§ 42-102. Definitions.

For the purpose of this article, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section:

Alarm business: Any person who engages in the business of selling, altering, installing, leasing, maintaining, repairing, replacing, servicing, monitoring, or responding to an alarm system. Alarm subsystem: That part of an alarm system which is designed for a particular hazard or emergency, and which is part of an alarm system designed for multiple hazard or emergency warnings. For example, an alarm system which provides both fire and intrusion warnings may have a fire alert subsystem.

Alarm system: A device or an assembly of equipment which is intended to alert persons outside a premises to a forcible entry or intrusion into the premises or to a fire or conditions similar to fire on the premises; by connection to a private answering point for the purpose of reporting to emergency agencies, by connection to a private security service, or by direct connection to an emergency agency. The term does not include local alarm systems or proprietary systems.

Alarm user: Any person who owns, leases or uses an alarm system within the city, except for a person whose alarm system is on a motor vehicle. If, however, an alarm system on a motor vehicle is connected with an alarm system at a premises in the city, the person using such system is an alarm user.

Avoidable alarm: The activation of an alarm system through mechanical failure, malfunction, improper installation, or the negligence of the owner, user, custodian or lessee of an alarm system, or his employees or agents, or through any other cause, whereby notification to an emergency agency indicates that an emergency situation exists requiring response by an emergency agency when, in fact, no such emergency situation exists. An avoidable alarm also includes the knowing or intentional activation of an alarm to an emergency agency when the activator knows that an emergency situation does not exist. Avoidable alarm does not include alarms activated by violent conditions of nature, such as blizzards, tornadoes, earthquakes, or any other similar cause beyond the control of the user of an alarm system. Activation of an alarm system under circumstances in which the activator reasonably believes that an emergency situation exists is not an avoidable alarm.

Emergency agency: The police department or fire department. False hold-up alarm: Any signal actuated by a hold-up alarm to which the police respond but which is not the result of a hold-up or robbery.

False police alert alarms: Any signal activated by a police alert alarm to which police respond but which is not the result of an imminent danger of death or bodily injury.

Hold-up alarm: Any police alert alarm actuated by a hold-up or robbery at a specific location; or actuated by a victim of a hold-up or robbery at a specific location.

Local alarm system: A signaling system which, when activated, causes an audible signaling device to be activated outside the premises within which the system is installed.

Police alert alarm: An alarm or alarm system component which is intended to be used to signal police in an emergency situation where an imminent danger of death or bodily injury exists. Private answering point: A business which offers the service of receiving emergency signals, monitoring said signals, and relaying them to an emergency agency.

Proprietary system: An alarm, sound and/or recording alarm and supervisory signals at a control center located within the premises protected by the alarm, which does not activate an alert to persons outside of the premises and is not intended to alert an emergency agency, the control center being under the supervision of the proprietor of the protected premises. If a proprietary system includes a signal line connected directly or by means of an automatic dialing device to an emergency agency or to a private answering point, or to a local alarm system, it thereby becomes an "alarm system" as defined in this section.

(Ord. No. 145-88, § 1, 3-14-88; Ord. No. 298-88, § 1, 5-23-88; Ord. No. 432-02, § 1, 6-3-02)

Cross reference

Definitions and rules of construction generally, § 1-2.