HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-27-86 Public Safety Committee OCmnmtrr rport
SID tilt (Common Count% of 014 of Email iib: PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
The May 27 , 1986 meeting of the Public Safety Committee was called .
to order by Councilman Joseph Serge in the absence of its Chairman and
Vice-Chairman, and the meeting was held in the Council informal meeting room.
Persons in attendance included : Councilmen Voorde, Zakrzewski,
Barcome, Braboy, Paszek, Puzzello, Serge, Taylor; Eugenia Schwartz ,
Chief Hurley, Dan Mirocha, various alarm business persons , James Wensits ,
Craig Hartzer, and Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand.
Councilman Serge noted that the meeting was called to again review
Bill No . 54-86 which would amend the South Bend City Code by adding a
new Chapter 12 entitled "Alarm Systems" . .
Councilman Taylor then joined the meeting and noted that his Committee
had met this on previous occasions and asked the City Attorney to review
the bill. Mrs . Schwartz then passed out a revised version of Bill No. 54-86
and briefly highlighted the changes . She noted that the inspection clause
in Sec. 12-2 (c) was changed and that the record keeping set forth in Sec.
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12-3 (b) was also changed. She added that fines would only be after three
false alarms within one calendar year -and that persons over the age of
• 75 would not be fined. She requested that the regular effective date
be put in place in light of the City' allowing three false alarms per year.
Councilman Taylor voiced concern over the differences between the
County and City with regard to the effective date of the ordinances . It was
noted that the County has a 90 day grace period before theirs would go into
effect. Councilman Voorde offered to check the effective date of the County
ordinance, and reported that September 4, 1986 should be the effective date.
The Council agreed to that amendment.
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Councilman Taylor also noted that the Council had to carefully weigh
the business concerns but also had to weigh the concerns of loss of man power
for the large number of false alarms each year. Councilman Paszek and
Councilman Barcome agreed with this as well as agreed that the County and
City effective dates of the ordinances should be the same.
Chief Hurley noted that between January 1 , 1985 and December 11 , 1985
there were 6,750 alarms taken by the Police Department. Of this number,
6, 588 alarms were false. Chief Gyori noted that in 1984 there were 430
alarms , in 1985 there were 351 alarms , and in 1986 to date there were 145.
He noted that of these amounts 90% were false in the Fire Department .
Mr. Keith Hamilton of 1ST Source Bank questioned what the procedure
would be when there was a line problem. He noted that the Department could
detect the difference between a weather related problem and a line problem
in light of current technology. It was noted that each case would be
reviewed by the Department responding with the assistance of the Legal
Department .
Councilman Braboy questioned Chief Gyori with regard to false telephone
calls with regard to alarms , and it was noted that this ordinance would not
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Public Safety Committee
cover that however the calls would be locked in by the Police Dispatcher.
Mr. Larry Roller of Eagle, Inc. , an alarm vendor also voiced concern
with regard to weather related as opposed to line related problems . He noted
that there are two separate signals which could determine the differences
between the problems . He further added that the City typically treats all
signals the same and sends out large amounts of equipment .
Mr. Emil Resnick of 1ST Source Bank noted that they have several
alarms in the main building which are caused by water leaking from the
parking garage into "traces" which they are trying to correct . He also
noted that he does a substantial amount of work with the Marriott in light
of the large common areas and that they have experienced numerous problems
from children riding bicycles throughout the parking garage and setting off
the various alarms . He added that they are trying to diligently correct all
of the problems and further noted that it was very rare where an employee
would be setting off the alarms, that typically the alarms were set off by
weather ; or by vandals.
Mr. Lee Gerhing, a security officer for 1ST Source Bank voiced
concern over what he termed "judgment calls" and added that many of the
difficulities that they have experienced are line related .
Mr. Tom Cook of TC Security Company also noted that you can tell
when it is a line problem versus a real alarm.
Councilman Taylor stated that he did not believe that the ordinance
was anit-business and that the City was trying to reasonably address the
large amount of wasted man-hours in both the Police and Fire Departments .
Mr. Bill Humphries of Indiana Security Systems suggested that changes
be made on page 3, Sec. 12-5 and that the terms "alarm audible sounder"
be used instead of the terminology currently used.
Councilman James Barcome questioned whether the ordinance directly
addressed the concerns in nursing homes. Mrs. Schwartz noted that the
nursing homes would each have three false alarms per year but after that
they would be subjected to a $25. 00 fine. It was noted by several
individuals that many of the elderly set off alarms while smoking in halls
or by pulling the boxes as they walk down the hallways. Most of these problems
cannot be controlled by the individual nursing home.
Mr. Charlie Horsewheeler of the ADT Securities , Inc. noted that the
types of pull boxes in the nursing homes are dictated by State code with
regard to ;eight and locations. It was noted that this was a Fire Department
problem. Councilman Taylor noted that all concerned business would have to
review their individual systems and measure their responsibility to the
community.
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Public Safety Committee
Councilman Barcome also noted that in the Farmington and Karl King
areas there are numerous alarms and it was noted by Mr. Gyori that
approximately six runs per year total are false to these facilities .
Following further discussion by the Committee, Councilman Serge
made a motion seconded by Councilman Beck that the Substitute_Bill as be recommended favorably to Council. The motion passed unanimously.
There being no further business to come before the Committee the
meeting was adjourned at 4 : 40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Councilman Robert Taylor