9.13.080 Duties of alarm installation companies and monitoring companies.
A. Each alarm installation company and monitoring company must designate one individual as the alarm response manager (ARM) for the company who will manage alarm related issues and act as the point of contact for the Alarm Administrator and Alarm Coordinator. The appointed individual must be knowledgeable of the general provisions of this chapter, as well as have the knowledge and authority to deal with false alarm issues and respond to requests from the Alarm Administrator and Alarm Coordinator. The name, telephone number, and email address of the designated ARM must be provided to the Alarm Administrator. Failure to comply will result in the suspension of the alarm company business permit. A reinstatement fee of at least $100.00 or $10.00 per registered user if letters have been sent (per subsection B of this section) whichever is the greater amount, will be charged. This will cover the administration action costs for this chapter.
B. Upon the installation or activation of an alarm system, the alarm installation company shall distribute to the alarm user information summarizing:
1. The applicable law relating to false alarms, including the potential for penalties and revocation or suspension of an alarm permit; and
2. How to prevent false alarms; and
3. How to operate the alarm system; and
4. The customer false alarm prevention checklist available through the Police Department.
C. After the effective date of this chapter, alarm installation companies shall not program alarm systems so that they are capable of sending one plus duress alarms. Within 180 days of the effective date of this chapter, alarm installation companies shall reprogram all existing duress alarms which utilize a one plus duress code.
D. Alarm installation companies shall not install single action or nonrecessed button robbery, duress, or panic devices, and within 180 days of the effective date of this chapter, replace existing single-action devices within devices that have dual action at a minimum.
E. Ninety days after the effective date of this chapter, an alarm installation company shall, on new installations, use only alarm control panel(s) which meet ANSI/SIA CP-01 Control Panel Standard – Features for False Alarm Reduction.
F. An alarm company shall not use an automatic voice dialer which calls the Police Department, the Chief’s designee for any alarm system.
G. After completion of the installation of an alarm system, an employee of the alarm installation company shall review with the alarm user the customer false alarm prevention checklist or an equivalent checklist approved by the Alarm Administrator, giving the alarm user instructions to send the completed checklist to the Alarm Administrator.
H. After completion of the installation of an alarm system, an employee of the alarm installation company shall complete the alarm installer checklist, and send the completed checklist to the Alarm Administrator.
I. A monitoring company shall not make an alarm dispatch request to an alarm signal during the first seven-day “acclimation period” after an alarm system installation. Exceptions to the “acclimation period” of nonresponse can be made by the Chief in special circumstances, including but not limited to, domestic violence and stalking.
J. A monitoring company shall employ “burglar alarm confirmation” and:
1. Report alarm signals by using telephone numbers designated by the Alarm Administrator, ensuring they have received two or more alarm signals during the same alarm event within 10 minutes.
2. Employ “enhanced call verification” and burglar alarm confirmation on all burglar alarm dispatch requests by attempting to verify by telephone the validity of every alarm signal, except robbery and panic activation, before requesting law enforcement response to an alarm system signal. Verification before requesting law enforcement dispatch also requires that a second telephone call be made to a different phone number if the first attempt fails to reach an alarm user who can determine whether an alarm signal is valid. Names and telephone numbers of those persons contacted or attempted to be contacted must be provided to the Alarm Administrator, Alarm Coordinator or Police Department upon request. The Lakewood Police Department may refuse to accept an alarm dispatch request from a monitoring company that has failed to comply with the procedure required by enhanced call verification and burglar alarm confirmation.
3. Communicate alarm dispatch requests to the Police Department in a manner and form determined by the Alarm Administrator.
a. A valid permit number is required for all alarm requests. Failure to provide a valid permit number shall result in the call request not being accepted for a police dispatch.
b. Provide zone(s) activation information as part of the sequential verification process within the burglar alarm confirmation procedures.
4. Communicate cancellations to the Police Department in a manner and form determined by the Alarm Administrator.
5. Ensure that all alarm users of alarm systems equipped with a duress, holdup or panic alarm are given adequate training as to the proper use of the alarm.
6. Communicate any available information (north, south, front, back, floor, etc.) about the location of an alarm signal as part of an alarm dispatch request.
7. Communicate the type of alarm activation (silent or audible, interior or perimeter), if available, on any alarm dispatch request.
8. Installation of a protective-reactive device can only be made with the prior written approval of the Chief or his designee. During any alarm at such a site, a responsible party must be contacted and confirm that he or she will respond to the alarm site to disarm the device. In all cases where a protective-reactive device is present at an alarm site, the patrol dispatch request shall include a warning for officers not to enter the alarm site until the responsible party is present and has disarmed the device. Failure to provide this warning to officers shall result in a $200.00 fee to the monitoring company.
9. Prior to making an alarm dispatch request, attempt to notify the alarm user to send a responsible party to the alarm site, in order to:
a. Deactivate an alarm system;
b. Provide access to the alarm site; and/or
c. Provide alternative security for the alarm site.
10. After an alarm dispatch request, promptly advise the Chief the alarm company knows that the alarm user or a responsible party is on the way to the alarm site.
11. Each monitoring company must maintain, for a period of at least one year after the date of an alarm dispatch request, all records relating to the alarm dispatch request. Records must include the name, address and telephone number of the alarm user, each alarm system zone activated, the time of alarm dispatch request and evidence of all attempts to verify. The Alarm Administrator may request copies of such records for any individual alarm user. If the request is made within 60 days after an alarm dispatch request, the monitoring company shall furnish requested records within three business days after receiving the request. If the records are requested between 60 days and one year after an alarm dispatch request, the monitoring company shall furnish the requested records within 30 days after receiving the request. Failure to comply will result in an immediate suspension of response and $25.00 per day per customer service fee.
12. Each monitoring company shall, upon request, immediately provide the Police Department with the names and phone numbers of the alarm user’s emergency contacts at the time of each alarm dispatch request.
K. Purchased Accounts. An alarm installation company or monitoring company that purchases any alarm system account from another company shall notify the Alarm Administrator of such purchase and shall provide to the Alarm Administrator within 30 days from the date of acquisition a complete list of the acquired customers, in a format the alarm company is capable of producing, that includes the following:
1. Alarm user’s permit number;
2. Customer name;
3. Customer billing address;
4. Customer telephone number;
5. Alarm site address; and
6. Alarm company license number.
L. The customer lists described in subsection K of this section are proprietary and confidential information and will not be released to anyone absent a court order.
M. Failure to provide customer lists to the Alarm Administrator, as required in subsection K of this section, will result in a fine of $25.00 per working day until the alarm installation company or monitoring company complies with the requirement. Failure to pay this fine will result in the immediate suspension of their business permit. [Ord. 526 § 2, 2010.]