City of Fife, Washington

Alarm Ordinances

ALARMS
9.12.010 Definitions
A. "Alarm" means any signal (audible, visual, electronic) intended to indicate to the operator at its termination point that a burglary or attempted burglary, robbery or attempted robbery, or fire is occurring on the premises where the alarm system is installed and that the summoning of an emergency response agency is required. In the event of a system that is self-contained on a premises, an alarm is any signal (audible, visual, electronic) intended to indicate to a person noting such signal that an emergency response agency should be notified and summoned to the premises where the signal is located.
B. "Burglar alarm" means any mechanical or electronic system designed and installed for the purposes of detecting unlawful entry or attempted entry into a premises.
c. "False alarm" means the activation of a burglary and/or robbery alarm by other than a forced entry or attempted forced entry to the premises and at a time when no burglary or robbery is being committed or attempted on the premises; or the activation of a fire alarm when there is no fire on or in the premises, whether such alarm is manually activated by the presence of smoke or heat, or activated by the flow of water through a fire-suppression system on the premises.
D. "Fire alarm" means any mechanical or electronic system, however activated, intended to indicate that there is a fire at a premises and that the response of a fire department is required to the premises.
E. "Robbery alarm" means any mechanical or electronic system, however activated, installed to indicate to an operator, at its termination point, that a robbery or attempted robbery is in progress and the emergency response of a law enforcement agency is required at the premises where the robbery or attempted robbery is taking place. (Ord. 676 § 1, 1982).

9.12.020 Telephone Numbers of Authorized Persons - Filinq with Police Department. It is unlawful to have or maintain on any premises any type of burglary, robbery, or fire alarm unless there is on file with the Fife Police Department a notice of the telephone numbers of at least two persons authorized to enter such premises and turn off such alarm and who can be reached at all times; and it is unlawful for any such person to fail to appear and turn off any such alarm within one (1) hour after being notified by the Fife Police Department to do so. (Ord. 676, § 2, 1982)

9.12.030 False Activation of Alarm Unlawful. It is unlawful for anyone to activate any burglary, robbery, or fire alarm for the purpose of summoning the police or fire department, except in the event of an actual or attempted robbery or burglary, or actual fire, or for anyone notifying the police or fire departments of an activated alarm and having knowledge that such activation was apparently caused by an electrical or other malfunction of the alarm system to fail at the same time to notify the police or fire department of such apparent malfunction. (Ord. 676, § 3, 1982)

9.12.040 False Alarm Response - Charqes. For an emergency agency response (police or fire) to any false alarm, the Chief of Police shall charge, collect and remit to the clerk-treasurer from the person having or maintaining such burglary, robbery, or fire alarm on premises owned or occupied by him, fees as set forth in Section 9.12.060 and 9.12.070. (Ord. 676, § 4, 1982)

9.12.050 False Alarm.., First Response. For response by an emergency service agency (police or fire) to premises at which no other false alarm has occurred within the current calendar year, hereinafter referred to as a first response, no fee shall be charged; the person having or maintaining such burglary, robbery or fire alarm shall when requested to by the Chief of Police, within three working days after notice to do so, make a written report to the Chief of Police on forms prescribed by him setting forth the cause of such false alarm, the corrective action taken, whether sucn alarm has been inspected by an authorized service technical, and such other information as the Chief of Police may reasonable require to determine the cause of such false alarm and corrective action necessary. (Ord. 676, § 5, 1982: Ord. 788, § 1, 1985)

9.12.060 False Alarm - Second Response Throuqh Twentieth Response.
For a second through fifth emergency service agency response to a false alarm within the current calendar year, a fee of thirty dollars ($30) for each response will be charged; for a sixth through twelfth emergency service agency response within the current calendar year, a fee of sixty dollars ($60) for each response will be charged; for a thirteenth through twentieth emergency service agency response, a fee of ninety dollars ($90) for each response will be charged. (Ord. 676, § 6, 1982: Ord. 788, § 2, 1985)

9.12.070 Action After a Twentieth False Alarm. After a twentieth false alarm within a calendar year, the Chief of Police may, at his discretion, disconnect or cause to be disconnected any alarm that terminates in the Fife Police Department. For alarms that may not be disconnected, for whatever reason, or alarms that do not terminate in the Fife Police Department, a fee of two hundred dollars ($200) for each false alarm after the twentieth false alarm will be charged. (Ord. 676, § 7, 1982: Ord. 788, § 3, 1985)

9.12.080 Monitorinq Fee. Each enterprise terminating an alarm in the Fife Police Communications Center shall be charged a fee of ten dollars ($10) per month. This includes from one to three alarm terminations; i.e. burglary, robbery and/or fire. This fee shall be over and above any fees charged by the alarm servicing and installation company and is payable to the city on a monthly basis. There shall be no residential connections or terminations into the Fife Police Department Communications Center. (Ord. 676, § 8, 1982)

9.12.090 Equipment Installation - Termination. The city shall enter into a contract with an alarm vending company, which company shall have control of the alarm equipment from the equipment room to the communications center. Each alarm installation company shall be required to contact and coordinate terminations with the alarm vending company so designated by the city. The alarm contracting company shall only place equipment as designated by the alarm vending company and only terminate to those terminals as instructed by the alarm vending company. (Ord. 676, § 9, 1982)
9.12.100 Alarms Covered by This Chapter. All alarms and alarm systems installed on a premise for the purpose of summoning an emergency response agency in the event of a burglary or attempted burglary, robbery, or attempted robbery or fire, are covered by this chapter. This chapter shall apply to all alarms that terminate in the Fife Police Department Communications Center from an alarm monitoring service and alarms that are self-contained on the premises where the alarm system is installed. (Ord. 676, § 10, 1982)

9.12.110 Violation - Penalty. Any knowing violation of the provisions of this chapter or any knowing failure to comply with the requirements of this chapter shall be a misdemeanor and any person found guilty thereof shall be punished by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) or imprisonment in jail not to exceed ninety (90) days or by both such fine and imprisonment. (Ord. 676, § 11,1982: Ord. 788, § 7,1985)