For purpose of this chapter certain terms are defined as follows:
“Alarm agent” means an employee of an alarm company operator who does not respond to activated alarms, but whose duties include altering, installing, maintaining, monitoring, moving, repairing, replacing, or servicing an alarm system.
“Alarm company operator” means any person licensed as an alarm company operator by the California Bureau of Collection and Investigative Services, pursuant to the provisions of Division 3, Chapter 11.6 of the Business and Professions Code and doing business as such within the limits of the city.
“Alarm system” means any mechanical or electrical device which is designed or used for the detection of burglary, robbery, fire or panic condition within a building, structure or facility, or for alerting others to the commission of an unlawful act, fire or hazard within a building, structure or facility, or both; which emits a sound or transmits a signal or message when actuated; and which is designed to elicit a response from the police department or the fire emergency management department. Alarm systems include, but are not limited to, direct-dial telephone devices, audible alarms and proprietor alarms. Devices which are not designed or used to register alarms that are audible, visible or perceptible outside of the protected building, structure or facility are not included within this definition.
“Audible alarm” means a device designed for the detection of fire or the commission of a burglary, robbery or panic condition; and when actuated, generates an audible sound on the premises.
“Automatic dialing device” means any alarm system which automatically sends over regular telephone lines, by direct connection or otherwise, a prerecorded voice message or coded signal indicating the existence of an emergency situation that the alarm system is designed to detect.
“Emergency response personnel” means any person employed with either the police department or fire and emergency management department of the city.
“False alarm” means the activation of an alarm system through false reporting of an emergency, mechanical failure, malfunction, improper installation or negligence of the subscriber or his employees or agents; provided, such actuating necessitates a response from emergency response personnel. The term false alarm shall not include alarms caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, trouble alarms, or other conditions that are clearly beyond the control of the alarm user.
“Panic alarm” means a manually operated switch or button that sends an alarm that an emergency police response is necessary to a premise and a telephone call is impractical or unavailable to the alarm user.
“Permittee” means any individual, firm, company, corporation, partnership, fraternal association, association, the United States of America, the state of California, a political subdivision, governmental agency or other public or municipal corporation that owns, leases, or otherwise obtains an alarm system, and has purchased a valid alarm permit from the city.
“Permit year” means that time period from July 1st to June 30th of each fiscal year that an alarm permit is issued and made valid.
“Person” means any individual, firm, company, partnership, corporation, fraternal association, association, organization, the United States of America, the state of California, a political subdivision, governmental agency or other public or municipal corporation.
“Proprietary system” means an alarm system sounding and/or recording alarm and supervisory signals at a control center located within the protected premises, the control center being under the supervision of the subscriber of the protected premises. If a proprietary system includes a signal line connected directly or by means of an automatic dialing device to a central station or answering service, it thereby becomes an alarm system as defined in this chapter.
“Responding alarm agent” means any person other than authorized emergency response personnel who responds to alarms or who is in uniform and on duty for the purpose of responding to an alarm.
“Subscriber” means any individual, firm, company, partnership, corporation, fraternal association, association, organization, the United States of America, the state of California, a political subdivision, governmental agency or other public or municipal corporation that purchases, leases, contracts for, or otherwise obtains an alarm system or contracts for the servicing or maintenance of an alarm system. (Prior code § 4501)