[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Franklin 8-5-1997
by Ord. No. 97-1461 as Sec. 13.245 of the 1997 Code. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
Fire, burglar or other detection systems connected to the Police
Department alarm panel or a commercial alarm company to alert the Police and
Fire Departments of danger to persons or property.
Any device designed to automatically detect the existence of fire,
smoke, automatic activation of water flow in a sprinkler system and extreme
heat which automatically sounds an alarm at the police station or a commercial
alarm company.
Any device designed to automatically detect an unauthorized entry
into a building and automatically sound an alarm at the police station or
a commercial alarm company.
Any detecting device that gives a visible or audible signal to persons
in the vicinity of the premises.
Includes any individual, corporation or association.
A.Â
Except for those residences connected to the alarm system
of the City Police Department on the effective date of this chapter, no additional
residential connections shall be allowed to such municipal alarm systems without
the approval of the Police Chief, who shall only allow connection by reason
of an unusual danger. Such limitation shall not apply to fire, smoke, water
flow and heat detection systems.
B.Â
No person shall use or cause to be used any telephone,
electronic device or other attachment that automatically selects a primary
telephone trunk line of the Police or Fire Department and then reproduces
any prerecorded message to report any burglary or other emergency.
C.Â
No person shall provide a private alarm system programmed
to a central office unless it shall also maintain a patrol and maintenance
service capable of immediately dispatching a company representative to respond
within 30 minutes to the location of any alarm transmitted to the central
office during the hours such system is in operation.
D.Â
No alarm systems requiring a permit shall be installed
within the city without the Underwriters Laboratories' approval.
E.Â
No local alarm system shall be designed and maintained
unless it automatically resets or shuts off the local portion of the alarm
signal within 10 minutes of activation.
A.Â
At least 10 days prior to the installation of an intrusion
alarm system, a fire, smoke, water flow and heat detection alarm system or
local alarm system, the owner or lessee seeking to install the system shall
apply for an alarm permit. Such application shall include the following:
(1)Â
The name of the applicant.
(2)Â
The address of the premises where the alarm system will
be installed.
(3)Â
Satisfactory proof that the contemplated system conforms
with the city code requirements.
(4)Â
The identity of a person or persons to be contacted in
the event of an alarm signal.
(5)Â
Such other information as the Chiefs of the Police and
Fire Departments may deem necessary for safe and proper emergency response
by their departments.
B.Â
An alarm permit shall be issued by the City Clerk for
a period of one year, renewable automatically for each succeeding 12 months,
except that any change resulting in a decrease of service by or the identity
of the commercial alarm company shall require a new permit, upon the filing
of an alarm permit application which has been approved by the Fire Chief in
the case of fire, smoke, water flow and heat detecting alarms and by the Police
Chief in the case of all other alarms and upon payment of the permit fee.
C.Â
The Fire Chief in the case of fire, smoke, water flow
and heat detection alarms and the Police Chief in the case of all other alarms
may cancel any permit under this chapter if, in the judgment of such Chief,
the continued operation of the alarm system is not consistent with the purpose
of this chapter or if due to malfunction, improper maintenance or other cause,
there are an unreasonable number of false alarms. Prior to cancellation, the
permit holder shall be given written notice of the intended cancellation and
shall be given an opportunity to be heard in a due process hearing before
the City Council.
D.Â
Those persons presently having alarm systems which are
prohibited in this chapter shall be permitted to maintain the connection until
January 1, 1990, after which date failure to disconnect shall be considered
a violation of this chapter.
No permit shall be required for:
A.Â
Alarm devices. Whenever an alarm device is used for fire or police protection necessitating installation within the Municipal Building, the fire alarm system must be approved by the Fire Chief, and the police alarm system must be approved by the Police Chief. Such system must have the approval of a recognized rating bureau. An application describing such systems shall be filed with the City, accompanied by a fee as provided in Chapter 169, Licenses and Permits, for fire alarm systems or police alarm systems, which shall be used to reimburse the city for the cost of installation within the Municipal Building. An annual fee as provided in Chapter 169 is established for users of fire and police alarms so as to provide funds for necessary maintenance of city equipment used in conjunction with the alarms.
A.Â
The city shall not be responsible for normal line mileage charges assessed by the telephone company to subscribers from their alarm terminal to the city dispatch center. Such costs are not included in the schedule of installation or maintenance fees under § 76-5 hereof.
B.Â
Upon completion of installation, the system shall be
tested by a factory representative or by the installer in the presence of
the permit holder or his or her authorized agent and by a representative of
the Fire or Police Departments to ensure that the system operates in conformance
to the specifications as approved. Subsequent tests shall be made at the frequency
recommended by the appropriate standard or the Fire and/or Police Chief.
C.Â
In the event that the Fire or Police Department responds
to an alarm at the premises covered by the alarm system and neither the permit
holder nor his or her authorized agent is present, the permit holder consents
to a municipal breaking and entering of the premises to ascertain the cause
of the alarm.
D.Â
The permit holder consents to the imposition and payment
of the false alarm service charge hereinafter imposed.
A.Â
No person owning, using or possessing an alarm system
shall intentionally cause or permit the giving of a false alarm.
B.Â
Any person who owns or possesses an alarm system requiring
a permit shall be charged a fee by an invoice from the office of the City
Clerk for false alarms in accordance with the following schedule:
(1)Â
Fire alarms. For false alarms which result in the response
of Fire Department personnel and equipment, an amount equal to the actual
cost of the response as determined by the Fire Chief shall be paid for each
false alarm in excess of three during any calendar year.
(2)Â
Other alarms. For any other false alarm resulting in
the response of Police Department personnel, the following fees shall apply
to false alarms during any calendar year:
|
Number of alarms
|
Charge
| |
|---|---|---|
|
0 to 3
|
No charge
| |
|
4 to 5
|
$25 per false alarm
| |
|
6 to 9
|
$50 per false alarm
| |
|
10 or more
|
$100 per false alarm
|
(3)Â
Exemption. When the Police Chief or Fire Chief determines
that the cause of false alarm was beyond the control of a permittee, that
false alarm may be exempted from this provision.
The Police Department is authorized to issue citations and summons for
violations of this chapter.
