§ 5-30.02. Definitions.

For the purposes of this chapter, certain terms are defined as follows:

(a)

"Alarm" means any sound, signal or message generated by an alarm system, alarm user or other person, to which police or fire personnel are expected to respond.

(b)

"Alarm business" means a business that sells, leases, installs, moves, maintains, repairs, alters, replaces, services or monitors alarm systems. Alarm business includes "alarm company operator" as defined in California Business and Professions Code Section 7590.2.

(c)

"Alarm system" means any device, whether mechanical or electrical, fixed or mobile, designed and used to notify police personnel to respond. An alarm system does not include a battery operated smoke detector or the conventional use of a cellular or landline telephone. An alarm system does include manual and automatic alarms systems and mobile security devices.

(d)

"Alarm user" means any organization or person who has responsibility for or control over the maintenance, use or activation of any alarm system.

(e)

"Audible alarm" means an alarm device that, when activated, emits an audible sound at or about the alarm site.

(f)

"Automatic dialing device" means a device that automatically sends over regular telephone lines, by direct connection, a prerecorded voice message or coded signal indicating the existence of some type of emergency to which police personnel are expected to respond.

(g)

"Burglar alarm system" means an alarm system designed or used to detect and report an unauthorized entry or attempted unauthorized entry upon the premises, building or structure protected by the system.

(h)

"Central station" means a facility to which alarm systems are connected, where operators supervise the circuits on a continuous basis, and where there is a subsequent relaying of messages by a live voice to the police department.

(i)

"Department" means the Simi Valley Police Department.

(j)

Duress alarm" means a silent alarm signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a crisis situation requiring police response.

(k)

"Emergency" for the purpose of this chapter means the commission or attempted commission of a robbery, burglary or other criminal activity.

(l)

"False alarm" means the activation of an alarm system where there is no evidence of criminal activity and the cause is by mechanical failure, malfunction or the negligence of the owner or lessee or an alarm system or of the employees, agents or invitees thereof. A false alarm includes an alarm caused by a power outage, but shall not include alarms caused by earthquakes, violent winds or other external natural causes beyond the control of the owner or lessee of the alarm system.

(m)

"Police chief" means the Chief of Police of the Simi Valley Police Department or authorized designee thereof.

(n)

"Robbery alarm system" means an alarm system designed or used for alerting others of a robbery or other crime in progress that involves potentially serious bodily injury or death. For purposes of this definition, a robbery alarm system includes duress, panic, hold-up and robbery-in-progress alarms.

(o)

"Verified response" means the confirmation of criminal activity prior to contacting the Police Department to request a police response.

(§ 1, Ord. 697, eff. March 1, 1989, as amended by § 1, Ord. 1073, eff. May 16, 2005)