[Adopted 6-12-2012 by Ord. No. 12-036]
The purpose of this article is to encourage alarm users and
alarm companies to properly use and maintain the operational effectiveness
and proper utilization of alarm systems and to reduce or eliminate
false alarms which may unduly divert law enforcement/firefighter resources
from responding to criminal activities/emergency situations.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any device, the purpose of which is to detect the occurrence
of an emergency and is designed to transmit an audible, visual or
other signal indicating the occurrence of the emergency.
The person, firm, partnership, association, corporation,
company or organization of any kind in control of any building, structure
or facility or portion thereof wherein an alarm system is maintained.
A person who provides notice to the Will County Sheriff's
Department that he or she is to be notified when an alarm is activated
and who may or may not be a key holder, as defined herein. The contact
person must have knowledge of the owner's whereabouts, or be able
to provide information needed during an emergency.
The activation of an alarm system which elicits a response
from the Sheriff's Department in Homer Glen or any Fire Department
response where the Sheriff's Department also responds in Homer Glen,
when the situation requiring such a response does not in fact exist.
The definition of a false alarm does not include alarms activated
by the following events or occurrences:
Criminal activity or unauthorized entry.
Earthquake.
Hurricane or tornado winds causing structural damage to the
protected premises.
Flooding of the protected premises due to overflow of natural
drainage.
Lightning.
Power outages.
Fire causing damage to the protected premises verified by the
Fire Department.
Telephone line malfunction created by the phone carrier.
An alarm, when communicated to the Sheriff's Department before
an officer is dispatched to investigate, is clearly identified to
the Department as resulting from authorized entry, authorized system
test or other qualifying disregard notice from alarm company.
A person authorized by the alarm user to have access to the
protected premises and alarm system by use of a key or combination
to provide emergency entrance to the premises and to silence audible
alarms.
Any individual, corporation, organization, firm or association.
A.Â
Whenever an alarm system is activated, thereby requiring an emergency
response to the location by the Sheriff's Department or the Fire Department
where a member of the Sheriff's Department also responds, the deputy
on the scene of the activated alarm system shall inspect the area
protected by the system and shall determine whether the emergency
response was in fact bona fide.
B.Â
If Sheriff's units responding to an alarm and checking the protected
premises according to standard department operating procedures do
not discover any evidence of unauthorized entry or criminal activity,
there shall be a rebuttable presumption that the alarm is false and
an entry will be made on a form entitled "Complaint Offense Form."
Entries on the Complaint Offense Form shall be prima facie evidence
of the facts stated therein with regard to alarms and responses.
C.Â
If the deputy or Fire Chief at the scene of the activated alarm system
determines the alarm to be false, the deputy shall make a report of
the false alarm and send and mail or deliver a notification of the
false alarm to the contact person.
All outside audible alarms on burglar alarm systems are required
to be of the resetting type capable of being deactivated by a key
holder. Commercial fire alarm systems are not required to have a "time
out" feature on outside audible alarms. Users of commercial fire alarm
systems shall be required to post names and telephone numbers of emergency
response key holders in a conspicuous location.
It shall be a violation of this article for any alarm user to
have four or more false alarms occur in the use of the alarm user's
system at any protected location during any three-hundred-sixty-five-day
period, such period beginning on the date of the first fire alarm
and ending 364 days thereafter. Any alarm user whose system generates
four or more false alarms during any three-hundred-sixty-five-day
period at any protected location shall be deemed to have violated
this section and shall, upon a finding of liability, be fined in an
amount as shown below:
|
Number of Alarms in Any 365-Day Period
|
Fine
|
|---|---|
|
False alarm #1 through #3
|
No fine
|
|
False alarm #4 through #7
|
$50 per false alarm
|
|
False alarm #8 or more
|
$150 per false alarm
|
In the event the Sheriff or his or her designee determines that
an alarm originally designated a false alarm on the Complaint Offense
Form was not a false alarm, the Sheriff or his or her designee may
remove the false alarm report. New and revamped alarm systems subject
to prior notice from the alarm company shall be granted a thirty-day
grace period.
The Village, its officials, officers, employees, agents and
representatives will not be liable or responsible for any defects
in operation of any alarm type of system, for the functioning or malfunctioning
of any alarm system, for any failure or neglect to respond appropriately
upon receipt of an alarm, for the failure or neglect of any person
in connection with the installation and operation of equipment, the
transmission of alarm signals and prerecorded alarm messages, or the
relaying of such signals and messages. This article does not create
any legal duty obligating the Village to continue the connection of
any alarm system to the Sheriff's Department or respond or accord
any priority to an alarm from an activated alarm system.
