(A) Alarm installation companies shall:
(1) Upon the installation or activation of an alarm system, the alarm installation company shall distribute to the alarm user information summarizing:
(a) How to prevent false alarms; and
(b) How to operate the alarm system.
(2) After the effective date of this chapter, 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 installed prior to the effective date of this chapter.
(3) After the effective date of this chapter, alarm installation companies shall not install, modify or repair “single action” devices for the activation of hold-up, robbery or panic alarms. New devices shall require two actions or an activation time delay to provide more positive assurance that the user intends to activate the device.
(4) All audible alarm systems shall include a device which will limit the duration of the audible alarm to a period of not more than 15 minutes per activation.
(5) An alarm installation company shall not use an automatic voice dialer for any alarm system which, when activated, uses a telephone device or attachment to automatically dial a telephone line leading into the dispatch center and then transmit any pre-recorded message or signal.
(6) Ensure that alarm users of alarm systems equipped with a duress, robbery, holdup or panic alarm has been provided adequate training as to the proper use of the alarm system’s operation and function.
(7) All alarm systems shall be supplied with an uninterrupted power supply in such a manner that the failure or interruption of the normal electric utility service for a period of up to four hours will not activate the alarm system.
(B) A monitoring company shall:
(1) Report alarm signals by using telephone numbers or procedures designated by the dispatch center.
(2) Employ enhanced call confirmation procedures on all burglar alarm dispatch requests. The Police Department may refuse to accept an alarm dispatch request from a monitoring company that has failed to comply with the procedures required by enhanced call confirmation. This subsection becomes effective 90 days after the effective date of this chapter.
(3) Communicate alarm dispatch requests to the Police and/or Fire Department via the dispatch center.
(4) Communicate cancellations to the Police and/or Fire Department via the dispatch center.
(5) Communicate all available zone activations information (north, south, front, back, door, window etc.) about the location of an alarm signal(s) as part of an alarm dispatch request.
(6) Communicate the type of alarm activation (silent or audible, interior or perimeter), if available, on any alarm dispatch request.
(7) Notify the dispatch center of any alarm site that it knows, or reasonably should know has guard dog(s), pets or is fitted with a protective-reactive alarm system. During any alarm at such a site, a responsible party must be contacted and confirm that he or she will respond to the alarm site to disarm the device or take control of the guard dog(s).
(8) After an alarm dispatch request, promptly advise the Police and/or Fire Department if the monitoring company knows that the alarm user or a responsible party is on the way to the alarm site.
(9) Each monitoring company shall, upon request, immediately provide the Police and/or Fire Department with the names and phone numbers of the alarm user's emergency contacts at the time of each alarm dispatch request.
(C) Conversion of alarm users. An alarm installation company or monitoring company that converts the servicing of any alarm system account from another company shall notify the alarm user of such conversion.
(Ord. 22-11, passed 6-6-2022)