|
Alarms and
the Security Alarm Ordinance
What responsibilities
do alarm businesses have to help reduce false alarms?
The ordinance
is designed to place greater responsibility and accountability for
preventing false alarms on the alarm businesses.
Under the ordinance, the alarm business has these
responsibilities:
-
Obtain a
permit from the City of Appleton on an annual basis. Permits are
not required for alarm businesses that ONLY work with fire alarm
systems.
-
Ensure
that enhanced call verification or verified response procedures
are followed prior to any request for police services.
This is not required for hold-up, duress, panic, or fire
alarms.
-
Install
only alarm devices that meet the Security Industry Alarm
Coalition standards.
-
Use only
those Central Alarm Monitoring Stations that meet the standards
of Underwriters Laboratory (UL) or Factory Mutual.
-
Keep
current records of client information, including but not limited
to, names of alarm users, key holders, addresses, contact
information, and phone numbers (cell phone numbers may be the
most helpful) to be used for enhanced call verification and key
holder notification and ensure that this current information is
available to the central alarm monitoring station.
-
Provide
written and oral instructions explaining the proper use and
operation of the alarm system to each of its alarm users.
-
Take
reasonable steps to educate all alarm users to minimize the
number of false alarms.
-
If an
alarm user uses an alarm system without the assistance of an
alarm business, the alarm user is subject to the same duties as
an alarm business.
What is
Enhanced Call Verification?
Under enhanced
call verification, also known as multiple call verification, the
central alarm monitoring station operators call the customer
premises and then, if necessary, a second customer-provided phone
number, such as a cell phone of a business manager or homeowner, to
attempt to verify an alarm before law enforcement is called. Communities that have implemented this procedure have seen
significant reductions in false alarm dispatches. This is also a good way for business or homeowners to prevent
needless requests for police services, thereby avoiding unnecessary
false alarm fees.
Currently, most
central alarm monitoring stations make only one call, usually to the
alarm premises, before calling the police to dispatch.
Many false alarms are generated when employees arrive for
work in the morning, but they don’t answer the business phones
that early so a call from the central alarm monitoring station will
go unanswered. Also,
when an alarm is activated by an employee or homeowner leaving as
they lock up the building, the central alarm monitoring station will
call the premises, but of course there is no answer because there is
no one left on the premises.
By making a
second phone call, preferably to a cell phone, the employee or
homeowner can to contacted to verify that the alarm is false and the
police are never dispatched.
Enhanced call
verification or verified response procedures are not required for
hold-up, duress, panic, or fire alarms.
What is
Verified Response?
Verified response
means the alarm business or its representative has verified the
legitimacy of an alarm at the scene through independent means such
as witness verification, live listening devices or live video
monitoring. The most
common example of verified response is a business or homeowner that
has contracted with a private security firm who will send trained
employees to the alarmed premises when an alarm is activated.
They will only contact the police department when they
visually verify that criminal activity has occurred or is presently
occurring. The Appleton
Police Department does not recommend or support private individuals
who do their own building checks in response to an activated alarm.
This is a dangerous activity.
Verified
response is an acceptable alternative to enhanced call verification,
but is not required.
Who must
obtain an alarm business permit?
Alarm
business means any person, property owner, firm, partnership, or
corporation who alters, installs, leases, maintains,
repairs, replaces or services an alarm system or which causes
any of these activities to take place.
This includes the large security companies that have hundreds
of clients with alarms in the City of Appleton, as well as the
do-it-yourselfer who has installed their own alarm system without
contracting with another company. Permits are not required for alarm businesses that work with
ONLY fire alarms.
Why does an
alarm business have to obtain a permit?
The
primary reason is to ensure that the business owners and employees
have this information and understand what responsibilities they have
to prevent false alarms.
How does an
alarm business go about obtaining a permit?
The permit is
issued through the Appleton City Clerk’s Office.
Submit the permit application form along with the required
annual fee of $35.00 payable to the “City of Appleton.
Forms can also be obtained on the city website at
www.appleton.org/departments/clerk/forms.
Will I get a
permit certificate once my fee is paid?
Yes, the City
Clerk’s Office will mail you your alarm business permit within 5-7
business days from receipt of your application.
What is the
fee for an alarm business permit?
The annual fee
is $35. Only alarm
businesses must obtain a permit. A large alarm business may have hundreds of clients within
the City of Appleton and they only pay a single annual fee of $35.
However, if you have installed or use your own alarm system
and have contracted with a central alarm monitoring station, without
using an alarm business, or have the alarm set up so that
passerby’s will notify the police when they see or hear the alarm
signal that was activated, then you need to obtain a permit from the
City.
An individual
alarm user, who contracts with an alarm business, does not have to
obtain a permit.
How long is
the permit good for?
The permit fee
must be renewed on an annual basis and is good for an entire
calendar year, starting on January 1.
What if the
contact information on the permit application form changes?
In the event of a
change in any information required for an alarm business permit, the
owner or applicant must notify the City of Appleton Clerk’s office
and update the permit application form.
There is no fee for updating information.
Is there a
penalty for not obtaining a permit for my alarm business?
Yes, the alarm
business owner or agent can be subject to a forfeiture of $125 plus
court costs for the first offense and up to $500 plus court costs
for second and subsequent offenses. Each day that a violation occurs shall be considered a
separate offense.
Are alarm
permit fees refundable?
No.
Alarm business permit fees are not refundable and cannot be
prorated.
|
