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Council hears ordinance on alarm registration, tiers fines for repeated false alarms
Summary
Ordinance 025002 was read; it would require alarm registration, define false alarm reporting, retain records and set escalating reimbursement fees for repeat false alarms (3–12 false alarms: $350 each; 13+ false alarms: $500 each), with an appeals process and record-keeping requirements.
City staff read Ordinance 025002, which would revise alarm-system registration and false-alarm reimbursement fees.
The ordinance text read at the meeting defines an alarm system and sets procedures for determining when a response is a false alarm. It requires the preparing of a false alarm report, retention of false alarm records for at least 180 days, and makes records available for review by the police chief, fire chief, mayor, city council and city attorney.
The ordinance sets reimbursement fees for a third or subsequent false alarm within an alarm period at the same location: $350 for each response run for the 3rd–12th false fire alarms and $500 for each response run for 13 or more false alarms; it also describes an appeal process. Staff framed the rule as nondiscriminatory and not intended to be punitive, but as a way to reduce unnecessary emergency responses and associated taxpayer expense.
Police and fire chiefs present discussed that most false alarms result from equipment or system malfunctions and not malicious activations; the ordinance contains provisions allowing the city to override fees in exceptional circumstances.
No adoption vote was taken at the meeting; the ordinance was presented, discussed with department heads, and will follow the council’s ordinance process.
