(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)