Contra Costa County Municipal Code Ch. 54-12 Alarm Systems

(a) The purpose of this chapter is to set forth regulations governing alarm systems, both commercial and residential, within the county, and provide for enforcement of violations of provisions of this chapter.

(b) This chapter is not enacted pursuant to the power to license or tax business for revenue purposes. Any fee or charge authorized by this chapter is for the sole purpose of defraying the cost and expense of regulating the activities of the above-mentioned alarm systems and of responding to false alarms.

(Ord. 84-28).

The following definitions shall apply to this chapter:

(1) "Alarm business" means any business operated by a person or business entity which engages in the activity of altering, installing, leasing, maintaining, repairing, replacing, selling, servicing or responding to an alarm system. Public agencies are not included within this definition.

(2) "Alarm system" means an assembly of equipment and devices designed to signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention and to which police or fire agencies are expected to respond. "Alarm system" includes, but is not limited to, audible alarms, automatic dialing systems, commercial alarms, robbery alarm systems, intrusion alarm systems, manual holdup alarm systems, remote signaling systems, fire alarm systems, and alarm systems which monitor temperature, humidity, smoke or other products of combustion.

(3) "Audible alarm" means any alarm system which generates a sound which is designed to be heard outside the building where the system is installed.

(4) "Automatic dialing system" means an alarm system which automatically sends over telephone lines, by direct connection or otherwise, a message or signal indicating the existence of an emergency situation.

(5) "Commercial alarm" means an alarm installed on premises which are not primarily used for residential purposes.

(6) "False alarm" means the activation of an alarm system through mechanical failure, electrical failure, electronic failure, malfunction, improper installation or maintenance, or the negligence of the owner, lessee, or of the owner's or lessee's employees or agents. Such terminology does not include, for example, alarms caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, or other violent, uncontrollable acts of nature.

(7) "Intrusion alarm system" means an alarm system signaling an entry or attempted entry into the area protected by the system.

(8) "Manual holdup alarm system" means an alarm system in which the signal transmission is initiated by the direct action of the person attacked or by an observer of the attack.

(9) "Police alarm board" means an alarm- receiving center operated by the sheriff's department.

(10) "Public agency" means and includes the state, county and any city or district therein, and any departments or officers thereof.

(11) "Remote signaling system" means an alarm signaling system which, when activated by an alarm device, transmits a signal from an alarm signaling device to a central location, including, but not limited to, the police alarm board, where appropriate action is taken to investigate and respond to the signal.

(12) "Robbery alarm system" means an alarm system signaling a robbery or attempted robbery.

(13) "Sheriff" means the sheriff of Contra Costa County or the sheriff's designated representative.

(14) "Subscriber" means any person or business entity which owns, leases, rents or is entitled to possession of any premises on which an alarm system is installed. Public agencies are not included within this definition.

(Ord. No. 2024-23, § III(Exh. A), 12-3-24; Ord. 84-28).

(a) No audible alarm shall be installed, maintained or used which emits a sound similar to that of an emergency vehicle siren.

(b) The subscriber of an audible alarm affixed to real property shall post a notice containing the name and telephone number of the person to be notified to render repairs, services or turn off the alarm when the alarm is activated. Such notice shall be posted near the alarm in such a position as to be legible from the ground adjacent to the building.

(c) All audible alarms shall be designed and/or equipped to automatically turn off no more than twenty minutes after activated.

(d) No subscriber shall design or equip an audible alarm to automatically set itself.

(Ord. 84-28).

(a) All new commercial alarms shall be supplied with an uninterruptable power supply in such a manner that the failure or interruption of the normal utility electric service will not activate the alarm system. The power supply shall be capable of operating for at least four hours.

(b) Commercial alarms installed prior to the enactment of the ordinance codified in this chapter shall comply with this requirement within six months of the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter.

(Ord. 84-28).

(a) No person or business entity shall use or operate, cause to be used or operated, arrange, adjust, program, or otherwise provide or install any device or combination of devices, including alarm systems, that will, upon activation, initiate the calling, dialing or connection to any telephone number, line or instrument assigned to a public agency in Contra Costa County for the purpose of delivering a recorded message, without the prior written consent of the public agency.

(b) The public agency may withdraw its consent by mailing written notice to the person to whom consent was given and such person shall disconnect the device(s) within seven calendar days of mailing the notice of withdrawal.

(c) An automatic dialing system shall dial the specific telephone number assigned to it and no other.

(Ord. 84-28; Ord. 72-24 § 1, 1972: Ord. 71-102 § 1 (part), 1971).

No alarm shall terminate at the police alarm board without the prior written consent of the sheriff.

(Ord. 84-28).

(a) For every false alarm in excess of three during any ninety-day period or eight during any twelve-month period, the subscriber of the errant alarm shall pay a false alarm fee.

(b) The false alarm fee shall be established by board resolution.

(c) For purposes of this section, all false alarms within a twenty-four-hour period shall be deemed one false alarm.

(Ord. 84-28).

(a) In lieu of the false alarm fee, the sheriff may determine that a subscriber's alarm is an alarm warranting a "nonresponse" by emergency units.

(b) "Nonresponse" status may be based on one or more of the following conditions:

(1) Personnel at the location of the alarm system are not properly trained;

(2) The alarm system is not properly maintained;

(3) False alarms are a recurring problem;

(4) The subscriber has failed to pay the false alarm fee within thirty days after the date of mailing the invoice;

(5) The subscriber has failed or refused to respond to the location of an errant alarm;

(6) The alarm system has been activated for reasons other than probable burglary, intrusion or robbery; or

(7) The subscriber has failed to comply with any provision of this chapter.

(c) Emergency units will not respond to any alarm system in "nonresponse" status.

(Ord. 84-28).

The sheriff shall given written notice to any subscriber who is deemed subject to nonresponse status, that seven calendar days after mailing this notice, emergency units will no longer respond to the subscriber's alarm system unless an appeal to the sheriff is timely made.

(Ord. 84-28).

(a) Within seven days of the date of mailing a "nonresponse" notice, the subscriber may mail a written request, by first-class mail, return receipt requested, for a hearing before the sheriff. The request shall set forth the reason(s) why the alarm should not be placed on nonresponse status.

(b) The sheriff shall set a hearing and mail written notice of the date, time, and place thereof to the subscriber at least ten days prior to the date of such hearing.

(c) At the hearing, the parties or their authorized representatives may present relevant oral and documentary evidence and cross-examine witnesses.

(d) The decision of the sheriff may be appealed to the board of supervisors no later than ten days from the date of mailing the decision. The letter of appeal must state the grounds for appeal and must be mailed no later than ten days from the date the decision is mailed.

(Ord. 84-28).

The county shall be under no duty or obligation to subscribers or any other person or business entity, by reason of any provision of this chapter or any privileges of a subscriber hereunder, including, but not limited to, any defects in the police alarm board or any delays in transmission or response to any alarm.

(Ord. 84-28).

The county is authorized to collect the false alarm fee and sue any person or business which has failed to pay the fee within a reasonable time or failed to comply with any provision of this chapter.

(Ord. 84-28).

If any section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of this chapter or any part thereof is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid or ineffective by any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity or effectiveness of the remaining portions of this division or any part thereof. The board of supervisors declares that it would have passed each section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more of these sections, subsections, subdivisions, paragraphs, sentences, clauses phrases be declared unconstitutional or invalid or ineffective.

(Ord. 84-28).

(a) Any violation of this chapter is an infraction.

(b) Any violation of this chapter shall constitute a public nuisance. In addition to any other remedies provided in this chapter, the county may summarily abate and bring suit to enjoin or abate the nuisance.

(Ord. 84-28).