Section 4.72.010 Definitions.

1. "Alarm agent" means any person employed by an alarm business whose duties include the altering, installing, leasing, maintaining, repairing, replacing, selling, servicing, or responding to an emergency alarm system, or who causes any of these activities to take place.

2. "Alarm business" means any business operated by a person for profit which engages in the activity of altering, installing, leasing, maintaining, repairing, replacing, selling, servicing, or responding to an emergency alarm system or causing any of these activities to take place.

3. "Alarm coordinator" means the individual designated by the chief of police to administer the provisions of this chapter.

4. "Annunciator" means the instrumentation of an alarm console at the receiving terminal of a signal line which, through both visual and audible signals, shows when an alarm device at a particular location has been activated.

5."Automatic dialing device" refers to an alarm system which automatically sends over regular telephone lines a prerecorded voice message or coded signal indicating the existence of the emergency situation that the alarm system is designed to detect.

6. "Central station monitored system" means an alarm system in which the operation of electrical protection circuits and devices are signaled automatically to, recorded in, and supervised from a central station having trained operators in attendance at all times.

7. "Direct connect system" means an alarm system which has the capability of transmitting alarm signals, via telephone lines, to an alarm annunciator at the Woodbury County Communications Center.

8. "Alarm system" means an assembly of equipment and devices arranged to signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention of the Sioux City police department.

9. "Equipment supervising device" refers to any device utilizing an alarm system to signal the existence of a situation or condition not directly related to the detection of an intrusion, or any hazard to which a tax-supported emergency service would not ordinarily be expected to respond.

10. "False alarm" means the activation of an alarm system caused by mechanical or electronic failure, improper installation, equipment malfunction or the negligence of the user or operator, except the following shall not be considered false alarms:

a. Alarms caused by the malfunction or failure of the monitoring equipment located at a tax-supported dispatch facility;

b. Alarms caused by damage to, or by the testing or repair by the telephone company of telephone equipment or lines;

c. Alarms caused by an act of God such as earthquakes, flood, or violent windstorm;

d. Alarms intentionally caused by the resident, owner, or employee acting under the sincere belief that a need exists to call for emergency service;

e. Alarms followed by an immediate call or signal to the dispatching center cancelling the alarm; such call having been received by the Woodbury County Communications Center prior to the dispatching of the emergency service.

11. "Local alarm systems" refers to a signalling system which, when activated, causes an audible and/or visual signalling device to be activated in or on the premises within which the system is installed.

12. "Proprietary alarm system" means an alarm system sounding and/or recording alarm and supervisory signals at a central station monitored system under the supervision of the proprietor of the protected premises with the intent of summoning personnel employed by the proprietor and not any tax-supported emergency services.

13. "Government operation" means an agency under the control of an elected official or officials or a person or board appointed by an elected official or officials. (Ord. 92/U-268, 83/T-2235)