Terms, which are not defined in this chapter, shall have their ordinarily accepted meanings or such as the context may apply. For the purpose of this chapter, each of the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given below:
ALARM DISPATCH REQUEST: A notification to the police or fire personnel of the city from an alarm industry business that an alarm system has been activated.
ALARM INDUSTRY BUSINESS: Any entity having obtained a license pursuant to the provisions of the alarm industry act of the state who sells, leases, maintains, services, repairs, alters, replaces, moves, installs or monitors any alarm system.
ALARM RESPONSE: An actual police or fire response to the location of an alarm system resulting from an alarm dispatch request.
ALARM SITE: A single premises or location served by an alarm system.
ALARM SYSTEM: Any mechanism, equipment or device which is designed to detect the presence of a fire, or an unauthorized entry or activity in any building or on any property, or to direct attention to a fire, robbery, burglary, or other emergency in progress, and to signal the above occurrences either by a local or audible alarm or by a silent or remote alarm, directly or indirectly to the police or fire department. The following devices shall not constitute alarm systems within the meaning of this chapter:
A. Devices which do not activate alarms that are audible, visible, or perceptible outside the protected premises;
B. Devices which are not installed, operated or used for the purpose of reporting an emergency, either directly or by third party, to the police or fire department;
C. Alarm devices affixed to motor vehicles; and
D. Alarm devices installed on a temporary basis by the police or fire department.
ALARM USER: The person or persons, over the age of eighteen (18), owning or leasing the real property where an alarm system is located.
CHIEF OF POLICE: The duly appointed, qualified or acting chief of police of the city of Woodward, or the authorized representative.
DURESS ALARM: A silent alarm signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a crises situation requiring police response.
FALSE ALARM: The activation of an alarm system through mechanical failure, malfunction, the negligence of the alarm business operator or his employees or agents, or the negligence of the owner, user or lessee of an alarm or his employees or agents, or which otherwise elicits a response by a law enforcement agency or the fire department when a situation requiring such response does not in fact exist. A false alarm shall also mean the activation of an alarm, the purpose of which is to communicate or indicate a specific emergency situation, when in fact that specific emergency situation does not exist. Such terminology does not include, for example, alarms activated by utility line mishaps, tornados, earthquakes, or other violent conditions of nature, or other conditions clearly beyond the control of the alarm manufacturer, installer, owner or user.
FALSE ALARM DISPATCH: An alarm dispatch request when the responding personnel finds no evidence of criminal activity or fire emergency after having completed an investigation of the location. An alarm dispatch request that is canceled by the alarm user or the alarm industry business prior to the time an officer or firefighter reaches the location shall not be considered a false alarm dispatch. Any alarm response that is first designated as a false alarm dispatch but where the alarm user later shows convincing evidence of criminal activity or a fire emergency to the investigating personnel and files a police or fire report, shall be subject to the judgment of the city manager, to be amended to not be recorded as false alarm dispatch.
FIREFIGHTER: Any or all firefighters being career or volunteer employed by the city of Woodward fire department.
HOLDUP ALARM: A silent alarm signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a robbery in progress.
IN-STATION ALARMS: An alarm system which is connected to the police station communications area or the fire department by telephone or other means which summons emergency assistance.
MONITORING: The process by which an alarm industry business receives signals from an alarm system and relays an alarm dispatch request to the city for the purpose of summoning police or fire response to the alarm site.
PERSON: Every natural person, firm, partnership, association or corporation.
POLICE: Any or all sworn officers of the city of Woodward police department.
VERIFY: An attempt by an alarm industry business to contact the alarm site by telephonic or other electronic means, whether or not actual contact with a person is made, prior to an alarm dispatch request, in an attempt to avoid a false alarm dispatch. Monitoring companies are required to attempt verification on all alarms before contacting the police or fire department. (Ord. 1624, 11-2-2015)