, electronic, mechanical, or other device capable of being programmed to send a prerecorded voice message, when activated, over a telephone line, radio or other communication system, to a law enforcement, public safety or emergency services agency requesting dispatch.
(l) "Cancellation" means the process where response is terminated when a monitoring company (designated by the alarm user) for the alarm site notifies the responding law enforcement officer that there is not an existing situation at the alarm site requiring law enforcement agency response after an alarm dispatch request.
(m) "Conversion" means the transaction or process by which one alarm installation company or monitoring company begins the servicing and/or monitoring of a previously unmonitored alarm system or an alarm system previously serviced and/or monitored by another alarm company.
(n) "Duress alarm" means a silent alarm system signal generated by the entry of a designated code into an arming station in order to signal that the alarm user is being forced to turn off the system and requires law enforcement response.
(o) "False alarm" means an alarm dispatch request to a law enforcement agency, when the responding law enforcement officer finds no evidence of a criminal offense or attempted criminal offense after having completed a timely investigation of the alarm site.
(p) "Holder alarm" means a silent alarm signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a robbery in progress.
(q) "Premises" means any land and building located within the City and County of San Francisco except land or buildings owned, rented, or leased to the federal government, the State of California or any political subdivision or agency thereof, or the City and County of San Francisco, including the public schools.
(r) "Local alarm system" means any alarm system, which is not monitored, that annunciates an alarm only at the alarm site.
(s) "Monitoring" means the process by which a monitoring company receives signals from an alarm system and relays an alarm dispatch request to the municipality for the purpose of summoning law enforcement to the alarm site.
(t) "One-plus duress alarm" means the manual activation of a silent alarm signal by entering at an arming station a code that adds one to the last digit of the normal arm/disarm code (e.g., normal code: 1234, one-plus duress code: 1235).
(u) "Panic alarm" means an audible alarm system signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a life threatening or emergency situation requiring law enforcement response.
(v) "Person" means an individual, corporation, partnership, association, organization or similar entity.
(w) "Responder" means an individual capable of reaching the alarm site within 45 minutes and having access to the alarm site, the code to the alarm system and the authority to approve repairs to the alarm system.
(x) "SIA Control Panel Standard CP-01" means the ANSI-American National Standard Institute approved Security Industry Association-SIA CP-01 Control Panel Standard, as may be updated from time to time, that details recommended design features for security system control panels and their associated arming and disarming devices to reduce the incidence of false alarms. Control panels built and tested to this standard by Underwriters Laboratory (UL), or other nationally recognized testing organizations, will be marked to state: "Design evaluated in accordance with SIA CP-01 Control Panel Standard Features for False Alarm Reduction."
(y) "Takeover" means the transaction or process by which an alarm user takes over control of an existing alarm system, which was previously controlled by another alarm user.
(z) "Tax Collector" means the Treasurer-Tax Collector of the City and County of San Francisco.
(aa) "Verify" means an attempt by the monitoring company, or its representative, to contact the alarm site by telephonic or other electronic means, whether or not actual contact with a person is made to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting law enforcement dispatch in an attempt to avoid an unnecessary alarm dispatch request.
(bb) "Zones" means division of devices into which an alarm system is divided to indicate the general location from which an alarm system signal is transmitted.
(cc) "Department of Emergency Management" and "Director of the Department of Emergency Management" or "Director" mean the Department of Emergency Management and Director of the Department of Emergency Management of the City and County of San Francisco, respectively.
(Added by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002; amended by Ord. 30-03, File No. 021995, App. 2/28/2003; Ord. 175-13
, File No. 130551, App. 8/2/2013, Eff. 9/1/2013)
(Former Sec. 3702 added by Ord. 524-83, App. 11/4/83; repealed by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002)
(a) No person shall install, cause to be installed, use, or operate an audible alarm system affixed to a motor vehicle unless the alarm system is equipped with an automatic shutoff which shuts off the alarm within a maximum of five minutes from the time of activation. Such alarm may not emit a sound similar to the sound emitted by sirens in use on emergency vehicles or to those used for civil defense purposes. For purposes of this Section, any variable tone, as opposed to one steady pitch, shall be considered similar to the sound emitted by an emergency vehicle siren.
(b) The Police Department is authorized to abate the nuisance of an audible alarm system affixed to a motor vehicle which sounds beyond five minutes by using any means necessary to disconnect the vehicle alarm; provided, however, that a police officer shall attempt to contact the vehicle's owner, by telephone or otherwise, before disconnecting the alarm. The expense of disconnecting the alarm shall be a lien against the motor vehicle and shall be the personal obligation of the owner thereof.
(c) Except as provided in this Section, the provisions of this Article are otherwise not applicable to alarm systems affixed to motor vehicles. Audible vehicle alarms are, however, subject to the requirements of Article 29 which prohibits unnecessary, excessive and offensive noise from all sources.
(Added by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002)
(Former Sec. 3703 amended by Ord. 325-84, App. 7/6/84; Ord. 126-96, App. 4/3/96; repealed by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002)
(a) It shall be unlawful to install or sell an audible alarm system which upon activation emits a sound similar to the sound emitted by sirens in use on emergency vehicles or for civil defense purposes. This does not apply to sirens mounted inside a building which cannot be heard outside the building For purposes of this Section, any variable siren, as opposed to one steady pitch, shall be considered to emit a sound similar to the sound emitted by an emergency vehicle.
(b) It shall be unlawful to operate an audible alarm system which does not shut off within a maximum time of 15 minutes from the time activation. This may be accomplished with either an automatic shutoff or by manual operation. If the alarm has an automatic shutoff with a re-arming phase, the re-arming phase must be able to distinguish between an open and closed circuit, and if the circuit is broken the system shall not re-arm.
(c) For the purposes of administering Article 29, "regulation of noise," an alarm which does not shut off within the prescribed time is deemed to be unnecessary, excessive and offensive.
(Added by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002)
(Former Sec. 3704 amended by Ord. 325-84, App. 7/6/84; repealed by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002)
Any alarm system installed in San Francisco after January 30, 1984, shall be supplied with an uninterruptible power supply in such a manner that the failure or interruption of the normal electric utility service will not activate the alarm system. The power supply must be capable of at least four hours of operation.
(Added by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002)
(Former Sec. 3705 added by Ord. 524-83, App. 11/4/83; repealed by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002)
No alarm user shall operate or maintain an alarm system which emits false alarms.
(Added by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002)
(Former Sec. 3706 added by Ord. 524-83, App. 11/4/83; repealed by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002)
(a) No alarm user shall operate or cause to be operated, an alarm system at its alarm site without a valid alarm license. A separate alarm license is required for each alarm site.
(b) There shall be a fee, to be paid by the alarm user, for an alarm license or an alarm license renewal. There shall be separate license fees for residential and commercial premises, and the fees shall be non-refundable. The initial alarm license fee must be paid to the alarm installation company at the time the alarm system is installed or to the alarm monitoring company at the time the alarm user contracts with the company for monitoring services. If the alarm user does not use an alarm installation or monitoring company, the fee must be submitted to the Tax Collector within five (5) days after the alarm system installation or alarm system takeover.
(c) Upon receipt of a completed alarm license application form and the alarm license fee, the Tax Collector shall assign a license number to the applicant unless the applicant has:
(1) Failed to pay a penalty assessed under Section 3714; or
(2) Had an alarm license for the alarm site suspended or revoked, and the violation causing the suspension or revocation has not been corrected.
(d) Each alarm license application must include information in a form and fashion specified by the Tax Collector. The application shall be signed by the applicant under penalty of perjury.
(e) Any false statement of a material fact made by an applicant for the purpose of obtaining an alarm license shall be sufficient cause for refusal to issue a license.
(f) An alarm license cannot be transferred to another person or alarm site. An alarm user shall inform the Tax Collector of any change that alters any of the information listed on the alarm license application within five (5) business days of such change.
(g) All fees owed by an applicant must be paid before an alarm license may be issued or renewed.
(Added by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002; amended by Ord. 30-03, File No. 021995, App. 2/28/2003)
(Former Sec. 3707 added by Ord. 524-83, App. 11/4/83; repealed by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002)
(a) An alarm license shall expire at 12:01 a.m. on January 1 of each year, and must be renewed every year by submitting a license renewal form and a license renewal fee to the Tax Collector. The alarm user shall submit the license renewal form and license renewal fee through the alarm company, if the alarm user contracts for the services of an alarm company, or directly to the Tax Collector, if the alarm user does not contract for the services of an alarm company. The Tax Collector may authorize the submission of license renewal information by an alarm company or an individual alarm user in electronic form in place of a license renewal form.
(b) It is the responsibility of the alarm user to submit an application prior to the license expiration date. Failure to renew will be classified as use of a non-licensed alarm system and citations and penalties, including penalties provided in Sections 3710.5 and 3714, shall be assessed without waiver.
(Added by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002; amended by Ord. 30-03, File No. 021995, App. 2/28/2003; Ord. 175-13
, File No. 130551, App. 8/2/2013, Eff. 9/1/2013)
(Former Sec. 3708 added by Ord. 524-83, App. 11/4/83; repealed by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002)
(a) An alarm user shall:
(1) Maintain the alarm site and the alarm system in a manner that will minimize or eliminate false alarms;
(2) Make every reasonable effort to have a responder to the alarm system's location within 45 minutes when requested by the Police Department in order to:
(A) Deactivate an alarm system;
(B) Provide access to the alarm site; and/or
(C) Provide alternative security for the alarm site.
(3) Not activate an alarm system for any reason other than an occurrence of an event that the alarm system was intended to report.
(b) An alarm user shall adjust the mechanism or cause the mechanism to be adjusted so that an alarm signal audible on the exterior of an alarm site will sound for no longer than fifteen (15) minutes after being activated.
(c) An alarm user shall not use automatic voice dialers.
(d) An alarm user shall maintain at each alarm site a set of written operating instructions for each alarm system.
(e) In order to reduce false alarms due to initial equipment problems, alarm users may agree with their alarm installation company and/or monitoring company to go through an "acclimation period" for the first seven (7) days after installation of an alarm system during which time the alarm installation company and/or monitoring company will have no obligation to and will not respond to an alarm signal from the alarm site and will not make an alarm dispatch request to the Department of Emergency Management, even if the alarm signal is the result of an actual alarm event.
(Added by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002; amended by Ord. 30-03, File No. 021995, App. 2/28/2003; Ord. 175-13
, File No. 130551, App. 8/2/2013, Eff. 9/1/2013)
(Former Sec. 3709 added by Ord. 524-83, App. 11/4/83; repealed by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002)
(a) The alarm installation company shall provide written and oral instructions to each of its alarm users in the proper use and operation of their alarm systems. The instructions will specifically include all instructions necessary to turn the alarm system on and off and to avoid false alarms.
(b) Upon the effective date of this Article, alarm installation companies shall not program alarm systems so that they are capable of sending one-plus duress alarms. Monitoring companies may continue to report one-plus duress alarms received from alarm systems programmed with one-plus duress alarms prior to enactment of this Article. However, upon the effective date of this Article, when a takeover or conversion occurs or if an alarm user requests an alarm system inspection or modification pursuant to Section 3709(c) of this Article, an alarm installation company must remove the one-plus duress alarm capability from such alarm systems.
(c) Upon the effective date of this Article, alarm installation companies shall not install a device to activate a false alarm, which is a single action, non-recessed button.
(d) Ninety (90) days after enactment of this Article, and conditioned upon reasonable availability, the alarm installation companies shall on new installations, use only alarm control panel(s) which meet SIA Control Panel Standard CP-01.
(e) An alarm company shall not use automatic voice dialers.
(f) After completion of the installation of an alarm system, an alarm installation company employee shall review with the alarm user a Customer False Alarm Prevention Checklist approved by the Director of the Department of Emergency Management.
(g) In order to reduce false alarms due to initial equipment problems, the monitoring company may agree with the alarm user not to make an alarm dispatch request of the Department of Emergency Management in response to a burglar alarm signal, excluding panic, duress and holdup signals, during the first seven (7) days following an alarm system installation.
(h) A monitoring company shall:
(1) Report alarm signals using telephone numbers designated by the Director of the Department of Emergency Management;
(2) Verify every alarm signal, except a panic, duress or holdup signal, before requesting a law enforcement response;
(3) Communicate alarm dispatch requests to the Department of Emergency Management in a manner and form determined by the Director of the Department of Emergency Management;
(4) Communicate cancellations to the Department of Emergency Management in a manner and form determined by the Director of the Department of Emergency Management;
(5) Ensure that all alarm users of alarm systems equipped with a duress, holdup or panic alarm are given adequate training as to the proper use of the alarm;
(6) Communicate any available information (north, south, front, back, floor, etc.) about the location on all alarm signals related to the alarm dispatch request;
(7) Communicate type of alarm activation (silent or audible, interior or perimeter);
(8) Provide an alarm user license number when requesting Department of Emergency Management dispatch;
(9) After an alarm dispatch request, promptly advise the Department of Emergency Management if the monitoring company knows that the alarm user or the responder is on the way to the alarm site;
(10) Attempt to contact the alarm user or responder within 24 hours via mail, fax, telephone or other electronic means when an alarm dispatch request is made; and
(11) Upon the effective date of this Article, monitoring companies must maintain for a period of at least one (1) year from the date of the alarm dispatch request, records relating to alarm dispatch requests. Records must include the name, address and telephone number of the alarm user, the alarm license number, the alarm system zone(s) activated, the time of alarm dispatch request and evidence of an attempt to verify. The Director of the Department of Emergency Management may request copies of such records for individually named alarm users. If the request is made within sixty (60) days of an alarm dispatch request, the monitoring company shall furnish requested records within three (3) business days of receiving the request. If the records are requested between sixty (60) days to one (1) year after an alarm dispatch request, the monitoring company shall furnish the requested records within thirty (30) days of receiving the request.
(i) An alarm installation company and/or monitoring company that purchases alarm system accounts from another person shall notify the Tax Collector of such purchase and provide details as may be reasonably requested by the Tax Collector.
(j) Each alarm installation and alarm monitoring company shall, upon request, provide a copy of this Article to any new customer with whom it contracts to install and/or monitor an alarm system.
(Added by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002; amended by Ord. 30-03, File No. 021995, App. 2/28/2003; Ord. 175-13
, File No. 130551, App. 8/2/2013, Eff. 9/1/2013)
(Former Sec. 3710 added by Ord. 524-83, App. 11/4/83; repealed by Ord. 154-02, File No. 021078, App. 7/12/2002)
(a) An alarm installation company shall not install an alarm for a customer who does not have a current valid license under this Article, provided, however, that the installation company may provide the customer with a license application form, and shall accept from the customer the completed form and the applicable license fee on behalf of the Tax Collector, after which the company may install the alarm system.
(b) No later than last day of each month following the month of collection or receipt, the installation company shall remit to the Tax Collector as a single check all license fees collected and completed license applications received. Remittance reports shall be in a format approved by the Tax Collector and shall include the name, license number, and alarm system location of each alarm user who has paid the fee and any other information required by the Tax Collector.
(c) The alarm installation company shall maintain its records in such a manner so as to be able to cross-reference the alarm user's name, the alarm system's location, and the license number assigned by the Tax Collector.
(Added by Ord. 30-03, File No. 021995, App. 2/28/2003; amended by Ord. 297-04, File No. 041336, App. 12/24/2004)
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