<div class="chunk-title">Sec. 23-1. - False alarms.</div>
<div class="chunk-content">
            <p class="incr0">
               (a)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Purpose.</span>
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (1)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               The purpose of this section is to encourage alarm users and alarm companies to maintain
               the operational reliability of alarm systems and to properly use alarm systems in
               order to reduce or eliminate false/accidental alarm dispatches of fire apparatus.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (2)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               This section governs systems intended to summon a fire response, establishes a fee
               associated with penalties for violations.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (b)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Definitions.</span> For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply unless the
               context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Alarm</span> means the activation of an alarm signal that produced either an audible sound that
               can be heard from the interior or exterior of a commercial or residential building,
               structure, or premises housing the alarm system, or the emission of a signal to a
               direct monitoring service which in turn notifies the county communications center
               or directly notifies local officials that an alarm has been activated.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Alarm business</span> means the business by any individual, partnership or corporation serving, 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 commercial or residential building, structure or premises,
               and shall not include any other activity of the business.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Alarm dispatch request</span> means a notification to public safety officials by an alarm company that an alarm
               has been activated at an alarm site.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Alarm installation</span> means any alarm device or combination of devices installed for one or more commercial
               or residential buildings, structures or premises.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Alarm system</span> means a device or series of devices, including, but not limited to, systems interconnected
               with a radio frequency signal, which are designed to warn of fire by emitting or transmitting
               a remote or local audible, visual, or electronic signal indicating an alarm condition
               that may require attention by a fire department.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Automatic telephone dialing device</span> or <span class="ital">digital alarm communication system</span> means an alarm system that automatically sends a prerecorded voice message or coded
               signal over regular telephone lines by direct connection or any other digital method
               indicating the existence of the emergency situation that the alarm system is designed
               to detect.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">False fire alarm</span> means any transmitted alarm signal in which there is no sign of smoke, fire or water-flow
               conditions.
               </p>
            <p class="incr0">
               (c)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">General regulations.</span>
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (1)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               The alarm user shall maintain the premises and the alarm system in a manner that will
               minimize or eliminate false/accidental alarm dispatches and activate the alarm only
               for the occurrence of events it was designed to report.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (2)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               The alarm user shall respond or cause a responsible representative to respond to the
               alarm site within 30 minutes when notified by officials.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (3)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               Each alarm user shall furnish to the county in writing the names and telephone number
               of at least one, but no more than five, persons who are key holders and able to deactivate
               the alarm system.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (4)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               The alarm user shall adjust the mechanism or cause the mechanism to be adjusted so
               that an alarm signal audible on the exterior of the alarm site shall sound no longer
               than 15 minutes, requiring an automatic reset.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (d)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Alarm response.</span>
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (1)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               It shall be determined that three or more fire false alarms within a 12-month period
               is excessive and constitutes a public nuisance. The county will allow three fire false
               alarm response to any alarm user within a 12-month period without penalty. A civil
               penalty shall be issued for any excess false alarm responses as follows:
               </p>
            		
            <p class="b2">
               <span class="ital">Fire False Alarms:</span>
               
               <p class="b3">
                  4th false alarm: $50.00
                  </p>
               
               <p class="b3">
                  5th false alarm: $75.00
                  </p>
               
               <p class="b3">
                  6th false alarm: $100.00
                  </p>
               
               <p class="b3">
                  7th false alarm: $150.00
                  </p>
               
               <p class="b3">
                  8th false alarm: $200.00
                  </p>
               
               <p class="b3">
                  9th false alarm: $250.00
                  </p>
               
               <p class="b3">
                  10 or more false alarms: $500.00
                  </p>
               
            <p class="incr1">
               (2)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               No fee shall be assessed if the false/accidental alarm is:
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr2">
               a.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content3">
               Caused by a hurricane, tornado or lightning strike where there is clear evidence of
               physical damage to the alarm system.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr2">
               b.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content3">
               Activated by an electrical power outage to the electric meter on the commercial or
               residential building housing the activated alarm system.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr2">
               c.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content3">
               An alarm system activated during alarm system tests conducted by the fire marshal's
               office for the purpose of computing alarm times.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr2">
               d.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content3">
               An alarm caused by a person activating a manual pull station.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (3)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               No fee shall be assessed if the alarm is caused by:
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr2">
               a.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content3">
               Actual fire.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr2">
               b.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content3">
               Smoke condition without fire.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr2">
               c.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content3">
               Sprinkler water-flow has tripped system due to a sprinkler head activating with or
               without fire.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (e)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Prohibited acts.</span> Except for alarm testing as provided in subsection (d), it shall be unlawful for
               any person to knowingly activate an alarm when no fire exists.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (f)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Enforcement of violations.</span>
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (1)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               This section shall only apply and be enforced in the unincorporated areas of the county
               and within municipalities where the county fire marshal's office has jurisdiction.
               The county fire marshal, fire code official and or fire chief shall have enforcement
               authority of this section.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (2)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               Civil penalties under subsection (d), if not paid within 30 days of the issuance of
               the citation, may be recovered by the county in a civil action in the nature of a
               debt.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (3)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               As of the effective date of the ordinance from which this section is derived, alarm
               users shall be deemed to have zero alarm responses for the purposes of subsection
               (d).
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (g)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Collected funds.</span> All invoices shall be generated and send by the county fire marshal, fire code official
               or fire chief. Monies collected within this process will reimburse the fire department
               in the district the alarm was activated according to the approved fire district maps,
               or to the department(s)who provided a physical response if the primary department
               was unable to respond.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="historynote0">
               (Ord. of 10-16-2017(1))
               </p></div>