Normal Fire Department investigates all reported automatic fire alarms within the Town limits.If a fire alarm goes off, it is important to EVACUATE the building and wait for instructions from fire personnel. NEVER silence or reset the fire alarm without permission of a fire official. Doing so assumes great liability and could potentially result in injury or the loss of life.
Fire alarms by nature are sensitive, and may go off for reasons other than a fire. We understand this and we deal with it on a daily basis. However, if an alarm is sounding on numerous incidents and there is no emergency, we consider that alarm to be a nuisance alarm, which the Town has specific ordinance to regulate.
False Alarm means an alarm signal eliciting a response by the police or fire department when a situation requiring a response by the police or fire department does not in fact exist. False alarm does not include an alarm signal caused by violent conditions of nature or other extraordinary circumstances not reasonably subject to control by the alarm business operator or alarm user.
Alarms resulting from the following conditions are not considered false alarms:
1. Criminal activity or unauthorized entry.
2. Earthquake causing structural damage to the protected premises.
3. High winds sufficient to activate motion detection system or causing physical damage to the protected premises.
4. Flooding of the protected premises due to overflow of natural drainage.
5. Lightning bolt causing physical damage to the protected premises.
6. Telephone line malfunction verified in writing to the Town by at least a first line telephone company supervisor.
7. Electrical service interruption verified in writing to the department by local power company.
8. Communication to the police or fire department before a unit is dispatched to investigate clearly indicating that the alarm resulting from authorized entry, authorized system test, or other non-criminal cause.
9. An alarm caused on the reasonable but mistaken belief that a burglary, robbery, or other criminal offense, fire emergency, or medical emergency is in progress.
10. The generation of a false alarm which is beyond the reasonable control of the system user.
SEC. 22.12-3 EXCESSIVE FALSE ALARMS AND FEE ASSESSMENT
A. If any alarm system produces a false alarm in any calendar year, the chief of the involved department shall provide written notice of the fact, which shall be given by certified mail or delivery to the subscriber asking the subscriber to take corrective action in regard to false alarms and informing subscriber of the false alarm fee schedule provided herein.
B. Subscribers installing a new system or making substantial modifications to an existing system shall be entitled to a grace period during which alarms generated by such system shall be deemed non-false alarms. The grace period shall cease thirty (30) days after installation of or modification to an alarm system.
C. Upon any alarm system producing more than one false alarm in a calendar year, a fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) per false alarm shall be charged to the subscriber.
SEC. 22.12-4
All fees assessed must be paid to Town Finance Department or a written appeal must be submitted to the City Manager within three (3) days of fee assessment.