§ 18-68. Definitions.

The following words, terms, and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Alarm company means a person, company, firm, or corporation subject to the licensing requirements, and engaged in selling, leasing, installing, servicing or monitoring alarm systems; this person shall be licensed in compliance with city and state laws.

Alarm permit means a permit issued to an alarm user by the city allowing the operation of an alarm system within the city.

Alarm signal means a detectable signal; audible or visual, generated by an alarm system, to which law enforcement is requested to respond.

Alarm system means any single device or assembly of equipment designed to signal the occurrence of an illegal or unauthorized entry or other activity to which law enforcement is requested to respond. This article does not include any alarm system installed on a motor vehicle, boat alarms, fire alarms, domestic violence alarms, or alarms designed to elicit a medical emergency.

Alarm user means any person, corporation, partnership, proprietorship, governmental or educational entity or any other entity owning, leasing, or operating an alarm system, or on whose premises an alarm system is maintained for the protection of such premises.

Alarm user awareness class means a class conducted for the purpose of educating alarm users about the responsible use, operation, and maintenance of alarm systems and the problems created by false alarms.

Cancellation means termination of response by the police department when the alarm company notifies the police department that there is not an existing situation at the alarm site requiring police response after an alarm dispatch request. If cancellation occurs prior to police arriving at the scene, this is not a false alarm for the purpose of civil penalty, and no penalty will be assessed.

City means the City of Milton or its agent.

Compliance standards means equipment and installation methods shall comply with all appropriate nationally recognized testing laboratories and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) requirements.

False alarm means the activation of an alarm system when, upon inspection by the police department, there is no evidence of unauthorized entry, robbery, or other such crime attempted in or on the premises which would have activated a properly functioning alarm system. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a false alarm does not include an alarm which can reasonably be determined to have been caused or activated by unusually violent conditions of nature.

Permit year means a 12-month period beginning on the day and month on which an alarm permit is issued.

Runaway alarm means an alarm system that produces repeated alarm signals that do not appear to be caused by separate human action. The police department may in its discretion discontinue police responses to alarm signals from what appears to be a runaway alarm.

Verify means an attempt by the alarm system monitoring company to contact the alarm site and/or alarm user by telephone and/or other means, whether or not actual contact with a person is made, to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting law enforcement response. A second call shall be made to an alternate number provided by the alarm user if the first attempt fails.

( Ord. No. 18-09-376 , Exh. A, 9-24-2018)