9.30.080 Duties of alarm installation companies and monitoring companies.
A. Each alarm installation company and alarm monitoring company must designate one individual as the alarm response manager (ARM) for the company. The individual designated as the ARM must be knowledgeable of the provisions of this section, as well as have the knowledge and authority to deal with false alarm issues and respond to requests from the alarm administrator. The name, contact number, and e-mail address of the ARM shall be provided to the alarm administrator. Failure to designate an ARM within 30 days after being notified in writing from the alarm administrator may result in the suspension of the company’s security alarm license. The city shall assess a reinstatement fee of $100.00 and an additional fee of $10.00 per permitted user, if users have been notified of the suspension in accordance with ACC 9.30.090 and 9.30.120.
B. Upon the installation or activation of an alarm system, alarm installation companies shall distribute to the alarm user information summarizing:
1. The requirements of this chapter relating to false alarms;
2. The permit fee requirements and the potential for service fees and suspension of an alarm permit; and
3. Strategies on how to prevent false alarms, and proper operation of the alarm system.
C. After the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, alarm installation companies shall not program alarm systems so that they are capable of sending one plus duress alarms. Monitoring companies may continue to report one plus duress alarms received from alarm systems programmed with one plus duress alarms installed prior to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter.
D. Upon the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, alarm installation companies shall not install, modify or repair single action devices for the activation of duress, holdup, robbery or panic alarms. New devices shall require two actions or an activation delay to provide more positive assurance that the user intends to activate the device.
E. Ninety days after the effective date of the ordinance codified in 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 for any alarm system which, when activated, uses a telephone device or attachment to automatically dial a telephone line leading into the police department, or the 911 dispatch center or the city and then transmit any pre-recorded message or signal. An administrative fee of $100.00 per incident shall be assessed.
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. The installer shall complete the alarm installer checklist.
H. Ensure that all alarm users of alarm systems equipped with a duress, robbery, holdup or panic alarm have been provided adequate training as to the proper use of the alarm.
I. Each installation company must maintain, for a period of at least one year after the date of installation or activation of an alarm system, both the completed alarm installer checklist and the customer false alarm prevention checklist. The alarm administrator may request copies of such records for any individual alarm user. If the request is made within 60 days after the alarm system’s activation, the alarm installation 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 the alarm system’s activation, the alarm installation company shall furnish the requested records within 30 days after receiving the request. Failure to comply with this subsection will incur a $50.00 service fee.
J. Monitoring Company Requirements. The monitoring company requirements include the following:
1. A monitoring company shall not make an alarm dispatch request to a burglar alarm signal during the first seven-day acclimation period after a burglar alarm system installation or activation. A monitoring company may make an alarm dispatch request for a holdup, duress, robbery, or panic alarm. Exceptions to the acclimation period of nonresponse can be made by the police department in special circumstances, including but not limited to domestic violence and stalking.
2. Report alarm signals by using telephone numbers designated by the alarm administrator.
3. Employ enhanced call verification and burglar alarm confirmation on all burglar alarm dispatch requests. The Auburn police department may refuse to accept an alarm dispatch request from a monitoring company that has failed to comply with the procedures required by enhanced call verification and burglar alarm confirmation. For residential systems, the sequential verification requirement only applies to alarm signals initiated from motion sensors. Single alarm signals from devices other than motion detectors will be eligible for a police response after enhanced call verification has been completed by the monitoring company.
4. 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.
5. Communicate cancellations to the police department in a manner and form determined by the alarm administrator.
6. Communicate any available information (north, south, front, back, door, window, etc.) about the location of an alarm signal(s) 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. Notify communications (dispatch) of any alarm site that it knows, or reasonably should know, has guard dog(s) or is fitted with a protective or reactive alarm system. During any alarm at such a site, a responsible party must be contacted and confirm that they will respond to the alarm site to disarm the device or take control of the guard dog(s). In all cases where a guard dog or a protective-reactive device is present at an alarm site, the police 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 or taken control of the guard dog(s).
9. After an alarm dispatch request, promptly advise the police department if the monitoring company knows that the alarm user or a responsible party is on the way to the alarm site.
10. 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 with this subsection will incur a $50.00 service fee per request.
11. 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. Conversion of Alarm Users. An alarm installation company or monitoring company that converts the servicing of any alarm system account from another company shall notify the alarm administrator of such conversion and shall provide to the alarm administrator, within 30 days from the date of conversion, an alarm user list of the converted accounts, in a format acceptable to the alarm administrator, that includes the following:
1. Permit number.
2. Customer name.
3. Customer billing address.
4. Customer telephone number.
5. Alarm site address.
6. Alarm installation company license number.
7. Monitoring company license number.
L. The customer lists described in subsection (K) of this section may include confidential information that may be protected from disclosure pursuant to state law.
M. Failure to provide alarm user lists to the alarm administrator, as required in subsection (K) of this section, will result in a fee of $50.00 per business day until the alarm installation company or monitoring company complies with the requirement. Failure to comply after 10 business days will result in the suspension of the company’s security alarm license. The city will assess a reinstatement fee of $100.00 and an additional fee of $10.00 per permitted user, if users have been notified of the suspension in accordance with ACC 9.30.090 and 9.30.120.
N. Disconnected Alarm Users. An alarm installation company or alarm monitoring company that holds the alarm agreement shall notify the alarm administrator once a month of all alarm customers within the limits of the city of Auburn that have discontinued their alarm service with the company. (Ord. 6216 § 1, 2009.)