§ 12-19. 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 means any mechanical or electrical device or assembly of equipment, designed or arranged to signal the occurrence of an illegal entry or other activity requiring urgent attention and to which the police are expected to respond.

Alarm user means any person, firm, partnership or corporation of any kind in control of any building, premises, structure or facility upon which an alarm is maintained.

False alarm means an alarm signal to which the City Police respond with any emergency service personnel or equipment when a situation requiring a response by the Police does not in fact exist and which signal is caused by the inadvertence, negligence or intentional act or omission of an alarm user, or a malfunction of the alarm. The following shall not be considered false alarms:

(1)

Alarms caused by the testing, repair or malfunction of telephone equipment or lines, where the City Police Department has been notified in advance of the testing or repair;

(2)

Alarms caused by an act of God, including earthquakes, floods, windstorms, thunder or lightning;

(3)

Alarms caused by an attempted illegal entry of which there is visible evidence;

(4)

Alarms caused by the testing, repair or malfunction of electrical utility equipment or lines, where the Independence Police Department has been notified in advance of the testing or repair.

(Code 2006, § 8.12.1; Ord. No. 1208, § 1, 1990)