Chico Municipal Code § 5.41.010 Purpose

This chapter is adopted pursuant to the municipal affairs provisions of the City Charter to enact rules and regulations reasonably necessary to promote the health, welfare and safety of the residents of the City of Chico by reducing false fire alarms. False fire alarms constitute a hazard to the safety of first responders and the public in general, because of the danger of collisions while responding to false fire alarms, and because responding to false fire alarms diverts fire resources from other important Chico Fire Department duties.

The express purpose of this chapter is to provide for and promote the health, safety and welfare of the general public. This chapter imposes or creates no duties on the part of the city or any of its departments, and the obligation of complying with the requirements of this chapter, and any liability for failing to do so, is placed upon the parties responsible for using, owning, operating, monitoring or maintaining fire alarm systems.

(Ord. 2514 §3 (part))

The following definitions shall be fully applicable to this Chapter 5.41 in its entirety, except as expressly stated to the contrary herein.

A. "Audible fire alarm system" and/or "audible fire alarm device" means an alarm system which, when activated, generates sound perceptible from the exterior of the building structure or facility in which the fire alarm system is located.

B. "Department" means the Department of Finance and Administrative Services of the City of Chico.

C. "Director" means the Director of Finance and Administrative Services of the City of Chico or any officer, agent or employee of the city designated to act on the Director's behalf.

D. "Emergency" means an occasion that reasonably requires a response by the fire department. A response due to failure of a fire alarm system, personnel error in transmission or reporting of an alarm, or repair or maintenance of a fire alarm system is not an emergency.

E. "Fire alarm system" means any mechanical, electrical or electronic device designed or used to detect fire in a building, structure or facility or both, which when activated emits, transmits or relays a signal intended to summon a response by the fire department to a fire at the premises. "Fire alarm system" does not include a fire alarm system:

• 1. Designed to alert only the inhabitants of a residence or business premises;
• 2. Not designed or used to invoke a fire department response;
• 3. Installed on a temporary basis by the fire department.

F. "Fire alarm system monitoring company," means any individual, partnership, corporation or other form of association that engages in business or accepts employment to monitor fire alarm systems located in the City of Chico. For purposes of this chapter, fire alarm system monitoring company includes those dealers and installers who contract with a property owner, subscriber, or customer to perform fire alarm system monitoring services and then subcontract with another fire alarm system monitoring company to provide actual monitoring services.

G. "Fire alarm system site" means the location at which a fire alarm system is installed.

H. "Fire alarm user" means any person, as defined in this Chapter, in possession and control, whether as an owner, lessee or otherwise, of any building, structure or facility in which a fire alarm system has been installed and is operated. It means only the subscriber when the system is connected to a fire alarm system monitoring company. It means only the self-monitored false fire alarm system user when the system is not connected to a fire alarm system monitoring company.

I. "Fire Chief" or "Chief" means the Chief of the City of Chico Fire Department and his or her designee.

J. "False fire alarm" means activation of an alarm system through improper installation, mis-operation, malfunction, misuse, or neglect on the part of the fire alarm user, accidental triggering, or mechanical, electrical or electronic failure, which results in an emergency response to the alarm system site by the fire department and which the fire department determines was not warranted by an emergency situation. "False alarm" does not include activation of an alarm system caused by:

1. Earthquake, violent wind or similar acts of nature;

2. Malfunction offsite of electrical, telephone or wireless equipment or services provided to support an alarm system; or

3. Other extraordinary circumstances not reasonably subject to the control of the fire alarm user.

K. "Nuisance fire alarm system" means a fire alarm system that has been declared, pursuant to this chapter, a public nuisance due to excessive false alarms.

L. "Person" or “person”, as used throughout this Chapter, means any individual, partnership, corporation, trust, incorporated or unincorporated entity, or other entity or group of persons.

M. "Self-monitored fire alarm system user" means any person who does not engage in business or accepts employment to monitor fire alarm systems, but elects to internally monitor its own fire alarm system located within the City of Chico.

N. "Subscriber" means a person having or maintaining a fire alarm system where such a system is connected to or in communication with a fire alarm system monitoring company.

(Ord. 2514 §3 (part), Ord. 2565 §2)

It shall be unlawful for anyone to make any direct connection to or on the municipally owned fire signal systems of the City of Chico.

(Ord. 2514 §3 (part))

Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit or prevent any individual from making reports to the Chico Fire Department.

(Ord. 2514 §3 (part))

Anyone who shall have or maintain on any premises a fire alarm system in accordance with this chapter shall maintain posted at the main entrance to such premises a prominent notice of the telephone numbers at which the person or persons authorized to enter such premises and turn off such alarm can be reached at all times.

(Ord. 2514 §3 (part))

A. Every fire alarm system monitoring company doing business in the City of Chico shall obtain and maintain a City of Chico business license in accordance with the Chico Municipal Code.

B. No self-monitored fire alarm system user is required to obtain a City of Chico business license.

(Ord. 2514 §3 (part))

A. All fire alarm system installations shall comply with National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) Standard 72 or such equivalent standard that may be promulgated to supersede this standard.

B. The city council may adopt by resolution such standards for fire alarm system equipment and operation as it deems appropriate and necessary to further implement the provisions of this chapter. Following such adoption, fire alarm system users shall comply with such standards in the installation, connection, operation, maintenance and use of fire alarm systems.

(Ord. 2514 §3 (part))

No person shall install, connect, operate, maintain or use any fire alarm system in violation of any standard adopted pursuant to the chapter for the operation and maintenance of fire alarm systems.

(Ord. 2514 §3 (part))