Chapter 8.24
ALARM SYSTEMS
Sections:
8.24.050 Alarm business monitoring duties.
8.24.060 Alarm systems in apartment complexes.
8.24.080 Local or audible alarm system cutoff.
8.24.090 Operational defects to be remedied.
8.24.100 Alarm dispatch verification process.
8.24.120 Suspension of police response.
8.24.130 Tampering prohibited.
8.24.150 Applicability of provisions.
8.24.010 Purpose and intent.
A. This chapter is adopted for the purpose of regulating alarm systems to which the police and fire departments are expected to respond. It is to encourage alarm users and alarm businesses to maintain the operational reliability of and properly use alarm systems and to reduce or eliminate false alarm dispatch requests.
B. This chapter governs systems intended to summon police and fire department responses, provides for penalties for violations, establishes a system of administration, and sets conditions for responses to alarms. [Ord. 1112B § 1, 2025; Ord. 766B, 2004; Ord. 655B, 1999.]
8.24.020 Definitions.
The following words or phrases shall have the meanings set forth for the purposes of this chapter. Words used in the present tense shall include the future, words in the plural number shall include the singular number, and words in the singular number shall include the plural number. The word “shall” is always mandatory and not merely directory. Words not defined in this section shall have their usual and ordinary meanings.
“Alarm,” “alarm system,” and “alarm equipment” mean an electrical detection system by which the detection unit shall be at a location separate from monitoring stations on a premises owned or occupied by a private party or a government agency. The monitoring unit of the system shall be connected by telephone cable or other means to the detecting units and shall be located at a monitoring station. Each detection system, which is individually monitored, shall be deemed a separate unit. The term includes systems which are monitored by agencies other than the city, private or public, and which agencies notify the department when such alarms are sounded. “Alarm” does not include:
1. An alarm installed on a vehicle unless the vehicle is permanently located at a site; or
2. An alarm designed to alert only the inhabitants of a premises that does not have a sounding device which can be heard on the exterior of the alarm site.
“Alarm company” means the business, by an individual, partnership, corporation, or other entity, of selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving, installing, or monitoring an alarm system in an alarm site.
“Alarm dispatch request” means a notification to the police or fire departments by the alarm company that an alarm, either manual or automatic, has been activated at a particular alarm site.
“Alarm site” means a single premises or location served by an alarm. Each tenancy, if served by a separate alarm in a multi-tenant building or complex, shall be considered a separate alarm.
“Alarm user” means any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity using an alarm system at its alarm site.
“Conversion” means the transaction or process by which an alarm user may contest fees or the suspension of police response and request reinstatement of police response.
“False alarm” means an alarm dispatch request to the police or fire department when the responding officer finds no evidence of a criminal offense or attempted criminal offense after having completed a timely investigation of the alarm site. An alarm dispatch request which is canceled by the alarm business or the alarm user prior to the time the responding department reaches the alarm site shall not be considered a false alarm.
“Monitoring” means the process by which an alarm business receives signals from alarm systems and relays an alarm dispatch request to the city for the purpose of summoning police or fire response to the alarm site.
“Person” includes any individual, partnership, corporation, or association.
“Silent or remote alarm” means an alarm without an obvious local indication that an alarm has been activated which transmits a signal to a remote monitoring station.
“Takeover” means the transaction or process by which an alarm user takes over control of an existing alarm system which was previously controlled by another alarm user.
“Verification” means an attempt by the alarm business or its representative to contact the alarm site by telephone or other electronic means, whether or not actual contact with a person is made, before requesting a police or fire dispatch in an attempt to avoid an unnecessary alarm dispatch request. [Ord. 1112B § 1, 2025; Ord. 655B, 1999.]
8.24.050 Alarm business monitoring duties.
A. Alarm businesses operating in the city shall:
1. Attempt to verify every alarm signal, except in the case of a duress, fire, medical, or holdup alarm activation, before requesting a response to an alarm signal; and
2. Communicate verified cancellations of alarm dispatch requests to the police or fire department.
B. When any person notifies the department or any employee thereof of an alarm activation from an alarm business, they shall state the following information:
1. The business name;
2. The address of the activated alarm;
3. The name and type of establishment from which the alarm originated;
4. The precise location of the alarm activation (if there is more than one floor or department); and
5. The type of alarm, such as silent robbery, silent burglary, or ringer-type. [Ord. 1112B § 1, 2025; Ord. 655B, 1999.]
8.24.060 Alarm systems in apartment complexes.
For purposes of enforcing this chapter against an individual residential unit in a multi-unit complex, the tenant is responsible for false alarm dispatches emitted from the alarm system in the tenant’s residential unit if the system serves only that tenant and not any other tenant or common area; otherwise, the owner or manager of the property would be responsible for payment of fees or the suspension of police response. [Ord. 1112B § 1, 2025; Ord. 655B, 1999.]
8.24.080 Local or audible alarm system cutoff.
A. No automatic property, burglary, or robbery alarm when activated shall cause an audible sound to be heard off the premises continuously for more than 15 minutes.
B. Owners of existing automatic property or burglar alarms which, when activated, send audible sounds off the premises and sound continuously until turned off shall limit the duration of the sound to 15 minutes or less by such methods as installing an automatic shutoff mechanism, connecting to a monitoring system, or converting to more modern equipment.
C. Nothing in this section shall limit the duration of a fire or other evacuation alarm during a bona fide emergency when the sound may assist in saving life or avoiding injury. [Ord. 1112B § 1, 2025; Ord. 655B, 1999.]
8.24.090 Operational defects to be remedied.
The sensory mechanisms used in connection with alarm systems shall be adjusted to reduce false alarm activations caused or activated by impulses due to transient pressure changes in water pipes, short flashes of light, wind noises such as the rattling or vibrating of doors or windows, vehicular noises adjacent to the installation, or other forces unrelated to genuine alarm activations. [Ord. 1112B § 1, 2025; Ord. 655B, 1999.]
8.24.100 Alarm dispatch verification process.
A. Every alarm system business that monitors alarm systems in the city shall maintain a verification process with those subscribers who have an automatic alarm system to prevent false alarms from resulting in unnecessary police dispatch requests.
B. A verification process is an independent method of determining that a signal from an automatic alarm system reflects a need for immediate police response. The verification process shall not take more than five minutes calculated from the time that the alarm signal has been accepted by an alarm system monitoring business until a decision is made whether to call for a police dispatch. The means of verification may include one or more of the following:
1. The establishment of voice communication with an authorized person at or near the premises who may indicate whether or not a need for immediate police response exists;
2. A feature that permits the alarm user or a person authorized by the alarm user to send a special signal to the alarm system monitoring business that will cancel an alarm immediately after it has been set and prevent the monitoring company from calling for a police dispatch;
3. The installation of a video system that provides the alarm system monitoring company the ability to ascertain that activity is occurring which warrants immediate police response; or
4. A confirmation that a signal reflects a need for immediate police response either by the alarm user, a person authorized by the alarm user, or an alternate response agency made before dispatching police. [Ord. 1112B § 1, 2025; Ord. 655B, 1999.]
8.24.110 False alarm charges.
A. The city shall charge and collect from the person owning or occupying a premises for a false alarm originating at said premises as follows:
1. For response to a premises from which a false alarm has not occurred within the preceding 180 days: no fee;
2. For a second response to a premises within 180 days after a first response: no fee;
3. For a third response to a premises within 180 days after a first response: $75.00;
4. For a fourth response to a premises within 180 days after a first response: $150.00;
5. For a fifth response to a premises within 180 days after a first response, and for all succeeding responses within 180 days of the last response: $250.00.
B. All fees due and payable under this section shall be billed by the city finance department. Said fees shall be paid within 30 days after the date of billing. A service charge of one percent per month shall be added to any billing for such fees not paid within said 30-day period. [Ord. 1112B § 1, 2025; Ord. 831B, 2007; Ord. 655B, 1999.]
8.24.120 Suspension of police response.
A. As a penalty for continuous false alarm dispatches at a particular alarm site, alarm users may be subject to suspension of police response to future alarm activations. This suspension would not apply to duress, medical, fire, or holdup alarms and will have no impact or bearing on emergency 911 calls made by the alarm user. After five false alarms within any 12-month period, the police department shall send written notification by certified mail or personal service to the alarm user that will contain the following information:
1. That five false alarms have occurred within a 12-month period;
2. That if one more false alarm occurs within the next six months, police officers will not respond to any subsequent alarm dispatch requests for that particular alarm site without the written approval of the chief; and
3. That the approval of the chief can only be obtained by applying in writing for reinstatement. The chief may reinstate the alarm user upon finding that all outstanding fees imposed and owed to the city under this chapter have been paid, and reasonable efforts have been made to correct the false alarms. Such corrections or repairs may consist of, but are not limited to:
a. Renovation of the alarm system by an alarm business or authorized service personnel;
b. Installation of new system; or
c. Material changes to the existing alarm system so as to reduce the number of false alarm activations.
B. Reinstatement of the alarm user, by written approval from the chief, shall nullify the previous five alarms and shall initiate a new 12-month period for purposes of calculating the number of false alarms pursuant to this chapter.
C. Unless there has been written approval by the chief to reinstate the alarm user, the police department shall notify the alarm user upon the occurrence of the sixth false alarm by certified mail or personal service of the suspension of police response. The suspension of police response to an alarm user shall begin 10 days after the date of the written notification.
D. For purposes of this section, each individual apartment unit will be considered a separate alarm site.
E. The order of suspension of police response may be appealed to the chief as set forth in this chapter. [Ord. 1112B § 1, 2025; Ord. 655B, 1999.]
8.24.130 Tampering prohibited.
Any person who willfully and without cause tampers with, cuts, breaks, defaces, or activates any alarm (including auxiliary alarm devices, wires, or wire supports or appurtenances thereto) being monitored by or on behalf of the city, or who intentionally transmits or activates an alarm knowing no emergency exists, shall be deemed to have committed an infraction. The provisions of this section shall not apply to:
A. Employees of the department engaged in their official duties;
B. Any competent representative of a manufacturer of alarm equipment who, with the consent and knowledge of the department which would respond to the alarm activation, is modifying, adjusting, altering, repairing, or replacing the alarm system or any of its component equipment; or
C. Any competent insurance rating engineer who is testing the alarm in discharge of his duties and with the consent and knowledge of the department which would respond to the alarm activation. [Ord. 1112B § 1, 2025; Ord. 655B, 1999.]
8.24.140 Appeals process.
A. Any alarm user subject to the imposition of a fee or order of suspension of police response may appeal under the terms of this chapter within 14 days of the issue date of the written notification from the department which would respond to the alarm activation.
B. The filing of a request for an appeal with the police or fire chief will stay the fee or suspension of police response until a decision is made on the appeal.
C. Appeals must contain the following information:
1. The reasons for the appeal, such as mitigating circumstances for the cause of the false alarm; and
2. Written verification of an inspection of the alarm system for any mechanical, electrical, or other malfunction that may have been the cause of the alarm activation, and, if a malfunction is deemed to exist, written verification of the correction or repair of the alarm system. [Ord. 1112B § 1, 2025; Ord. 655B, 1999.]
8.24.150 Applicability of provisions.
The terms and provisions of this chapter shall apply to all alarm systems located within the corporate limits of the city if response thereto is made by the department, whether such alarm is monitored by or on behalf of the department or by any other agency, public or private. [Ord. 1112B § 1, 2025; Ord. 655B, 1999.]
8.24.160 Penalty.
Any person found to have committed an infraction under this chapter shall be assessed a monetary penalty not to exceed the sum of $500.00 for each separate infraction. [Ord. 1112B § 1, 2025; Ord. 655B, 1999.]