For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning:
ALARM ADMINISTRATOR. The person or persons designated by the Mayor to administer the provisions of this chapter.
ALARM BUSINESS. The business, by an individual, partnership, corporation or other entity, of leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving, installing or monitoring an alarm system in an alarm site.
ALARM DISPATCH REQUEST. A notification to the police by the alarm business that an alarm, either manual or automatic, has been activated at a particular alarm site.
ALARM SIGNAL. The audible, visual, or electronic signal transmitted by an alarm system to the alarm business that indicates an alarm condition.
ALARM SITE. A single premises or location served by an alarm system or systems. Each tenancy, if served by a separate alarm system in a multi-tenant building or complex, shall be considered a separate alarm site.
ALARM SYSTEM. A device or series of devices, including, but not limited to, systems interconnected with direct writing or radio frequency signals, which are designed to discourage crime, by emitting or transmitting a remote or local audible, visual or electronic signal indicating an alarm condition. ALARM SYSTEM does not include an alarm installed on a vehicle unless the vehicle is permanently located at a site.
ALARM TECHNICIAN. Any person licensed by the Alarm Administrator to design, maintain, service, repair, alter, replace, move or install alarm systems.
ALARM USER. Any non-governmental person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity who (which) uses an alarm system at its alarm site which is monitored by an alarm business.
CONVERSION. The transaction or process by which one alarm business begins servicing and/or monitoring an alarm system previously monitored by another alarm business.
FALSE ALARM DISPATCH. An alarm dispatch request to the Police Department when the responding officer finds no evidence of a criminal offense or attempted criminal offense after having completed a timely investigation of the alarm site. An alarm dispatch request that is canceled by the alarm business or the alarm user prior to the time the responding officer reaches the alarm site shall not be considered a FALSE ALARM DISPATCH.
HOLD-UP ALARM. A silent alarm signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a robbery in progress.
MONITORING. The process by which an alarm business receives signals from alarm systems and relays an alarm dispatch request to Metro Government for the purpose of summoning police response to the alarm site.
PERSON. An individual, corporation, partnership, association, organization or similar entity.
SERVICE FEE. A civil penalty assessed for the purposes of defraying the costs to the taxpayers as a result of false alarm dispatches, to discourage excessive false alarms and to encourage alarm users to maintain their alarm systems in proper working order.
TAKEOVER. The transaction or process by which an alarm user takes over control of an existing alarm system which was previously controlled by another alarm user.
VERIFY. An attempt by the alarm business, or its representative, to contact the alarm site by telephonic or other electronic means, whether or not actual contact with a person is made, utilizing ECV (Enhanced Call Verification) also known as Multiple Call Verification before requesting a police dispatch, in an attempt to avoid an unnecessary alarm dispatch request. Such verification is a procedure whereby the alarm monitoring company makes at least one call each to different phone numbers in its attempt to reach the alarm user in the event of an alarm activation.
(Lou. Metro Ord. No. 78-2004, approved 6-17-2004; Lou. Metro Am. Ord. No. 27-2005, approved 3-1-2005)
