Calexico Municipal Code Ch. 5.70 Administration and Enforcement of Emergency Alarm Systems

A. The majority of burglary and holdup alarms to which law enforcement responds are false. Such alarms result in an enormous waste of manpower, and the large percentage of false alarms may lull law enforcement officers and the public into a false sense of security.

B. Alarm systems which automatically and directly dial any emergency telephone number are prone to be activated by electrical failures or other events having no connection with criminal activity, and tie up such emergency telephones making them unavailable to receive genuine emergency calls.

C. The danger to the public created by false alarms and the attendant emergency response is unnecessary and hazardous.

D. The waste of tax dollars through false alarm response must be reduced.

E. The intent of this chapter is to reduce false alarms by establishing performance criteria for alarm systems within the city.

F. The city is empowered to enact the ordinance codified in this chapter according to the provisions of California Business and Professional Code Section 7592.8.

(Ord. 960 (part), 1996)

For the purpose of this chapter the following words and phrases shall mean:

A. "Alarm agent" means any person who is employed by an alarm business either directly or indirectly, whose duties include any of the following: selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving or installing on or in any building, structure or facility, any alarm system.

B. "Alarm business" means the business by an individual, partnership, corporation or other entity of selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving or installing on or in any building, structure or facility.

C. "Alarm system" means any mechanical or electrical device which is designed or used for the detection of an unauthorized entry into a building, structure or facility, which emits a sound or transmits a signal or message when actuated that is intended to evoke a Calexico police department response. The term includes devices of several types in a single location and constitutes an alarm system.

D. "Burglary alarm system" means any device which is designed or used for the detection of intrusion into a building, structure or facility, which detection causes a local audible alarm or the transmission of a related signal or message, which is used to evoke a Calexico police department response.

E. "Direct dial telephone device" means any device, including tape dialers, which will automatically dial a telephone number maintained by the Calexico police department.

F. "Emergency alarm system" means any device which is designed or used to alert, either directly or indirectly, personnel of the Calexico police department to any emergency situation.

G. "False alarm" means any activation of an alarm system by failure, malfunction, accidental tripping, improper use, misuse or negligent maintenance by the owner or lessee of the alarm system or his employee or agent or any other activation of an alarm system that results in the response of the Calexico police department where an emergency situation does not exist, except excusable alarms caused by severe weather conditions, telephone line malfunctions, or any factor over which the permittee alarm company and the Calexico police department lack control.

H. "Local alarm system" means any audible alarm system which can be heard from the exterior of any structure.

I. "Panic alarm" means any device designed or used for the purpose of alerting personnel of the Calexico police department, either directly or indirectly, to the commission of a crime involving potential death or serious injury at a particular location.

J. "Robbery alarm system" means any device designed or used for the purpose of alerting personnel of the Calexico police department, either directly or indirectly, to the commission of a crime involving potential death or serious injury at a particular location.

(Ord. 960 (part), 1996)

A. No person shall maintain an alarm business in the city without having previously registered as required by the state of California. Any person acting as an alarm agent or responding alarm agent must carry his registration card issued by the state of California while engaged in alarm agent activities and shall display such registration card to the chief of police or his representative upon request.

B. Any person or business who leases, maintains, sells or installs any alarm system or who causes such a system to be leased, maintained, sold or installed shall be responsible for informing the person who leases, rents, purchases, or has installed an alarm system of the provisions of this chapter; such notification shall be in writing and shall include the following.

C. Direct dial telephone devices are prohibited.

(Ord. 960 (part), 1996)

No direct dial telephone devices shall be programmed to dial any of the emergency or "call for services" numbers servicing the city.

(Ord. 960 (part), 1996)

All local alarm systems shall be installed with an automatic fifteen-minute shutoff.

(Ord. 960 (part), 1996)

A. Upon notification by the Calexico police department, the alarm user or responding party shall promptly proceed within thirty minutes to the scene of the alarm and render any necessary service. The service shall include, but is not limited to, opening the premises so that said premises may be searched.

B. There shall be a service fee of twenty-five dollars for each incident where a responsible person cannot be located to respond to the scene of the alarm within thirty minutes.

(Ord. 960 (part), 1996)

A. For any and all false alarms there shall be a service fee at a rate determined by the city council by ordinance or resolution.

B. Determination of false alarm. Upon failure of the Calexico police department to locate any evidence of intrusion or other need or cause for activating an alarm system, a presumption of a false alarm will be made. If within ten days, the chief of police receives from the permittee satisfactory written evidence that the alarm was valid, i.e. an excusable alarm as defined by Section 5.70.020 or an alarm caused by an unauthorized entry, attempted unauthorized entry, or other unlawful activity on the alarm site, the permittee's records will be amended to indicate a valid or excusable alarm. The chief of police will make the final determination as to whether or not there has been a false alarm. The decision of the chief of police may be appealed to the city manager.

(Ord. No. 1102, § 3, 9-22-09; Ord. 960 (part), 1996)

The provisions of this chapter do not apply to:

A. Persons engaged solely in the manufacture, repair or sale of alarm systems and/or components at a fixed location;

B. Alarm systems which do not directly alert law enforcement agencies or others outside the protected building, structure or facility, but are designed solely to alert security personnel or others directly connected with or employed by the owner or operator of the protected building, structure or facility.

(Ord. 960 (part), 1996)

The information furnished and secured pursuant to this chapter shall be confidential in character and shall not be subject to public inspection, and shall be kept so that the contents thereof shall not be known except to persons charged with the administration of this chapter.

(Ord. 960 (part), 1996)

Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter is deemed guilty of an infraction, and upon conviction thereof shall be punishable by a fine as per Section 1.24.010 of this code.

(Ord. 960 (part), 1996)