COUNCILMAN CALIXTO TORRES

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 25 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE de

Alarm Systems.

That Section 25-14 Alarm Systems of the Municipal Code be amended as follows:

(a)            Purpose and intent. The purpose and intent of this section is to establish uniform standards of control and regulations for the installation, use and maintenance of burglary, hold-up or fire alarm units and systems within the city which require the dispatching or response of the police or fire personnel.

(b)        Scope. The provisions of this section shall apply to alarm owners and operators who utilize alarm units to protect real property located within the boundaries of the city and property owners who own their own alarm systems and have direct connections from the building to the public safety communication center, except that nothing contained herein shall be construed to require the verification of fire alarms prior to the dispatch of fire or emergency medical personnel, nor shall anything contained herein be construed to require verification of a “hold up” or panic alarm prior to dispatch of police personnel.

(c)            Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply:

            Alarm Administrator means the individual designated by the Mayor to issue permits and enforce provisions of this section.

            Alarm Condition means a dangerous or unwanted condition sensed by an Alarm  System such as intrusion, fire or hold-up and which requires a city emergency service response from police or fire personnel.

            Alarm Dispatch Request means a notification to the police by the Alarm Monitoring Company that an alarm, either manual or automatic, has been activated at a particular alarm site.

Alarm Installation Company means a person or entity in the business of selling, providing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving or installing an Alarm System in an Alarm Site.

            Alarm Monitoring Company means a business which contracts with subscribers or Alarm Installation Companies to monitor Alarm System  signals which are transmitted to, recorded in and monitored from a central station and notifies the proper authorities.

            Alarm Operator means an individual, company or corporation that is responsible for activation or deactivation of alarm unit signals, but does not monitor alarm unit signals.

            Alarm Owner and/or Alarm User means an individual, company or corporation that is the owner, operator or user of an Alarm  System or the permittee with the city.

Alarm Permit means authorization granted by the Alarm Administrator to an Alarm User to operate an Alarm System.

            Alarm Site means a single premises or location served by an Alarm System, or systems. Each location, if served by a separate Alarm System in a multiunit building or complex, shall be considered a separate Alarm Site.

            Alarm System means any mechanism, equipment, or device which is designated to detect an unauthorized entry into any building or onto any property,  to direct attention to a robbery, burglary, or other emergency in progress, or to signal the above occurrences either by a local or audible alarm or by transmission of a signal to a remote location.

            False Alarm means any alarm signal which causes an emergency response to the location of the alarm which is caused by mistake or misuse or malfunction, or unintentional activation caused by flaw or defect in design, installation, maintenance or equipment of the Alarm System. Specifically excluded from this definition are acts of God or nature such as wind and rain storms, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, electrical storms or power failures.

            Local Alarm System means any Alarm System, which is not monitored, that annunciates an alarm only at the Alarm Site.

            SIA Control Panel Standard CP-01 means the ANSI – American National Standard Institute approved Security Industry Association – SIA CP-01 Control Panel Standard, as may be updated from time to time, that details design features to reduce the incidence of false alarms.  Control panels that comply with this standard will be marked to state: “Design evaluated in accordance with SIA CP-01 Control Panel Standard Features for False Alarm Reduction”.

Verify means an attempt by the Alarm Monitoring Company, or its representative, to contact the Alarm Site and/or Alarm Owner by telephone and/or other electronic means, whether or not actual contact with a person is made, to determine whether a burglar alarm signal is valid. A second call may be made to established contacts to further attempt verification.

(d)            General provisions.

            (1)            Registration Permit – Existing Alarm Systems.

                        Within ninety (90) days of the effective date of this section, any Alarm Owner or Alarm Operator must apply for an Alarm Permit to operate an Alarm System in the city of Hartford. The Alarm Owner or Alarm Operator shall apply for such Alarm Permit to the city's Alarm Administrator. Every Alarm Owner or Alarm Operator shall be responsible for registering and obtaining an Alarm Permit from the Alarm Administrator to operate an Alarm System.  All such Alarm Permits shall expire 12 months after being issued. The Application should be on a form provided by the Alarm Administrator. A permanent registration number shall be assigned to each Alarm System and the cost of registration shall be $15.00. An Alarm Installation Company may purchase blocks of registration numbers on behalf of its Alarm Owners from the city of Hartford and assign them to the Alarm Systems in existence. An Alarm Installation Company may submit completed alarm registration forms to the Alarm Administrator for the Alarm Owner.

                        It shall be the responsibility of the Alarm Monitoring Company or the Alarm Owner or Alarm Operator to notify in writing the Alarm Administrator of any changes in the information contained in the current registered Permit on record within ten (10) working days of any changes.  The fine for not registering the Alarm System shall be ninety-nine ($99.00).

            (2)            Registration Permit – New Alarm System Installations

            After the effective date of this section, applications for installation of new Alarm Systems must be obtained prior to the installation of an Alarm System as defined in this section.  The Alarm Owner or Alarm Operator shall apply for such Alarm Permit to the city’s Alarm Administrator.  Every Alarm Owner or Alarm Operator shall be responsible for registering and obtaining an Alarm Permit from the Alarm Administrator to operate an Alarm System.  All such Alarm Permits shall expire 12 months after being issued.  The application shall be on a form provided by the Alarm Administrator.  A permanent registration number shall be assigned to each Alarm System and the cost of the registration shall be $15.00.  An Alarm Installation Company can purchase blocks of registration numbers on behalf of their Alarm Owners from the City of Hartford and assign them to the Alarm Systems being installed.  An Alarm Installation Company may submit completed Alarm Registration forms to the Alarm Administrator for the Alarm Owner.

            It shall be the responsibility of the Alarm Monitoring Company or the Alarm Owner or Alarm Operator to notify in writing the Alarm Administrator of any changes in the information contained in the current registered Permit on record within ten (10) working days of any changes.  The fine for not registering the Alarm System shall be ninety-nine ($99.00).

In addition to applying for an Alarm Permit to operate an Alarm System, the Alarm Installation Company must also obtain an electrical permit from the City of Hartford.  The electrical permit number shall be listed in the appropriate space on the Alarm Permit registration form.

(e)            Unacceptable Alarm Systems.  Except as provided for in subsection “o” of this section, no new Alarm System may be installed in the city which is directly connected to the public safety dispatch center via common carrier lines.  No automatic voice dialers shall be operated within the city for the purpose of obtaining a police response.

(f)         Direct Connected Fire Systems.  Within ninety (90) days of the effective date of this section, any property owner who has a direct fire alarm box connection to the fire department shall pay an annual service fee of two hundred dollars ($200.00) to the City of Hartford to cover maintenance of fire alarm circuits to that location and any resetting or interior alarm work done by the city. The annual service fee will be renewable on January 1 of any given year and shall not be prorated.

(g)            Monitoring Company Protection.  Any Alarm Monitoring Company shall be responsible for the proper and reasonable functioning of all Alarm Systems located on or within their property.

(h)                Alarm Dispatch Requests.  Subject to (b) above concerning fire or emergency medical or hold up or panic alarms, an Alarm Dispatch Request shall not be made to the public safety dispatch center until an attempt to verify the Alarm Condition has been completed.  The following information which is to be included in the Alarm Permit application is to be provided to the city when communicating an Alarm Dispatch Request  by an Alarm Monitoring Company:

(1)               Business name of  Alarm Monitoring Company;

(2)               Address of Alarm Site;

(3)               Nature of location (type of building);

(4)               Nature of call/type of alarm;

(5)               Call back number;

(6)               Any unusual or dangerous circumstances at alarmed premises;

            (7)        Other responders from the Alarm Monitoring Company or alarmed premises in question;

            (8)        Permit number of alarmed premises;

(9)        Nearest cross street;

(10)      Identity of two (2) other keyholders who will respond within 20 minutes and who have authority to reset the alarm and to secure the premises;

 (11)      Identification of any other responders or occupants to or at the Alarm Site; and

(12)       The results of attempted verification calls to the Alarm Owner or his agent.

(i)         False Alarm. Fines.

             (1)        Commencing ninety (90) days after the effective date of this section, an Alarm Owner or Alarm Operator shall be subject to fines, warnings or revocation of  an Alarm Permit depending on the number of False Alarm Dispatches emitted from an Alarm System within a twelve-month period based upon the following schedule: 

             (2)        In addition, any operator of a nonpermitted alarm system (whether revoked or never acquired) will be subject to a citation and assessment of a ninety dollar ($90.00) fine for each False Alarm Dispatch, in addition to any other fines. The Alarm Administrator  may waive this additional fine for an Alarm System if the Alarm Owner upgrades the system to incorporate a CP – 01 compliant Control Panel or some other electronic means of verification.

             (3)        Alarm Dispatch Requests, caused by actual criminal offense or which evidence  a criminal attempt shall not be counted as False Alarm Dispatches.

(j)         Appeal From Fines.

             (1)        An Alarm Owner or Alarm Operator may appeal assessment of a fine to a hearing officer as designated in section 1-5 of the Code, by filing a written request for hearing setting forth the reasons for the appeal within ten (10) days after receipt of the assessment of the fine. The filing of a request for an appeal hearing with the hearing officer stays the assessment of the fine until the hearing officer makes a final decision.

 (k)            Revocation of Alarm Permit.

             (1)        In addition to revocation allowed pursuant to section (i) above the Alarm Administrator shall revoke an Alarm Permit if it is determined that:

                         a.            There is a false statement of a material matter in the application for an Alarm Permit; or

                         b.            The Alarm Permit holder has failed to make payment of a fine assessed under section (i)(1) within 30 days of assessment of the fine or within 30 days of a final decision by a hearing officer.

             (2)        Unless there is separate indication that there is a crime in progress, the public safety dispatch center may refuse police response to an Alarm Dispatch Request at an alarm site for which the Alarm Permit is revoked.

             (3)        If the Alarm Permit is reinstated pursuant to section (m)(1), the Alarm Administrator may revoke the Alarm Permit if it is determined that three (3) subsequent False Alarm Dispatches occur within sixty (60) days after the reinstatement date.

    (l)         Appeal from denial or revocation of an Alarm Permit.

(1)        If the Alarm Administrator denies the issuance or renewal of an Alarm Permit or revokes an Alarm Permit, he or she shall send written notice of his or her action and a statement of the right to a review, by certified mail, return receipt requested, to either the applicant or Alarm Owner.

                         Filing of a request for review shall stay the action by the Alarm Administrator  revoking an Alarm Permit until the Alarm Administrator has completed his/her review. If a request for review is not made within ten (15) days of receipt of the written notice, the action of the Alarm Administrator is final.

      (m)            Reinstatement of Permit. A person or entity whose Alarm Permit has been revoked may be issued a new Alarm Permit if he/she or it:

            (1)        Submits a new application and pays a two hundred dollar ($200.00) permit fee to the city of Hartford;

            (2)         Pays, or otherwise resolves, all citations and fines; and

            (3)        Submits a certification from an Alarm Installation Company that complies with the requirements of this section, stating that the Alarm System has been inspected and, if necessary, repaired or upgraded by the Alarm Installation Company.

(n)            Central Station Fire.  Any central station that provides fire alarm protection must comply with the National Fire Protection Association's Code (pamphlet 71) entitled "Standards for the Installation, Maintenance and Use of Central Station Signaling Systems".

(o)        Direct Connection.  The public safety dispatch center, in coordination with the fire chief, shall receive, issue and control applications for direct connections. It shall approve such applications if it finds:

            (1)        They are necessary to the proper and efficient handling of emergency calls to the specific agency. 

            (2)        The installation of such a telephone line shall constitute no hindrance to regular city activities. 

            (3)        The applicant seeking the installation agrees that no message will be telephoned on said lines, except by an agent of applicant’s with access to customer files and the means to provide access to the premises.

            (4)        The applicant seeking the installation maintains adequate equipment work force to repair, maintain and otherwise service alarms sold or leased by applicant. 

            (5)        Adequate procedures to test and prevent False Alarms as determined by the department head concerned are in place.

(p)        Local Energy Systems.  All fire alarm systems that are tied into the municipal fire alarm circuit must be powered by a local energy system, as defined by the National Fire Protection Association Code. All private alarm owners/operators of these fire alarm systems will be notified by the department of licenses and inspections by mail that they must convert their system to local energy within one (1) calendar year of the date of the letter. Failure to comply will result in the tie being terminated by the city.

(q)            Monitoring Panels.  No person shall place any monitoring panels and annunciation or receiving equipment in the public safety dispatch center, other than private line telephones, as provided herein.

(r)            Audible Devices – Burglar Alarms Only. Within ninety (90) days of the effective date of this section, any Alarm System that utilizes an audible device (e.g., bell, siren or horn) shall be equipped with an automatic shut-off device which will deactivate the Alarm System within ten (10) minutes and shall not be equipped so as to reset itself.

Registration information will be posted and available on or about the week of April 25, 2005. 

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