Stanton Municipal Code Ch. 5.40 Burglary, Robbery and Fire Alarm Systems

Note: Prior history: Prior code §§ 5.40.010—5.40.170; Ords. 526 and 565.

For the purpose of this chapter, certain words and phrases shall be construed as set forth in this section unless it is apparent from the context that a different meaning is intended.

"Alarm agent"

means any person employed by an alarm business whose duties include the altering, maintaining, moving, repairing, replacing, selling, servicing, responding to or causing others to respond to an alarm system, in or on any building, structure or facility, but shall not include persons engaged in the manufacture or sale of alarm systems from fixed locations and who neither visit the location where such alarm system will be installed nor design the plan for the physical location and installation of such alarm system at a specific location.

"Alarm business"

means the business carried on by any individual, partnership, corporation or other entity of selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving, or installing any alarm system or causing to be sold, leased, maintained, serviced, repaired, altered, replaced, moved or installed any alarm system in or on any building, structure or facility.

"Alarm system"

means any mechanical or electrical device which is designed or used for the detection of fire, intrusion into a building, structure or facility or for alerting others of an event within a facility, or both, which event causes a local audible alarm or transmission of a signal or message. Alarm systems include, but are not limited to, direct dial telephone devices, audible alarms, and proprietor alarms. Devices which are not designed or used to evoke a police or fire response, or used to register alarms that are intended to be audible, visible or perceptible outside of the protected building, structure, or facility are not included within this definition, nor are auxiliary devices installed by telephone company to protect its systems which might be damaged or disrupted by the use of an alarm system.

"Audible alarm"

means a device designed for the detection of a fire or of an intrusion on premises, which generates an audible sound on the premises when it is actuated.

"City"

means the city of Stanton.

"Direct alarm"

means any alarm system connecting an authorized source to the emergency response agency by a leased telephone line that may be connected by any automatic dialing device or any other direct line that has no intermediate station.

"Emergency response agency"

means the Orange County sheriff-coroner department and Orange County fire authority.

"False alarm"

means the activation of an alarm signal necessitating response by an emergency response agency when an emergency situation does not exist. Upon failure of the emergency response agency to find any evidence of intrusion, fire, or other need or cause for activating an alarm system, a conclusive presumption of false alarm will be made. False alarm shall not include alarms caused by earthquakes, violent winds, malfunction of telephone line circuits, or external causes beyond the control of the owner or lessee of the alarm system.

"Person"

means a person, firm, corporation, association, partnership, individual, organization or company.

"Proprietor alarm"

means an alarm which is not regularly serviced by an alarm business.

(Ord. 956 § 2, 2009)

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, except with the written permission of the chief of police, as provided in this section.

B. Unless otherwise permitted pursuant to subsection A of this section, 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 systems, as modified, must comply with this chapter and such additional regulations as may be adopted by the city council.

C. In order to 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, a person must complete a written application on a form approved by the city manager and chief of police and submit the completed application to the chief of police.

(Ord. 956 § 2, 2009)

The owner of or lessee of any alarm system shall be assessed a fee, in an amount established by resolution of the city council, for each false alarm in excess of two for any twelve-month period. In addition to this fee, the city and emergency response agency may impose any other fines or penalties established by law, including refusal to respond to an alarm at the protected premises 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. 956 § 2, 2009)

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 also be subject to the other penalties by Section 5.40.030.

(Ord. 956 § 2, 2009)

A. All alarm systems shall meet or exceed the standards established by each emergency response agency servicing the city, 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 section if, in his or her opinion, such system does not create a substantial danger of generating false alarms necessitating a response by an emergency response agency.

(Ord. 956 § 2, 2009)

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 agent 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 a 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 the emergency response agency.

B. The subscriber and 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 the names, addresses, or telephone numbers provided shall be immediately communicated to the emergency response agency in writing.

(Ord. 956 § 2, 2009)

All audible alarm systems, excluding the fire alarms which sound indicating the functioning of an automatic fire sprinkler system, shall include a device which will limit the generation of the audible sound of the system to not longer than fifteen minutes after activation when the alarm system is protecting a residential structure and thirty minutes when the alarm system is protecting a commercial structure. Said systems, however, shall include an automatic resetting device which shall cause the subject system to be rearmed upon automatic shutoff.

(Ord. 956 § 2, 2009)

All direct alarm systems permitted by the chief of police shall delay, after activation, signal transmission to the emergency response agency for a period of at least thirty 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. 956 § 2, 2009)

It is unlawful to install or use an alarm system which upon activation emits a sound similar to sirens in use on emergency vehicles or for civil defense purposes within the city.

(Ord. 956 § 2, 2009)

The city is under no obligation or duty to any person by reason of any provision of this chapter, or the exercise of any privilege by any provision of this chapter, or the exercise of any privilege by any person under this chapter, including, but not limited to, any defects in an alarm system or any delay in responding to any alarm by any city officer, employee or agent, or any emergency response agency.

(Ord. 956 § 2, 2009)