§ 18-41. Definitions.

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

Adopted Code(s) means the code(s) adopted by the city or otherwise by operation of law (including The Code of the City of Johns Creek, Georgia, the State Minimum Standard Codes, the Rules and Regulations for the State Minimum Fire Safety Standards (see O.C.G.A. § 25-2-1, et seq.) and the state accessibility code for buildings and facilities), and, in the absence of an adopted code, the National Fire Protection Association National Fire Alarm Code 72 (NFPA 72) and the National Fire Protection Association Life Safety Code 101 (NFPA 101). In the event provisions of the codes conflict, and provisions within such codes regarding interpretation and conflicts do not resolve such conflict, then those provisions which are deemed as the strictest by the fire chief or police chief, as applicable, shall take precedence and be enforced.

Alarm activation report means a document issued by the enforcement official indicating that the activation was deemed to be the result of either a valid incident or a false alarm.

Alarm administrator means a person or persons, including a third party contractor, designated by the city to administer, control and review false alarm reduction efforts and to administer the provisions of this division.

Alarm business/company means any individual, partnership, corporation or other entity that is appropriately licensed in the State of Georgia and installs, causes to be installed, permits to be installed, alters, maintains, repairs, replaces or services (including runner services) any alarm system.

Alarm initiating device means a device that is designed to respond either manually or automatically to smoke, fire, or activation of a fire suppression system.

Alarm permit means a permit issued by the city to allow the operation of an alarm system within the city.

Alarm signal means a detectable signal, whether audible, visual, and/or silent, generated by an alarm system, to which a public safety department is requested to respond.

Alarm system means any single device or assembly of equipment designed to signal the occurrence of a fire, illegal or unauthorized entry or other activity requiring immediate attention and to which a public safety department will be requested to respond, but does not include alarms installed in motor vehicles, domestic violence alarms, or alarms designed to elicit a medical response. Alarm system also includes a system or portion of a combination system consisting of components and circuits arranged to monitor and/or exterior annunciate the status of an alarm signal or supervisory signal-initiating devices and to initiate the appropriate response to those alarm signals.

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, whether owned or leased, an alarm system is maintained for the protection of such premises.

Alarm user awareness class means a class conducted for the purpose of educating alarm users about the responsible use, operation, and maintenance of alarm systems and the problems created by false alarms.

Automatic voice dialer means any electrical, electronic, mechanical, or other device capable of being programmed to send a pre-recorded voice message, when activated, over a telephone line, radio or other communication system, to the emergency communications system requesting public safety department dispatch.

Cancellation means the process by which a response is terminated when the alarm company (designated by the alarm user) notifies the emergency communications center that there is not an existing situation at the alarm site requiring public safety department response after an alarm dispatch request. If cancellation occurs prior to the respective public safety department arriving at the scene, this is not a false alarm for the purpose of civil penalty, and no penalty will be assessed.

City means the City of Johns Creek, Georgia.

City council means the governing body of the city consisting of the mayor and members of council.

Emergency communications center means the ChatComm Emergency Communications (911) Center.

Enforcement official means the fire chief (fire department enforcement official) or the police chief, or their respective designated representatives.

False alarm means the activation of an alarm system to summon a public safety department which occurs as a result of mechanical or electronic failure, malfunction, improper installation, or the negligence of the alarm user, his/her employees or agents, unless the request for response was cancelled by the alarm user or his/her agent before a public safety department arrives at the alarm location. An alarm is false within the meaning of this division when, upon inspection by a public safety department, evidence indicates that no fire, medical emergency, unauthorized entry, robbery, or other such crime was committed, occurred 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 to have been caused or activated by violent conditions of nature, nor does it include other extraordinary circumstances not reasonably subject to control by the alarm user. In addition, an alarm activated during an alarm system testing procedure shall not be considered a false alarm if the alarm user first notifies and receives permission from the alarm user's alarm company, or designee, to test the alarm system. False fire alarm means a false alarm to summon the fire department. False alarm shall not include the activation of an alarm system that is not a monitored system.

Fire chief means the Fire Chief of the City of Johns Creek, Georgia.

Fire department means the City of Johns Creek Fire-Rescue Department.

Fire watch means a person or persons approved by the fire department enforcement official who is assigned to the premises for the purpose of protecting the occupants from fire or similar emergencies. A fire watch may involve at least some special action beyond normal staffing, such as assigning an additional security guard(s) to walk the premises, who has been specially trained in fire prevention and in the use of fire extinguishers, in notifying the fire department, in sounding the fire alarm system located on the premises.

Holdup alarm means a silent alarm signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a robbery in progress.

KNOX Rapid Entry System or KNOX system means a secure access program developed for owners and fire departments, which has been approved by the fire department enforcement official, that provides immediate entry into buildings and other secured property without causing forced entry damage or delay.

Monitored system means an alarm system which is monitored by a remote monitoring facility which receives signals from the alarm system and notifies emergency response forces.

Owner means any person who owns the premises in which an alarm system is installed or the person or persons who lease, operate, occupy or manage the premises.

Permit year means a 12-month period beginning on the day and month on which an alarm permit is issued; provided however, in circumstances where no alarm permit has been issued, permit year shall mean calendar year.

Police chief means the Chief of Police of the City of Johns Creek, Georgia.

Police department means the City of Johns Creek Police Department.

Premises means any building, structure or combination of buildings, including structures which serve as dwelling units such as single-family or multi-family, or any other area within a building, structure or combination thereof which is used for any purpose, wherein an alarm system is installed.

Public safety department(s) means the police department and the fire department individually or collectively, as the context indicates.

Qualified alarm technician means any person who inspects, installs, repairs or performs maintenance on alarm systems and has successfully completed training consistent with alarm industry standards. A qualified fire alarm technician shall be: a) factory trained and certified; b) National Institute of Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) Fire Alarm Level II certified; or c) licensed or certified by state or local authority.

Record of completion means the completion of a form equivalent to the record of completion form included in the National Fire Protection Association's National Fire Alarm Code (NFPA 72).

Report of service/repair means appropriate documentation in a format acceptable to the enforcement official that verifies proper repairs or maintenance have been performed by both the alarm business and the owner.

Runner service means the service provided by a runner at the protected premises, including resetting and silencing of all equipment transmitting alarm or supervisory signals to an off-premises location.

Serve shall mean hand-delivery of written notification by a representative of the city to the owner or authorized representative who responded to the premises. In the event the owner or authorized representative fails to respond to the premises within 30 minutes, serve shall mean placing the form or other matter in the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the owner or authorized representative and/or placing a copy of an alarm activation report affixed to the main entrance door of the premises.

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 alarm system control panels and their associated arming and disarming devices to reduce false alarms. Control panels built and tested to this standard by nationally recognized testing organizations, 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 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 public safety department dispatch, in an attempt to avoid an unnecessary alarm dispatch request. For the purpose of this division, telephone verification shall require, at 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 himself/herself to attempt to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting public safety department dispatch.

(Ord. No. 2013-02-06, 2-11-2013)