[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Board of the Village of Pleasant Prairie 8-5-1991 (§ 9.18 of the 1988 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
It is the intent of this chapter that the safety and welfare of the public be promoted by efficient use of alarm systems requiring the response of law enforcement or fire personnel. It is hereby recognized that well-maintained alarm systems aid in the detection of crime and other emergency situations. It is also recognized that negligently maintained alarm systems cause an undue burden on law enforcement and fire protection and create dangers to members of the responding agency and the public. It is the purpose of this chapter to establish regulations relating to the installation, use and termination of such alarms and to establish a Safety Building Central Alarm System, located in the Pleasant Prairie Safety Building, under the jurisdiction of the Village of Pleasant Prairie, to monitor alarms.
This chapter shall be liberally construed to give effect to its purpose. It is intended that this chapter be interpreted to be consistent with applicable state and federal law.
In this chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings:
ALARM
Any mechanical or electrical device which, upon being activated by a criminal act, fire, emergency, or any other reason, transmits a signal to the Safety Building Central Alarm System or to a central alarm system to elicit a response from law enforcement personnel or Fire Department personnel or which produces an audible or visual signal to notify members of the public within range of such signal of a need for help.
AUTOMATIC DIALER
Any electric or mechanical unit which has the capability of automatically dialing any telephone number programmed into it. Once the call has been answered, an automatic dialer may have the capability to deliver a prerecorded message or signal or connect the call to a live person.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
FALSE ALARM
A. 
A signal from an alarm resulting in response by Fire Department personnel when an emergency or a crime did not exist at the location of the alarm.
B. 
A signal from an alarm resulting in response by law enforcement personnel when an emergency or a crime did not exist at the location of the alarm.
C. 
"False alarm" does not include such a signal caused solely by a malfunction of equipment, unless said malfunction is due, in whole or in part, to failure of the owner or operator to maintain or arrange maintenance of said equipment according to the requirements of this chapter.
FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL
Members of Village of Pleasant Prairie Fire & Rescue Department.
LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL
Members of the Village of Pleasant Prairie Police Department.
OWNER
Any person, association, corporation, institution or organization who or which has a hookup to the Safety Building Central Alarm System or any other alarm system.
PERSON
Any individual, association, corporation, institution or organization.
RESPONDING AGENCY
The Pleasant Prairie Police Department and Pleasant Prairie Fire & Rescue Department.
A. 
A central alarm system shall be maintained in the Pleasant Prairie Safety Building at such location as the Police Chief shall designate.
B. 
The Village Board and responding agencies shall determine who shall be allowed an alarm connection or connections to the Safety Building Central Alarm System, and the total number of connections to be made, according to written policies developed by the Village Board and the responding agencies. Said policies may be changed from time to time as deemed advisable by the Village Board. The Village Board and responding agencies may consider, along with other factors, state or federal laws or local regulations which require certain persons to connect.
C. 
Persons desiring to have an alarm system connection to the Safety Building Central Alarm System shall file an application with the Village Board. The Village Board shall forward copies of the application to the responding agency for approval of the application. Written notice of the decision of the responding agency shall be returned to the Village Board within 10 working days. Written notice of the decision of the responding agency and Village Board on an application shall be mailed to the applicant at the address given on the application within 30 days of the date of such application. No person shall connect to the Safety Building Central Alarm System without receiving prior written approval from the Village Board and responding agencies.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
D. 
All approvals by the Village Board and responding agencies for connection of alarm systems shall be subject to the following conditions:
(1) 
The applicant shall use only alarm equipment that meets minimum alarm device standards of Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc., and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and which shall be compatible with the Safety Building Central Alarm System equipment.
(2) 
All installation costs associated with connection to the Safety Building Central Alarm System shall be borne by the applicant.
(3) 
All costs associated with disconnection or termination of service shall be borne by the applicant, whether such disconnection or termination is required by the Village Board or the responding agency or by choice of the owner. Such costs include the costs of termination and reconnection in the event the Safety Building Central Alarm System is relocated.
(4) 
The applicant shall cause the alarm system to be periodically inspected and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and the requirements of the Village Board. The Village Board reserves the right to inspect the applicant's equipment at any time for any reason related to the efficient operation of the alarm system. Failure to allow inspection shall be cause for immediate removal.
(5) 
The applicant shall sign an agreement holding the Village of Pleasant Prairie, its agents and employees, the Village Board and responding agencies harmless for any and all damages or losses resulting directly or indirectly from an alarm connection with the Safety Building Central Alarm System.
(6) 
The applicant shall pay a reasonable monitoring fee as set by the Village Board.
A. 
Any person who maintains an audible or visual alarm shall use and install only alarm equipment which meets minimum alarm device standards of Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc., and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and shall regularly test, inspect, and maintain such equipment in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations in ensuring that such equipment is in proper operating condition.
B. 
No person shall sell, install or use an alarm which upon activation emits a sound the same or similar to civil defense sirens or emergency vehicle sirens.
C. 
No audible residential alarms shall be permitted.
Private alarm companies, including persons engaged in the business of monitoring burglary alarm systems, shall be responsible for the monitoring, maintenance and use of private central alarm stations. Any such company shall staff its central office during all hours said company operates and shall dispatch a company representative to the location of any alarm in its system immediately upon oral request of Pleasant Prairie police or the responding agency's dispatch. Private alarm companies shall provide the Pleasant Prairie Police Department or Pleasant Prairie Fire & Rescue Department or the responding agency's dispatch with a telephone number at which a company representative can be contacted at any time. When reporting an alarm to the Safety Building, a caller from such company shall first identify the private alarm company and the name of the caller.
No person shall intentionally cause the activation of an alarm device if such person knows that no crime or emergency exists which requires law enforcement personnel or Fire Department personnel to respond to such alarm.
A. 
Persons with alarm systems intended to elicit a response from law enforcement personnel or Fire Department personnel shall pay to the Village Board a charge for false alarms responded to by such personnel according to the schedule set forth in the Village Fee Schedule for each calendar year, for each connection to the Safety Building Central Alarm System.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
B. 
Where persons employ the services of a private alarm company, said company shall be responsible for payment to the responding agencies of the above-listed charges for false alarms responded to by law enforcement personnel or Fire Department personnel.
C. 
Each business, residence or other premises to which law enforcement personnel or Fire Department personnel are dispatched or arrive shall be considered a separate occurrence for purposes of determining the number of false alarms.
The Village Board and responding agencies may, on 30 days' notice to the owner, require the disconnection, at the owner's expense, of any alarm system for any reason reasonably related to the intent and purpose of this chapter, including but not limited to failure to pay monitoring fees, repeated false alarms, repeated malfunctions of equipment, or failure to pay false alarm fees.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
Prerecorded automatic dialer messages to the Pleasant Prairie Safety Building are not permitted.
Any person found guilty of a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall forfeit not less than $50 nor more than $500 for each such offence and, in default of payment thereof, shall be imprisoned in the Kenosha County Jail for a period of not more than 30 days.
Any person, association or corporation aggrieved by any decision of the Village Board or the responding agency under the terms of this chapter may appeal in writing to the Village Board, in care of the Village Clerk, within 10 days of receipt of notice of the reason such party believes it is aggrieved. All written notices provided by the Village Board and responding agencies pursuant to this chapter will be presumed to be received within four days of the date of mailing. The appropriate committee shall hear such grievance within 30 days of the date such grievance is filed with the Village Clerk. The procedures found in Ch. 68, Wis. Stats., shall govern such appeal.