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ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCE NO. 1811, AND CHAPTER 7.32 OF THE JONESBORO CODE OF ORDINANCES, ENTITLED “BURGLAR AND FIRE ALARMS”
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WHEREAS, excessive correspondence is being generated due to the increase in installation of Alarm Systems, and to false-alarm calls made to the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas; And
WHEREAS, there is a need to update current procedures for responding to false alarms.
BE IT NOW, THEREFORE ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas that:
SECTION 1: Section 7.32.02 (b) (2) entitled “Malfunction”shall be amended by adding the following: (i.e.: Thunderstorms, hail, wind storms, electrical storms, city power failures etc.). Rain or wind, do not in and of themselves, constitute a violent condition.
SECTION 2: Section 7.32.03 shall be repealed in its entirety and replaced with the following:
(A) No alarm system shall be place in service after installation in any dwelling, business or place within the City of Jonesboro until such time as notification of said installation shall have been given to the police or fire department. At this time, alarm response, fines, and other procedures relating to false alarms shall be explained by police and/or fire personnel. In addition, companies in the business of installing alarm or security systems must make their customers aware of this ordinance prior to activation of the system.
(B) Any person, firm, corporation or other entity causing any alarm system to be installed in any dwelling, building or place, shall prior to placing such alarm in service, have in their possession the names, addresses and telephone numbers of at least two (2) persons who shall have access to said dwelling, building or place, and the knowledge and ability to make said system secure in case of activation. They shall also have posted, the name, address and telephone number of any person, firm or corporation responsible for servicing the alarm system.
(C) Alarms shall be monitored by the alarm installation company or the alarm notification/answering service retained by the user. They shall immediately advise the police and/or fire department when an alarm has been activated and make the information in the above subsection (b), available to the police or fire response personnel. (Where no alarm notification/answering service is used, it is suggested the names of the two (2) persons be posted in a conspicuous location for response personnel. This request will be made to the system owner or Alarm Company at the time the police or fire department is notified of an installation). The Jonesboro Police and/or Fire Departments shall not monitor alarm systems.
(D) The alarm company or the service agency retained to monitor said alarm system, in addition to notifying the police and/or fire departments, shall immediately notify the persons whose names are required in subsection (b) above. In addition, they will advise them to meet with response personnel at the alarm site to secure said premises and to reset the alarm. The Police and/or Fire Department will respond to all alarms when notified.
(E) Should any person responsible for any alarm system, when notified of its activation, refuse to respond pursuant to the above subsection (c), the police and/or fire units on the scene shall check the property thoroughly and secure the location as much as possible. The Jonesboro Police and Fire Department shall not be required to make any further responses to that building, dwelling or place until such time as said alarm system has been properly reset.
SECTION 3: Section 7.32.04 shall be amended by deleting the following from Subsection (b1), “After the second false alarm, a written warning shall be given to the person, firm, corporation or other entity owning or operating the dwelling, building or place wherein said alarm system was installed.”
SECTION 4: Section 7.32.06 shall be amended by replacing the titles of Fire Chief and Chief of Police with the following . . .“it shall be the right of the Police Department and/or the Fire Department to notify such person, firm, corporation of entity, that they will no longer respond to their alarms.”
SECTION 5: It is the intent of the City Council and it is hereby ordained that the City Clerk shall codify the provisions of this Ordinance into the Code of Ordinances of Jonesboro, Arkansas, and the sections thereof may be renumbered and relettered as necessary to accomplish such intention.
SECTION 6: It is found and declared by the City Council for the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas that this ordinance being necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety, shall take effect and be in full force from and after its' passage and approval.
PASSED AND ADOPTED the 15th day of February, 1999.