§ 3-2. Definitions.

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Act of God: An unusual, extraordinary, sudden and unexpected manifestation of the forces of nature, which cannot be prevented by reasonable human care, skill or foresight.

Alarm or alarm system: A mechanical or electrical device that is used to detect smoke, fire, hazardous materials or an unauthorized entry into a building or other facility, or to alert other persons of the occurrence the commission of an unlawful act against a person or within a building or other facility, and that may be designed to emit an audible alarm or transmit a signal or message when activated. Alarm or alarm system includes, but is not limited to: silent, panic, holdup, robbery, duress, burglary, check welfare, and proprietor alarms. Alarm or alarm system shall not include telephone call diverters and systems that are designed to report environmental and other occurrences and that are not designed to alert, or cause other persons to alert, public safety personnel.

Alarm business: Any owner or operator of a business which sells, rents, installs, maintains or monitors alarm systems, devices, leases or services.

Alarm subscriber: Any person who leases, rents or purchases any monitored alarm system, device or service from an alarm business or who leases or rents an audible alarm system or device or who contracts with an alarm business for alarm monitoring, repair or maintenance services.

Audible alarm: A device designed for the detection of an unauthorized entry on premises and which when activated generates an audible sound on the premises.

Automatic dialer: Any electrical, electronic, mechanical or other device capable of being programmed to send a prerecorded voice message, when activated or if self-activated, over a telephone line, radio or other communication system, to the Police Department.

Common cause: A common technical difficulty or malfunction which causes an alarm system to generate a series of false alarms. The series of false alarms shall be counted as one (1) false alarm only if:

The false alarms have occurred within a seventy-two (72) hour period; and

The responsible alarm subscriber or proprietor alarm owner has documents to the Police [Chief] the action taken to rectify the cause; and

A thirty-day (30) period expires with the alarm system generating no additional false alarms from the documented cause.

False alarms: Any activation of an alarm not caused by or as a result of a criminal act or unauthorized entry, except for activation for testing purposes when the Police Department has been given advance notice of such testing or activation caused by the Police Department.

Medical alert device: A device designed to help a patient obtain adequate help of the right type during a medical emergency.

Monitored alarm: A device designed for the detection of an unauthorized entry in premises and which when activated generates an inaudible signal to a monitoring station. A monitored alarm may also generate an audible sound on the premises.

Panic alarm: A silent or audible alarm system signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a life threatening or emergency situation requiring law enforcement response.

Person: A corporation, firm, partnership, association, organization or any other group acting as a unit, as well as an individual.

Proprietor alarm: Any alarm or alarm system which is not leased or rented from, or owned or maintained under contract by an alarm business.

(Ord. No. 2993, § 1, 6-14-16)