[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of Adams County 6-16-2009 by Ord. No. 21-2009. Amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any business which directly or indirectly provides, sells,
leases, maintains, monitors, services, repairs, alters, replaces,
moves or installs any alarm system.
An assembly of equipment and devices arranged to signal the
presence of a hazard to which public safety agencies are expected
to respond. In this chapter the term "alarm system" shall include
burglar alarms, fire alarms, holdup/panic alarms, smoke detection
alarms, or any other type of alarm system which sends out a signal
which requires action to be taken in response to the signal.
Any person who owns or occupies a premises within the County
in which an alarm system is used or to which Adams County dispatches
services.
Any answering service, office, or facility to which remote
alarm systems are connected, which is staffed by operators who receive,
record, and/or validate alarm signals and relay the occurrence of
such signals by live voice to the Adams County Sheriff's Office Dispatch
Center.
The activation of an alarm system, when an emergency situation
does not exist, caused by:
A.
No alarm
business or alarm system designed to transmit emergency messages to
the Adams County Sheriff's Office shall be tested or demonstrated
without prior notification and approval of the Adams County Sheriff's
Office. Alarm businesses or alarm system owners or lessors will be
advised on proper procedures.
B.
No alarm
system relayed through intermediate services to the Adams County Sheriff's
Office will be tested to determine the Adams County Sheriff's Office
response without first notifying the appropriate authority. However,
the Adams County Sheriff's Office may inspect or test on-site alarm
systems. Alarm systems shall be in compliance with all pertinent response
policies of the Adams County Sheriff's Office.
No person shall interconnect, use or cause to be used any automatic
dialing device which automatically selects a public telephone number,
including 911, of the County and relays a prerecorded message or coded
signal indicating the existence of an activated alarm system. The
relaying of messages to the Adams County Sheriff's Office Dispatch
Center shall be accomplished only by person-to-person communication.
A.
No person shall intentionally cause the activation of an alarm system
knowing that no criminal activity, fire, or other emergency exists.
B.
When any public safety agency responds to an alarm that is determined
to have been activated falsely, accidentally or negligently, the alarm's
user is subject to the forfeitures as set forth below.
C.
The alarm user will receive written notice following the first false
alarm in any calendar year commencing January 1 through December 31.
D.
The Adams County Sheriff's Office shall issue a citation to the alarm
user for all violations subsequent to the first false alarm.
E.
The Adams County Sheriff's Office shall refer said citation to the
Adams County Corporation Counsel for prosecution pursuant to Ch. 66,
Wis. Stats., or any other applicable chapter of the Wisconsin Statutes.
F.
Forfeitures for violations of this chapter shall be assessed in a
calendar year commencing January 1 through December 31 of any given
year as follows:
(1)
First violation: written warning.
(2)
Second violation: forfeiture of $20.
(3)
Third violation: forfeiture of $25.
(4)
Fourth violation: forfeiture of $30.
(5)
Each subsequent violation: $5 more than the previous forfeiture.
(6)
Fines, penalties, assessments, and taxation of costs shall also be
added to the forfeiture as may be deemed appropriate.
G.
If the alarm owner fails to pay a judgment within the time period
granted by the court, the Corporation Counsel may seek such orders
and writs as may be required for enforcement, including but not limited
to the provisions set forth in Chs. 66 and 755, Wis. Stats.
Adams County, its officers, employees, or agents, disclaims
any liability or obligation to an alarm user or any other person for
claims arising from the installation of, maintenance of, operation
of, or defects in any alarm, any delays in or failure of transmission
of an alarm system or for responding to, delay in responding to, or
not responding to any alarm system in the County.
This chapter does not supersede any applicable federal or state
statutes or regulations that are more restrictive.
