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Home My WebLink AboutORD 1071 (1991) ORDINANCE NO. 1071 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUSTIN AMENDING ARTICLE. 5, CHAPTER 1, PART 3 OF THE TUSTIN CITY CODE ADOPTING REGULATIONS FOR FIRE ALARMS AND FALSE ALARMS The City Council of the Ci~y"Sf TuStin.DOESHEREBY ORDAIN as foilows:. · Section I: -Part 3 of Chapter 1 of Article-5 of the Tustin City Code is amended by adding section 5134', "Fire Alarms and False Alarms" to read as follows: 5134 FIRE ALARMS AND FALSE ALARMS A. Definitions. Wherever used within this section, the following terms shall have the meaning set forth below: "Alarm": The giving, signaling, or transmission to Fire Department, its station(s) or companies or to any. officer, or employee thereof, whether by telephone, spoken word, or otherwise, an indication or information to the effect that there is a fire, or other emergency at or near the place indicated by the person, devices, or system giving, signaling or transmitting such information. "Alarm System": Any manual, mechanical, or electrically operated circuits, instruments and/or devices, when activated emits a sound Or transmits alarms, a message and/or trouble signals for the protection of life and - property from heat, smoke, fire, hazardous materials or medical 'emergency. Provided, however, 'that this definition shall not include domestic smoke, fire or burglar alarm devices whose primary purpose is to awaken or alert persons on the premises and which ~mit a light or sound only within the protected premises. "Alarm Business": The work, occupation, or profession of any person who performs, authorizes, directs or causes the selling, leasing, maintaining servicing, inspection, repairing, altering, replacement, moving or installing of any alarm system including any business that monitors alarms. "Alarm Subscriber": Any person who purchases, leases, contracts for, or otherwise obtains an alarm system or the servicing or maintenance of an alarm system. Ordinance No. 1071 Page 2 "AutOmatic ~mmunicati0~ =Device": Any electrical, electronic or mechanical device capable of being programmed to send a prerecorded°'message,.when activated, over a telephone line or dedicated circuit'to a central station. "Direct Alarm System": Alarm systems electronically or otherwise connected directly to the emergency response agency from the protected premises. "Central Station": An office to which remote and supervisory signaling circuits are connected, where personnel are in attendance at all times to supervise the circuits and investigate signals. "False Alarms": An alarm necessitating response by the Fire Department where an emergency situation does not exist. This shall include mechanical failure, accidental tripping, misoperation, malfunction, misuse or neglect of an alarm system. "Fire Department": The Orange County Fire Department. Fire Department includes and also means the Emergency Response Agency. B. Alarm Systems, Standards and Requlations. All alarm systems shall meet or exceed.the standards established by the Fire Department including National Fire-Protection Association codes 72A and 72C, and such other regulation as may be adopted by the City Council of the City of Tustin. All'alarmsystems,'equipment, installations and repairs and all.fire and other emergency drills shall comply with rules and regulations promulgated by the Emergency Response Agency or the Fire Department regulating the times and conditions under which such installations, repairs, tests, or drills may be made. All audible alarm systems shall, after activation, limit the generation of the audible sound to maximum of fifteen (15) minutes when the system is protecting residential premises, and thirty (30) minutes when an alarm is protecting any other premises. This limitation shall be incorporated into the equipment at the protected premises. Said systems may include an automatic resetting device causing the alarm system to rearm upon automatic shut off. Ordinance No. 1071 Page 3 5 The Director="0~' aes~gnee of the Fire Department may exempt any alarm system or kind~or type.of alarm system 6 from any or all of the requirements.of this section if in his/her opinion such system does not create a substantial 7 danger of generating false alarms necessitating a response by an Emergency Response .Agency or the Fire 8 Department. 9 C. Central Station Permit. All central stations or any business which receives signals that an emergency exists ~0 at a protected premises and transmits that information to the Emergency Response Agency or the Fire Department ]] shall be required to obtain a permit for the Fire Department which shall be renewed annually. D. Automatic Communication Devices. 1. No automatic communication device shall be · ]4 programmed to the "911" emergency telephone line. ]5 2. Direct alarm systems shall not be connected to any Emergency Response Agency or the Fire Department 16 except with the express written_ permission of the Emergency Response Agency or the Fire Department. 3. No person shall lease, maintain, install or use any ]8 alarm system which automatically direct dials the telephone number of the Fire Department~ ]9 E. Responsibilities of' Alarm Business and Alarm System 20 Subscriber or Users. 2] 1. Each alarm business shall provide accurate and complete instructions to the alarm system user in 22 the proper use and operation of said system which is provided to the user by that business or which 23 is monitored by that business. Specific emphasis shall be place on the avoidance of false alarms. 2. The alarm subscriber or user shall maintain the alarm system and equipment in proper working order at all times. Ordinance No. 1071 Page 4 3. 'When an.=.al. arm system has been activated for-an alarm subscriber, the alarm business or central .station shall arrange for' representative to have the ability to be present at the location of the alarm within one (1) hour after being requested by the Fire Department. The user. of an alarm, system which is not connected to an alarm business or central station shall designate a person to be available to respond to the protected property within one (1) hour after being requested by the Fire Department. F. Alarm Business, Central Station and False Alarm Service Charges. In addition to such other fines or penalties established by law, a false alarm service fee is hereby imposed upon the residential occupants and/or commercial owner(s) and/or operator(s) of the premises wherein a false alarm was made and any central station owners and operators who initiated the Fire Department's response to such premises. The amount of each fee which shall be charged to those who incur false alarm charges and/or penalties and other miscellaneous charges relating to alarm systems and businesses for services provided by the Fire Department shall be separately adopted and amended by a resolution of the City Council. The County of Orange is hereby authorized to administer and take collection and enforcement action as may be necessary on such fees, charges and/or penalties. G. Intentional False Alarms; Penalties. No person shall intentionally initiate a false alarm except ~or purposes of testing an alarm system and then only if made in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Fire Department therefor and after having given the Emergency Response Agency or the Fire Department prior notice thereof. Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to punishment in accordance with Section 5132 of this Code. H. Tampering with or Damaging Alarm Systems. It shall be unlawful and a misdemeanor, subject to punishment in accordance with Section 5132 of this Code, for any person to tamper with, render inoperative, or maliciously damage any alarm system maintained for the purpose of sounding or transmitting alarms excepting alarm systems undergoing approved maintenance or repairs. 't Ordinance No. 1071 2 Page 5 5 ·I, vioiations"ana.:Enforcemen~. 'Any violations of this section shallbe an infraCtion~ subject to punishmentin 6 accordance with Section 51'32-"of this Code, unless Otherwise noted herein. The provisions of.this section 7 may enforced by the City and the Fire Department. 8 Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Tustin City 9 Council held on the 17th day of June, 1991. ]] CHARLES E. PUCKETT ]2 Mayor 14 ' "Y'YX,_ ~. 15 CM~tt~ CE~e~raN 16 STATE OF.C~IFO~IA ) 17 CO~TY OF O~GE ) CITY OF TUSTIN ) 18 CERTIFICATION FOR ORDIN~CE NO. 1071 19 ~Y E. ~NN, City Clerk. and ex-officio Clerk of the City 20 Council of the City of Tustin, California, does hereby certify that the whole number. of the members of the City Council of 2] the City of Tustin is five; that the above and foregoing Ordinance was duly and regularly introduced at a regular 22 meeting of the City Council held on the ~~ day of t1991 and passed and adopted at a re~lar meeting of 23 y Council held on the/7~ day of ~1991, by the following vote: 24 CO~CILPERSONS AYES: Puckerr, Pontious, EdEar, Ports, Prescott 25 CO~CILPERSONS NOES: None COUNCILPERSONS ABSTAINED: None 26 COUNCILPERSONS ABSENT: None 27