§ 20-31. Definitions.

For the purpose of this article, certain words and phrases shall be defined as specified below:

Alarm system shall mean any mechanical, electrical or other device that is arranged, designed or used to signal the occurrence in the city of a burglary, robbery or other criminal activity requiring urgent attention and to which police personnel are expected to respond ("police alarm system") and any mechanical, electrical or other device that is arranged, designed or used to signal the occurrence in the city of a fire requiring urgent attention and to which fire personnel are expected to respond ("fire alarm system"). Alarm systems include those through which police or fire personnel are notified directly or indirectly by way of a third party which monitors alarm systems and reports such signals to the police or fire department, or those designed to register a signal which is audible, visible or in other ways perceptible outside a protected building, structure or facility so as to notify persons in the neighborhood beyond the lot where the signal is located who in turn may notify the police department or fire department of the signal. Alarm systems do not include those affixed to automobiles or auxiliary devices installed by telephone companies to protect telephone equipment or systems which might be damaged or disrupted by the use of an alarm system. Alarms in separate structures or locations are to be counted as separate systems even though owned, leased, contracted for or controlled by the same person or entity.

Alarm user shall mean any person or entity that purchases, leases, contracts for or otherwise obtains and operates an alarm system installed by an alarm/security company authorized to do so by the Arkansas Board of Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies.

False alarm shall mean an alarm signal eliciting a response by the police department or fire department when a situation requiring a response by the police department or fire department does not in fact exist. False alarm does not include an alarm signal caused by conditions of nature or other extraordinary circumstances not reasonably subject to control by the alarm system operator or alarm system customer. Alarms resulting from the following conditions are not considered false alarms:

(1)

Criminal activity or unauthorized entry;

(2)

Fire;

(3)

Telephone or cable line cut or malfunction, verified in writing to the city by at least a first-line telephone or cable company supervisor;

(4)

Electrical service interruption, verified in writing to the city by the local power company;

(5)

Communication to the police department or fire department before a unit arrives to investigate clearly indicating that the alarm resulted from authorized entry, authorized system test or other noncriminal or nonfire cause;

(6)

An alarm caused on the reasonable but mistaken belief that a burglary, robbery or other criminal offense or fire emergency is in progress;

(7)

Fire alarm activated by pull box or other similar device; and

(8)

Alarms generated during a grace period not longer than thirty (30) days during the original installation or during substantial modifications to an alarm system (verified by alarm system installer).

Responsible individual shall mean an individual who is able and has agreed to:

(1)

Receive notification of an alarm system activation at any time;

(2)

Respond to the alarm site within thirty (30) minutes at any time; and

(3)

Grant access to the alarm site and deactivate the alarm system upon request.

(Code 1976, § 24-16; Ord. No. 15-00, § 1, 4-4-00; Ord. No. 31-10, 7-20-10)

Cross reference

Definitions and rules of construction generally, § 1-2.