City of Crestwood, MO Alarm Systems

AUTOMATIC DIALING DEVICE: Any device which, when actuated by a criminal act, fire, unauthorized intrusion or other emergency, activates a local noise-making device or transmits a pre-recorded message or other signal by telephone, radio or other means to a central station, modified central station, license answering service or directly to the communications center of the Crestwood Police Department and/or South County Fire Alarm.

DIRECTOR: The City Administrator or his authorized representative.

DISPATCHING AUTHORITY: The Crestwood Police Department and/or South County Fire Alarm.

FALSE ALARM: An emergency alarm which is actuated by inadvertence, negligence or unintentional act to which the Crestwood Fire or Police Department responds, including alarms caused by the malfunction of the alarm system, except that the following shall not be considered false alarms:

§ 4-2 Alarm equipment suppliers.

[Code 1965, § 54.02; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1976]

(a)

Application for license. Each alarm equipment supplier engaged in selling, leasing or installing emergency alarm systems in Crestwood shall apply to the director for the license on a form to be provided by him. Any person who desires to become an alarm equipment supplier serving residents of Crestwood shall first apply to the director for a license on a form to be provided by him, and shall include among other things the following:

(1)

Name, address, telephone number and type of business organization. If a partnership, the names and addresses of the partners. If a corporation, the names and addresses of the principal officers and the state of incorporation;

(2)

A statement that such firm and its employees are licensed and bonded in compliance with the applicable ordinances of the county;

(3)

A list of the names and addresses of persons for whom installations in the City have been made by the applicant in Crestwood prior to the effective date of this chapter;

(4)

Certification by the applicant that police record checks have been initiated on all employees in the office or offices serving the City, and that no person convicted of an offense (other than for minor traffic offenses) found in such check will be employed on jobs within the City;

(5)

A statement of the type and availability of repair and/or maintenance service that the applicant proposes to offer to the public;

(6)

A statement of the security to be afforded by the applicant for the wiring diagrams and/or other security plans of installations made or to be made; and

(7)

A statement that the applicant is willing to comply with such reasonable rules and regulations about details of installation and operation of such systems as may be issued by the director.

(b)

Action on application. The director shall furnish a copy of the application to the Chief of Police for his investigation and recommendation. On the basis of the application and the report of the Chief of Police, the director shall, within 60 days after receipt of the completed application, approve or disapprove such application for a license, and shall notify the applicant. If approved, the applicant shall pay the required fee for the license. If disapproved, the notice to the applicant shall state the reasons. The applicant shall have the right of appeal by the following steps:

(1)

A meeting with the director and the chairmen of the fire board and police board; and

(2)

If not satisfactorily concluded, then by hearing before the Board of Aldermen at its next regular meeting. The decision of the Board of Aldermen will be final.

(c)

Instructions on operation. Each alarm equipment supplier who sells or leases and installs an emergency alarm system in the City shall furnish the alarm user with written instructions as to the way in which the device operates. He shall also provide initial training on the operation of the system, and, upon request from the alarm user, refresher training. Each alarm equipment supplier shall also exhibit to the director, for his review, a copy of such instructions. If the director finds that the instructions are incomplete, unclear or otherwise inadequate, he may require the alarm equipment supplier to have the same revised to meet the director's approval and then promptly distributed to persons for whom installations of such alarms have already been made, as well as to persons for whom installations are henceforth made.

(d)

Repair service required. Each alarm equipment supplier that sells or leases, and installs an emergency alarm system within the City must offer service, directly or through an agent, to repair such alarm so as to correct any malfunction that may occur. At the time of installation, each alarm equipment supplier shall furnish to the alarm user written information as how service can be obtained at any time, including the telephone number to call for service; and the alarm user shall be responsible for having the system repaired as quickly as possible after he learns of any malfunction. No alarm equipment supplier shall perform any service on any alarm system allowed to terminate in the Crestwood Police Department and/or South County Fire Alarm, without first personally appearing and notifying the dispatching authority, as applicable, of same, and disconnecting said alarm system at the alarm user's end and again notifying the dispatching agency of the completion of the work. If any alarm system service company shall fail to check in with the Crestwood Police Department before servicing such system, or shall fail to disconnect such system so that it is no longer in service during the period when it is being worked on, such alarm service company shall pay to the City service charges in the amounts and on the basis set forth in § 4-6.

(e)

Cancellation of license. In addition to the penalties provided for violation of any provision of this Code, the City may, after notice and hearing, cancel the license of an alarm equipment supplier on any of the following grounds:

(1)

Fraud, misrepresentation or false statement contained in any application for such license;

(2)

Fraud, misrepresentation or false statement in the conduct of the business authorized by such license;

(3)

Failure to correct any deficiencies in equipment or operation after receipt of due notice from the City; or

(4)

Violation of any provision of this chapter.

Said licenses shall not be canceled until a hearing shall have been held by the director and his recommendations regarding cancellation acted upon by the Board of Aldermen. Written notice of such hearing shall be served upon the holder of such license at least 10 days before the date of the hearing. The notice shall also contain a brief statement of the grounds alleged as the basis for cancellation of the license. The licensee shall have the right to appeal to the Board of Aldermen as outlined in subsection (b) of this section.

§ 4-3 Signaling devices; automatic dialing devices.

[Code 1965, § 54.03; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1976]

(a)

Police Department terminals. Only financial institutions required by regulations of federal agencies to have appropriate security devices installed for their protection shall be permitted to have equipment and indicators installed in a panel in the communications center of the Crestwood Police Department.

(b)

Automatic dialing devices. No automatic dialing device installed after the effective date of this chapter shall be keyed to the trunk line of the Crestwood Police Department or South County Fire Alarm.

§ 4-4 Local alarms; operation.

[Code 1965, § 54.04; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1972]

All emergency alarm systems equipped with any exterior sound-producing device, including but not limited to gongs, buzzers, sirens, bells or horns, shall be equipped with a time device which limits the operation of such exterior sound-producing device to 15 minutes, except that commercial installations shall be allowed 30 minutes.

§ 4-5 Emergency alarm installations.

[Code 1965, § 54.05; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1976; Ord. No. 1611, § 2, 5-11-1976]

(a)

Permit required. Any prospective alarm user who desires to install an emergency alarm system shall first apply for and obtain a permit from the director on a form to be provided by him. Each application shall be signed by the applicant and shall include, among other things, the following:

(1)

The name, address and telephone number of the alarm user;

(2)

The name of the alarm equipment supplier;

(3)

The name of the intermediary to which the alarm system will be connected; and

(4)

The name, address and telephone number of at least one other person with access to the premises protected by the system.

(b)

Installations by licensed suppliers. No emergency alarm shall be installed by other than a licensed alarm equipment supplier. No alarm equipment supplier shall service emergency alarms unless such supplier is licensed.

(c)

Operational requirements. All emergency alarm systems shall be subject to the following operational requirements:

(1)

The sensory mechanism used in connection with such alarms must be adjusted to the degree reasonably possible to suppress false indications of fire or intrusion, so that alarms will not be actuated by natural phenomena, including but not limited to: Transient pressure change in water pipes, short flashes of light, wind noises or exterior pressure change such as rattling or vibration of windows or sonic booms and vehicular noise adjacent to the installation.

(2)

The alarm user shall be responsible for maintaining the system in good repair to assure reliability of operation.

(3)

The alarm user shall also be responsible for seeing that the system is not misused.

§ 4-6 False alarm service charges.

[Ord. No. 4189,[1] § 1, 5-26-2009]

(a)

False alarms to which the Fire or Police Departments respond shall result in the following service charges to the property owner or occupant: For the first three combined false alarms to which either the Fire or Police Departments respond in a calendar year there will be no service charge assessed to the property owner or occupant; for each subsequent false alarm to which either the Fire or Police Departments respond in a calendar year, the property owner or occupant shall be charged a service charge in the amount of $50.

(b)

Refusal to pay any such service charge issued by the City within 30 days shall be considered a violation of this chapter and subject the property owner or occupant to the general penalty provisions of the Code.

[1]

Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for the repeal of former § 4-6, as amended.

§ 4-7 Schedule of fees.

[Code 1965, § 54.07; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1976]

(a)

Alarm equipment suppliers. The fee for a license for an alarm equipment supplier shall be $50 for the first calendar year or part thereof. The annual renewal fee shall be $10.

(b)

Date of assessment. All licenses, permits and fees due to the City under the terms of this chapter shall be due and payable on the last business day of January of each year.

§ 4-8 Liability of City.

[Code 1965, § 54.08; Ord. No. 1592, § 2, 1-27-1976]

The City shall take every reasonable precaution to assure that alarm signals received by the City are given appropriate attention and are acted upon with dispatch. Nevertheless, the City shall not be liable for any defects in operation of automatic dialing devices and signal line systems, for any failure or neglect to respond appropriately upon receipt of an alarm from such a source nor for the failure or neglect of any persons with a license issued pursuant to this chapter. In the event that the City finds it necessary to disconnect an emergency alarm system, the City shall incur no liability by such action.