36-1. PURPOSE AND INTENT.
(A) When a fire detection system, burglar alarm, or other alarm device is activated, the city's Fire Department and/or Police Department respond to protect the lives and property of the citizens and businesses of the city. This rapid response requires the Fire Department and/or Police Department to place numerous emergency vehicles on the streets, which inherently increases the dangers to members of the Fire and/or Police Departments, and to the citizens of the city. Although the city supports and encourages the use of alarm systems to discover fires and detect intruders, malfunctions of such systems result in increased dangers and unnecessary expense.
(B) Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to encourage alarm users throughout the city to maintain operational reliability and properly use alarm systems in a manner which will reduce false alarm responses by the Police Department and Fire Department, thereby reducing and preventing the misuse of police and fire resources at taxpayer expense. Communities throughout the nation have found that the use of a regulatory ordinance designed to first encourage remedial measures, with progressively increased penalties imposed for failure to implement such measures, reduces the overall number of false alarms by significant percentages. Therefore, in order to further public safety and welfare, and to reduce the undue burden incurred by taxpayers for false alarm responses, the City Council hereby enacts this Chapter 36, which shall be known as "The City of Sterling Heights False Alarm Ordinance."
(Ord. No. 376, § 1, 3-15-05)
Loading...