9482-04 Amend Chapter 12 - Enhance Regulation of Alarm System

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activation caused by violent conditions of nature or other extraordinary circumstances not reasonably subject to control by an alarm user or alarm agent. (Sj~ 1~eyhodder means a natural person authorized by the alarm user to have and use a key to access the property where the alarm system is installed and possessing the ability to silence or deactivate the activated alarm system. f fr)~ Officer means a member of the South Bend Police Department or the South Bend Fire Department. SECTION II. Chapter 12, Section 12-2 of the South Bend Municipal Code shall be, and hereby is, amended to read as follows: Sec. 12-Z Response to alarm; determination of validity. (a) Whenever an alarm system is activated in the City of South Bend which results in an emergency response to the premises by the Police or Fire Department, the officer on the scene of the activated alarm system shall inspect the area protected by the system and shall attempt to determine whether the emergency response was required or was a false alarm. ~ It shall constitute a false alarm if the officer cannot inspect the area protected by the alarm system because of a fence or other obstruction, failure-ef and the keyholder fails to arrive at the premises within fifteen (15) minutes of the officer's arrival~ha}} (b) If the officer at the scene of the activated alarm system determines the alarm to be false, the officer shall make a report of the false alarm, notice of which shall be sent to the alarm user at the address of the premises, or at the known address of the alarm user, if different from the premises address. If a false alarm requires the arrival of officers from both Police and Fire Departments, the officers shall make reports of the false alarm to both respective departments. The officer shall remain at the location of the alarm for a maximum of fifteen (15) minutes or until a keyholder or agent arrives at the premises or contacts the Department, except as provided in (d). (c) The Police Chief or Fire Chief, or his designee, shall have the right to inspect the premises to which a response has been made and may cause such inspection to be made at any reasonable time after the occurrence of a false alarm. (d) No provision in this chapter shall interfere with an officer's ability to respond to an emergency or crime. (e) The Police and Fire Departments shall maintain records of all false alarms to which each department responds, and shall send notice of the first false alarms to the user, so as to provide notice of the potential imposition of a fine or a service fee as provided in this chapter. The responding department is to note the name and telephone number of the alarm agent on the false alarm notice. > , 2