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Chapter 22
EMERGENCY SERVICES
Article I. In General
Secs. 22-1-22-30. Reserved.
Article II. Burglar Alarm Systems
Sec. 22-31. Definitions.
Sec. 22-32. Statement of purpose.
Sec. 22-33. Design of systems; dial alarms.
Sec. 22-34. False alarms.
Sec. 22-35. Defective alarm systems; unlawful use of alarm systems; penalty.
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EMERGENCY SERVICES § 22-34
ARTICLE I. IN GENERAL Sec. 22-32. Statement of purpose.
The police department experiences an inordi-
Secs. 22-1-22-30. Reserved. nate number of false alarms from alarm systems
installed in businesses and residences within the
city. These false alarms require the time and
ARTICLE II. BURGLAR ALARM attention of dispatchers and police officers who
SYSTEMS* could otherwise perform duties beneficial to the
resident of the city. In addition, the inordinate
Sec. 22-31. Definitions. number of false alarms induces a lack of attention
and awareness thus endangering the safety of the
The following words, terms and phrases, when officers responding thereto. The cost of respond-
used in this article, shall have the meanings ing to false alarms is unfairly absorbed by all the
ascribed to them in this section, except where the residents of the city rather than by the alarm user
context clearly indicates a different meaning: whose alarm system is causing the false alarm. It
is the purpose of this article to impose upon the
Alarm system means an intrusion or holdup alarm user a charge to cover the city's cost in
device designed or arranged to signal, audibly, responding to such false alarms and to encourage
visibly, electronically or mechanically or by any the installation, maintenance and operation of
combination of these methods the presence of an alarm systems which do not cause false alarms.
intrusion or holdup of residential, business or (Code 1975, § 12-121; Code 2002, § 22-32)
commercial property to which the police depart-
ment is expected to respond. The term "alarm Sec. 22-33. Design of systems; dial alarms.
system" includes hostage alarms but excludes fire
alarm signals. (a) Any alarm system designed to emit an
audible siren, noise, flashing light, beacon or
Alarm user means any person or business on other sound or light annunciation so as to signal
whose premises an alarm system is maintained persons outside the premises shall be equipped to
within the city except for alarm systems on motor automatically terminate the location annuncia-
vehicles. However, if an alarm system on a motor tion of the alarm system within five minutes from
vehicle is connected with an alarm system at a the initial light or sound emission.
premises, the person using such system is an
alarm user. (b) Dial alarms designed to terminate at the
dispatch center are prohibited unless written
Dial alarm means an alarm system which permission is received from the chief of police.
automatically sends over regular telephone lines (Code 1975, § 12-123; Code 2002, § 22-33)
a prerecorded message or coded signal indicating
the existence of an emergency situation that the Sec. 22-34. False alarms.
alarm system was designed to detect and which is
(a) For each false alarm, the alarm user shall
connected to and received by an agency main-
receive a false alarm notice from the police de-
tained by the local government.
partment. The alarm user shall return the false
Dispatch center means the county central oper- alarm notice to the police department within 14
ations for police services communication center. days of the date of the false alarm and shall state
on the false alarm notice the cause of the alarm
False alarm means the activation of an alarm and corrective measures taken.
system not resulting from criminal activity for
(b) An alarm user shall be required to pay the
which the alarm was intended.
city a service fee for having four or more false
(Code 1975, § 12-122; Code 2002, § 22-31)
alarms within a calendar year. The amount of
*State law reference-Private security business and such fee shall be established by resolution of the
security alarm act, MCL 338.1051 et seq. city commission and shall cover the cost of re-
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§ 22-34 MUSKEGON CITY CODE
sponding to such false alarms and the cost of Sec. 22-35. Defective alarm systems; unlaw-
inspection, investigation and supervision result- ful use of alarm systems; penalty.
ing from the enforcement of this article. If the The following acts or omissions constitute a
alarm user fails to pay the service fee within 60 municipal civil infraction:
days after billing by the city, such service fee shall
be added to and made a part of the next city tax (1) Possession by an alarm user of a defective
bill against the subject premises and collected in alarm system, defined as a system which
the same manner as provided by law for the reports eight false alarms within a calen-
collection by the city of taxes on real estate. dar year, for whatever cause;
(2) The activation of an alarm system by any
(c) Alarm conditions caused by the following person for a purpose other than police
extenuating circumstances shall not constitute a department response to a holdup, includ-
false alarm, and the alarm shall not be counted, ing an armed or unarmed robbery, lar-
nor shall a fee be assessed by the city: ceny, or attempt to commit an armed or
unarmed robbery or larceny, at a business
(1) Alarm system malfunctions on new instal- or commercial property;
lations if occurring within a 30-day period (3)The activation of an alarm system for
after the alarm system is installed, pro- police department response to circum-
vided that corrective measures have been stances which do not involve an intrusion,
instituted as attested to by the alarm user including a breaking or entering or forc-
on the false alarm notice. ible trespass by persons unknown to the
occupants, at a residential location.
(2) Alarms activated by a major disruption of (Code 1975, § 12-125; Code 2002, § 22-35)
telephone or other communication sys-
tems or by motor vehicle-utility pole acci-
dents at the discretion of the chief of
police or his designee.
(3) Meteorological or geological conditions
when a large number of alarms or a
particular area of the city is affected at
the discretion of the chief of police or his
designee.
(4) Alarm conditions activated by persons
working on an alarm system with prior
notification to the police department and
the dispatch center.
(5) Any alarm cancelled by the alarm user or
designated alarm company prior to the
dispatch of any police officer to the scene.
(d) The chief of police or his designee shall
determine the existence of conditions specified in
subsections (c)(l) through (4) of this section uti-
lizing the official police report generated by the
alarm activation and utilizing any other informa-
tion deemed necessary to make a decision.
(Code 1975, § 12-124; Code 2002, § 22-34)
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