Atherton Municipal Code Ch. 8.04 Alarm Systems

Sections:

• 8.04.010 Prohibited phone device. 8.04.020 Business license required for alarm system businesses.

• 8.04.030 Secondary telephone line—Permit application. 8.04.040 Secondary telephone line—Costs and charges. 8.04.050 Installation permit and registration fee required—Annual renewal. 8.04.070 False alarms and fees.

• 8.04.080 Audible alarm regulations.

No person shall use or cause to be used any telephone device or telephone attachment on the primary telephone trunk line of the police department which reproduces any prerecorded message. (Ord. 328 § 1, 1974)

Any person engaged in the business of selling or leasing alarms in the town shall pay a yearly license fee as provided in Section 5.12.150(1) of this code. (Ord. 635 § 1(A), 2018; Ord. 492 § 1(A), 1996; Ord. 328 § 2, 1974)

Any persons wishing to obtain a private secondary phone line terminating at the police dispatching center shall submit an application in writing to the chief of police. Such application shall contain an agreement to comply with the conditions of this chapter. The chief of police shall approve such application if the following conditions are met:

• A. The termination of the secondary phone line constitutes no hinderance to regular town activities.

B. All costs of installation and maintenance of such telephone lines shall be borne by the person requesting the terminating phone line.

C. The person requesting the terminating phone line shall maintain adequate equipment and service personnel to maintain or otherwise service alarms sold or leased by him.

D. The person requesting the terminating phone line shall make adequate provisions for testing of equipment and prevention of false alarms. (Ord. 328 § 3, 1974)

All costs and recurring charges incurred in the installation and maintenance of such secondary telephone lines shall be borne by the person requesting the terminating phone line. (Ord. 328 § 4, 1974)

Each person installing an alarm system in any premises or building in the town shall obtain an appropriate permit from the police department and pay a registration fee in an amount established by resolution of the city council.

Additionally, each permit shall be renewed annually and a fee paid to the police department in an amount established by resolution of the city council. (Ord. 642 § 1, 2020; Ord. 635 § 1(B), 2018; Ord. 492 § 1(B), 1996; Ord. 328 § 5, 1974)

A. The first through third false alarms within a twelve-month period shall result in a warning letter, but shall not incur any fee or charge for the response. Any fourth false alarm within the twelve-month period shall result in assessment of a fee as set forth by resolution of the city council. A fifth false alarm within the twelve-month period shall result in assessment of a fee as set forth by resolution of the city council. Any subsequent false alarm in excess of five shall result in assessment of a fee for each additional false alarm as set forth by resolution of the city council.

B. The term “false alarm” is defined as when an alarm signal is activated intentionally or inadvertently which results in a police response when there is no need for such response. If the alarm system owner contacts the police department prior to the arrival at the location of the alarm by a dispatched unit, the alarm system response shall not count as a false alarm.

C. Appeals. Any determination of a false alarm may be appealed by the alarm owner to the chief of police. Within five days of receipt of a written appeal, the chief of police or his authorized deputy shall set the time and place for the hearing of the appeal and give the appellant written notice thereof by United States mail, postage prepaid, to the address given in the appeal. The owner of the alarm system may appear at such hearing and testify if he or she desires. An appeal for financial hardship in paying accrued false alarm fees shall be part of the appeal process. The decision of the chief of police on the appeal shall be final, and the alarm owner shall be notified of the decision by regular United States mail, postage prepaid. There shall be a thirty-day grace period before termination of the alarm monitoring or nonresponse to privately monitored alarm.

D. Excessive False Alarms. In the event of receipt of more than twelve false alarm activations in a one-year period, such alarm system monitoring shall be suspended and the owner notified that the town will not continue to monitor their alarm system although the police department will continue to respond to outside monitoring calls for response or direct calls for service; however, additional false alarm fees in such cases will still be charged. (Ord. 635 §§ 1(D)—1(I), 2018; Ord. 527 § 1, 2001; Ord. 492 § 1(C), 1996; Ord. 432 § 2, 1987; Ord. 380, 1980; Ord. 354, 1977; Ord. 328 § 7, 1974)

A. Each audible alarm system shall be equipped with a timing device that will silence or turn off such audible signal within ten minutes of activation. After mailing of written notice of a first violation hereof, the owner of each audible alarm system that is not so equipped shall pay a service charge in an amount established by resolution of the city council for each subsequent violation.

B. It is unlawful to install or maintain any audible alarm which generates a sound similar to sirens used on authorized emergency vehicles or for civil disaster purposes.

C. “Audible alarm” means a device designed for detection of unauthorized entry on the land, building, structure or facility of any alarm owner, and which generates a sound audible outdoors when activated. (Ord. 492 § 1(D), 1996; Ord. 354, 1977; Ord. 328 § 8, 1974)