For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ALARM ADMINISTRATOR. The alarm management software designated by the Police Department to administer the provisions of this chapter.
ALARM ADMINISTRATOR LIAISON. The person designated by the Police Department as the point of contact between the Alarm Administrator and the Police Department.
ALARM AGREEMENT. The legal contract or agreement by and between the alarm installation company and/or monitoring company and the alarm user.
ALARM AGREEMENT HOLDING COMPANY. The alarm installation company or monitoring company that holds the alarm agreement with the alarm user.
ALARM INSTALLATION COMPANY. A person in the business of selling, providing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving or installing an alarm system at an alarm site for compensation, and includes individuals or firms that install and service alarm systems used in a private business or proprietary facility.
ALARM DISPATCH REQUEST. A notification to the Police and/or Fire Departments that an alarm, either manual or automatic, has been activated at a particular alarm site.
ALARM REGISTRATION. A registration which authorizes the operation of an alarm system.
ALARM RESPONSE MANAGER (ARM). A person designated by an alarm installation company and monitoring company to handle alarm issues for the company and act as the primary point of contact for the Alarm Administrator.
ALARM SITE. A location served by one or more alarm systems. In a multi-unit building or complex, each unit shall be considered a separate alarm site if served by a separate alarm system. In a single unit building that houses two or more separate businesses with separate alarm systems, each business will be considered a separate alarm site.
ALARM SYSTEM. A device or series of devices, which emit or transmit an audible or remote visual or electronic alarm signal, which is intended to summon police and/or fire response. The term includes hardwired systems, surveillance cameras and systems interconnected with a radio frequency method such as cellular or private radio signals, and includes local alarm systems, but does not include an alarm installed in a motor vehicle or a system which will not emit a signal either audible or visible from the outside of the building, residence or beyond, but is designed solely to alert the occupants of a building or residence.
ALARM USER. Any person who has contracted for monitoring, repair, installation or maintenance service for an alarm system from an alarm installation company or monitoring company, or who owns or operates an alarm system which is not monitored, maintained or repaired under agreement.
ALARM USER AWARENESS CLASS. 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.
APPEALS ADMINISTRATOR. The person designated by the city to handle appeals.
ARMING STATION. A device that controls an alarm system.
AUTOMATIC VOICE DIALER. Any electronic, mechanical, or other device which, when activated, is capable of being programmed to send a prerecorded voice message to the dispatch center requesting an officer dispatch to an alarm site.
BURGLAR ALARM. An alarm intended to identify the presence of an intruder in either a business or residence.
BOMA. The City of Spring Hill Board of Mayor and Alderman.
CANCELLATION. The termination of a police and/or fire response to an alarm site after an alarm
dispatch request is made but before an officer's arrival at the alarm site.
CONVERSION OF ALARM USER. The transaction or process by which one alarm installation company or monitoring company begins the servicing or monitoring of a previously unmonitored alarm system or an alarm system that was previously serviced or monitored by another alarm company.
CITY. City of Spring Hill.
DISPATCH CENTER. The emergency communications center designated to receive calls from alarm monitoring companies on behalf of the Police and Fire Departments.
DURESS ALARM. 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 an officer response.
ENHANCED CALL CONFIRMATION (ECC). An attempt by the monitoring company, or its representative, to contact the alarm site and/or alarm user and/or the alarm user's designated representatives by telephone and/or other electronic means, whether or not actual contact with a person is made, to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting a police burglar alarm dispatch, in an attempt to avoid an unnecessary alarm dispatch request. For the purpose of this chapter, telephone confirmation shall require, as a minimum that a second call be made to a different number, if the first attempt fails to reach an alarm user who can properly identify themselves to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting an alarm dispatch request. Names and numbers or those contacted or attempted to contact, shall be provided when requested.
FALSE ALARM. An alarm dispatch request to the Police and/or Fire Department via the dispatch center, which results in the responding personnel finding no evidence of a fire-related call, criminal offense or attempted criminal offense after completing an investigation of the alarm site.
FIRE DEPARTMENT. The Spring Hill Fire Department.
FIRE RELATED ALARM. Includes, but is not limited to, fire alarm, smoke alarm, gas alarm, medical alarm, sprinkler alarm, etc.
HOLDUP ALARM. A silent alarm signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a robbery in progress.
LOCAL ALARM SYSTEM. An unmonitored alarm system that annunciates an alarm only at the alarm site or is a self-monitored alarm site.
MONITORING. The process by which a monitoring company receives signals from an alarm system and relays an alarm dispatch request to the Police and/or Fire Department.
MONITORING COMPANY. A person in the business of providing monitoring services.
PANIC ALARM. An alarm system signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a life threatening or emergency situation requiring an officer response.
PERSON. An individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association, organization or similar entity.
POLICE DEPARTMENT. The Spring Hill Police Department.
PROTECTIVE OR REACTIVE ALARM SYSTEM. An alarm system that produces a temporary disability or sensory deprivation through use of chemical, electrical, sonic or other means, including use of devices that obscure or disable a person’s vision.
REGISTRATION NUMBER. A unique individual number assigned to an alarm user as part of alarm registration issued by the alarm administrator.
RESPONSIBLE PARTY. A person capable of appearing at the alarm site upon request who has access to the alarm site, the code to the alarm system and the authority to approve repairs to the alarm system.
ROBBERY ALARM. An alarm signal generated by the manual or automatic activation of a device, or any system, device or mechanism on or near the premises intended to signal that a robbery is in progress and that a person needs immediate police assistance in order to avoid bodily harm, injury or death. The term has the same general meaning as holdup alarm or duress alarm.
TAKEOVER. The transaction or process by which an alarm user Takes over control of an existing alarm system that was previously controlled by another alarm user.
ZONES. A division of devices into which an alarm system is divided to indicate the general location from which an alarm system signal is transmitted.
(Ord. 22-11, passed 6-6-2022)