[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Hudson by Ord.
No. 35-94. Amendments noted where applicable.]
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
A business which directly or indirectly sells, leases, provides,
maintains, monitors, services, repairs, alters, replaces, moves or installs
any alarm system.
An assembly of equipment and devices [or a single device such as
a solid-state unit which plugs directly into an alternating current (AC) line
of 110 volts] 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 the terms "burglar alarm system," "fire alarm system," "holdup/panic
alarm system" and "smoke detection alarm system," as those terms are hereinafter
defined.
Any person who uses or occupies a premises within the City of Hudson
in which an alarm system is used.
Any telephone answering service which receives emergency signals
from alarm systems and immediately relays a request by live voice to the County
Emergency Communications Center for a response.
Any device which automatically sends, over regular telephone lines,
by direct connection or otherwise, a prerecorded voice message or coded signal
indicating an activated alarm or an emergency situation that the alarm system
is designed to detect.
Any alarm system which signals an entry into a building or structure,
or portion thereof, protected by the system.
Any office or facility to which remote alarm systems are connected,
which office or facility is staffed by operators who receive, record and/or
validate alarm signals and relay the occurrence of such signals, by live voice,
to the Emergency Communications Center.
A telephone line loading directly from a central monitoring station
to the Emergency Communications Center used only to report emergency signals
on a person-to-person basis and also known as an "automatic ring-down line."
The Director of the Emergency Communications Center or the Director's
designated representative.
The activation of an alarm system when an emergency situation does
not exist caused by:
Any system in which the alarm signal transmission is initiated automatically
or by the direct action of any individual to signal the presence of smoke,
heat or fire.
Any alarm system signaling the unauthorized entry of a person into
a premises which would reasonably be interpreted as a dangerous situation.
To connect an alarm system to a voice-grade telephone line, either
directly or through a mechanical device, for the purpose of using the telephone
line to transmit an emergency message upon the activation of the alarm system.
Any individual, partnership, association, corporation or organization
of any kind.
Any alarm system which directly terminates at a control center within
the protected premises, provided that the control center is manned by and
under the supervision of the proprietor or subordinates of the protected premises.
If the proprietary system includes a signal line connected directly or by
means of an automatic dialing device to a central monitoring station or answering
service, it thereby becomes an alarm system as defined in this chapter.
Any system in which the alarm transmission is initiated automatically
or by the direct action of any individual to signal the presence of smoke.[1]
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.
A.Â
The relaying of messages to the Emergency Communications
Center shall be accomplished only by person-to-person communications. The
Director may approve a direct-line installation between a central monitoring
station or answering service and the Emergency Communications Center at no
cost to the Emergency Communications Center.
B.Â
No alarm system shall directly terminate in the Emergency
Communications Center (with the exception of alarm systems intended to protect
county employees or county-owned property). Notification of an activated alarm
system to the Emergency Communications Center shall be accomplished only by
person-to-person communications either directly from the alarm user or an
observer or by means of a central monitoring station or answering service.
No alarm system shall be tested or demonstrated without first obtaining
approval from an alarm monitoring company and/or the telecommunicator on duty
at the Emergency Communications Center. No alarm system shall be tested to
determine the response time or adequacy of any public safety agency.
When the service provided by an alarm business to an alarm user is disrupted
for any reason by the alarm business or the alarm business becomes aware of
such disruption, it shall promptly notify the alarm user by telephone that
protection is disrupted. If, however, the alarm business has written instructions
from the alarm user not to make such notification by telephone during certain
hours, the alarm business may comply with such instructions.
A.Â
No person shall own, maintain or use an alarm system
that activates falsely, accidentally or negligently. Whenever any public safety
agency responds to an alarm that is determined to have been activated falsely,
accidentally or negligently, the alarm user is subject to forfeitures as set
forth below.
[Amended by Ord. No. 4-96]
B.Â
[Amended by Ord. No. 4-96] Forfeitures for violation
of this chapter shall be assessed as follows:
D.Â
If the Director is notified of the date of the installation
of the new alarm system, this chapter is effective for that alarm system 30
days after the date of installation. If the Director is not notified of the
installation of an alarm system, this chapter is effective immediately for
that alarm system.
E.Â
The forfeitures in this chapter are in addition to any
charges levied by the responding agency for actual costs incurred.
F.Â
This chapter does not apply to the following:
(1)Â
When an alarm is activated by unforeseeable climatic
conditions.
(2)Â
When an alarm is activated by the interruption of utility
services.
(3)Â
When a law enforcement officer finds fresh evidence of
an unauthorized entry or attempted entry or finds a person on the premises
not authorized to be there.
(4)Â
When the Fire Department finds smoke or fire on the premises
or the activation of an automatic sprinkler system.
The City of Hudson, its officers, employees or agents, disclaims any
liability or obligation to any alarm user or any other person for claims arising
from the installation of, maintenance of, operation of or defects in any alarm
system, any delays in or failure of transmission of any alarm system or for
responding to, delay in responding to or not responding to any alarm system
in the City of Hudson.
