§ 11-50. Definitions.

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Alarm administrator means a person or persons designated by the chief of police, and under his or her direct supervision, to administer, control and review false alarm reduction efforts and administer the provisions of this article.

Alarm company means any individual, partnership, corporation or other entity subject to the licensing requirements of the North Carolina General Statutes, chapter 74D, et. seq., and/or engaged in selling, leasing, installing, servicing or monitoring alarm systems.

Alarm permit or permit means a permit issued by the city allowing the operation of an alarm system by a specified alarm user and at a specified location within the city.

Alarm signal means a detectable signal; audible or visual, generated by an alarm system, to which law enforcement is requested to respond.

Alarm system means any single device or assembly of equipment designed to signal the occurrence of an illegal or unauthorized entry or other activity requiring immediate attention and to which law enforcement is requested to respond, but does not include alarms installed in motor vehicles, fire alarms, domestic violence alarms, or alarms designed to elicit a medical response.

Alarm user means any person, corporation, partnership, proprietorship, governmental or educational entity or any other entity owning or leasing an alarm system, or on whose premises an alarm system is maintained for the protection of such premises.

Automatic dial protection device means an automatic dialing device or an automatic telephone dialing alarm system and shall include any system which, upon being activated, automatically initiates to the Kannapolis Police Department a recorded message or code signal indicating a need for law enforcement response.

Cancellation means the process where response to an alarm signal is terminated when the alarm company (designated by the alarm user) notifies the Kannapolis Police Department that there is not an existing situation at the alarm site requiring police response after an alarm dispatch request.

Chief of police means the chief of police of the Kannapolis Police Department or his designee.

False alarm means the activation of an alarm system through mechanical or electronic failure, malfunction, improper installation, or the intentional acts or negligence of the alarm user, his/her employees or agents, to summon law enforcement personnel, unless law enforcement response was cancelled by the alarm company (designated by the alarm user) prior to law enforcement personnel arrival on the scene. An alarm is false within the meaning of this ordinance when, upon inspection by the Kannapolis Police Department, evidence indicates that no unauthorized entry, robbery, or other crime was committed or attempted in or on the premises which would have activated a properly functioning alarm system. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a false alarm shall not include an alarm which can reasonably be determined by the investigating officer to have been caused or activated by a violent condition of nature including but not limited to flood, hurricane, lightning, blizzard or other similar condition outside the alarm user's control. In addition, an alarm activated during an alarm system testing procedure shall not be considered a false alarm if the alarm user first notifies the Kannapolis Police Department and notifies and receives permission from the user's alarm company, or designee, to test the system.

Permit year means a twelve-month period beginning on the day and month on which an alarm permit is issued.

Person means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, governmental agency, public corporation, or any other legal or commercial entity.

SIA Control Panel Standard CP-01 means the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) approved Security Industry Association (SIA) CP-01 Control Panel Standard, as may be updated from time to time, that details recommended design features for security system control panels and their associated arming and disarming devices to reduce false alarms. Control panels built and tested to this standard by a nationally recognized testing organization, will be marked to state: "Design evaluated in accordance with SIA CP-01 Control Panel Standard Features for false alarm reduction."

Verify means an attempt by the monitoring alarm company, or its representative, to contact the alarm site and/or alarm user by telephone and/or other electronic means, whether or not actual contact with a person is made, to attempt to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting law enforcement dispatch, in an attempt to avoid an unnecessary alarm dispatch request. For the purpose of this article, telephone verification shall require, as a minimum that a second call be made to a different number if the first attempt fails to reach an alarm user who can properly identify themselves to attempt to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting law enforcement dispatch.

(Ord. No. 2008-20, 4-28-08)