§ 14-241. Definitions.

For the purposes of this article, the following words or phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:

Annunciator. An alarm console at the receiving terminal (police or fire departments) of a signal line through which either visual and/or audible signals show when an alarm device at a particular location has been activated.

Alarm business. Any individual, partnership, corporation, or other entity in which the owners or employees engage in the activity or altering, selling, installing, leasing, maintaining, repairing, replacing, servicing, or responding in any manner to alarm systems.

Alarm system. Any assembly of equipment and devices or a single device such as a solid state unit which uses electrical energy to signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention and to which police or firemen are expected to respond. In this article, the term "alarm system" shall include but not be limited to the terms "automatic holdup alarm systems," "burglar alarm systems," "holdup alarm systems" and "manual holdup alarm systems" as those terms are hereinafter defined.

Answering service. Any telephone answering service providing among its services the service of receiving on a continuous basis through trained employees emergency signals from alarm systems, and thereafter immediately replaying the message by live voice to the communication center of the police department.

Automatic dialing device. Any alarm system which automatically sends over regular telephone lines, by direct connection or otherwise, a prerecorded voice message or coded signal indicating the existence of the emergency situation that the alarm system is designed to detect.

Automatic holdup/fire alarm system. Any alarm system in which the signal transmission is initiated by the action of the robber; any alarm system in which the signal transmission is initiated to represent any situation to which the fire department would respond.

Burglar alarm system. Any alarm system signaling an entry or attempted entry into the area protected by the system.

False alarm. Any activation of an alarm system through mechanical failure, malfunction, improper installation, without an unlawful entry or other condition which the alarm is designed to detect, or through the negligent or intentional acts of the owner or lessee of an alarm system or of his employees or agents or other causes.

Holdup alarm system. Any alarm system signaling a robbery or attempted robbery.

Local alarm system. Any signalling system which when activated causes an audible and/or visual signalling device to be activated in or on the premises within which the system is installed.

Manual holdup alarm system. Any alarm system in which the signal transmission is initiated by the direct action of a person who is a victim of or a witness to an event for which the alarm is purposed.

Modified central station. Any facility other than a police or fire department which receives notification of an active alarm and who is responsible for notifying police/fire departments.

Subscriber. Any person who buys or leases, or otherwise obtains an alarm signaling system or contracts with or hires an alarm business to monitor or service the alarm device.

(Ord. No. 11082, § 1, 5-3-93)