Mission Viejo Municipal Code Div. 15 Alarm Systems

(a) All alarm systems shall meet or exceed the standards established by the sheriff-coroner, county fire warden, including National Fire Protection Association Code 72 or director, general services agency, or such other regulations as may be adopted by the city council.

(b) The chief of police may exempt any alarm system or kind or type of alarm system with the exception of fire and smoke alarms from any or all of the requirements of this division if in his opinion such system does not create a substantial danger of generating false alarms necessitating a response by an emergency response agency.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 4(5-3-301), 6-27-88)

(a) No person shall lease, maintain, service, repair, alter, replace, move, install or use any alarm system which automatically direct dials the telephone number of an emergency response agency.

(b) Alarm businesses which deal in direct dial telephone devices shall advise each person who acquires such a device for use in any area subject to this article of the existence of this division or shall provide a copy thereof to that person. Alarm businesses may obtain copies from the chief of police.

(c) All direct dial telephone alarm systems to an emergency response agency shall be deactivated or modified so as to remove their direct dialing characteristics. Such alarm system, as modified, must comply with this division and such additional regulations as may be adopted by the city council.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 4(5-3-302), 6-27-88)

Direct alarm systems shall not be connected to an emergency response agency except with the permission of the emergency response agency.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 4(5-3-303), 6-27-88)

(a) When an alarm system has been activated for an alarm subscriber the alarm business which provides the subscription service shall arrange at all times to have an alarm agency with the ability to be present at the location of the alarm within one hour after being requested to do so by a representative of the emergency response agency. The user of an alarm system which is not part of a subscription service shall designate a person to be available to respond to the protected premises within one hour after being requested to do so by a representative of an emergency response agency.

(b) The subscriber or user shall maintain the alarm equipment in proper working order at all times.

(c) Each alarm business or user shall furnish to the emergency response agency the names, addresses and telephone numbers of as many persons as deemed necessary by the emergency response agency to call in the event of an emergency. Changes occurring in any names, addresses or telephone numbers provided shall be immediately communicated to the emergency response agency in writing.

(d) All alarm equipment, installations and repairs shall comply with rules and regulations promulgated by the emergency response agency regulating the times and conditions under which such installations or repairs may be made or tested.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 4(5-3-304), 6-27-88)

All audible systems shall, after activation, limit the generation of the audible sound to a maximum of 15 minutes when the alarm system is protecting a residential premises, and 30 minutes when an alarm is protecting any other premises. This limitation shall be incorporated into the equipment at the protected location. The system may include an automatic resetting device causing the subject system to rearm upon automatic shutoff.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 4(5-3-305), 6-27-88)

All direct alarm systems shall delay, after activation, signal transmission to the emergency response agency for a period of at least 30 seconds. In addition, all direct alarm systems shall, immediately upon activation, emit a signal perceptible to any person entering, leaving or occupying the protected premises, except those systems identified as silent alarms. All alarms shall have a device to manually deactivate the alarm on all equipment installed at the protected premises.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 4(5-3-306), 6-27-88)

In addition to any other fines or penalties established by law, each emergency response agency shall establish rules and regulations regarding penalties to be imposed upon any alarm business, alarm agent, alarm subscriber or user or proprietor of an alarm system which is not installed or maintained in accordance with the requirements of this article and which, by reason thereof, signals a false alarm. Such penalties may include refusal to respond to an alarm at the protected premises, payment of the cost of the emergency response agency in responding to the false alarm, and payment of damages to the emergency response agency or to any other person who may suffer damages proximately caused by the response of an emergency response agency to the false alarm.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 4(5-3-307), 6-27-88)

No person shall intentionally initiate a false alarm except for purposes of testing an alarm system and then only after having given the emergency response agency prior notice thereof. Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be also subject to the other penalties prescribed by section 5.03.1540.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 4(5-3-308), 6-27-88)