Sec. 16-51. - Duty of users to instruct personnel as to proper operation.
Sec. 16-54. - Testing of fire alarms.
Sec. 16-55. - False alarms prohibited; penalty.
Secs. 16-57—16-59. - Reserved.
For the purpose of this article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
False alarm means any fire alarm signal communicated, directly or indirectly, to the emergency communications center which is not generated by actual or potential fire or other life or property threatening activity requiring immediate fire or rescue response. False alarms include negligently or accidentally activated signals; signals which are the result of faulty, malfunctioning or improperly installed or maintained equipment; signals which are purposely activated to summon fire or rescue personnel in nonemergency situations; and alarm signals for which the actual cause is not determined. False alarms shall not include signals activated by unusually severe weather conditions or other causes which are identified and determined by the fire chief to be beyond the control of the user.
Fire alarm system means any device or system which transmits a signal visibly, audibly, electronically, mechanically or by any combination of these methods, directly or indirectly, to the emergency communications center which indicates a fire or other threat to life or property at a premises requiring an immediate response by fire or rescue personnel to the scene.
Nonemergency situation means any set of circumstances not involving perceived, actual or potential activity that constitutes an immediate danger to life or property.
Premises means a single occupancy apartment, home or business with an alarm system within its control or a multiple occupancy apartment, home or business with a common fire alarm system where fire alarms for the individual units are tied to a common alarm panel operated and controlled by the owner or his agent.
User means the occupant of any premises equipped with a fire alarm system or the owner of such premises if they are unoccupied or the owner of such premises for which a common fire alarm system is provided and tied to a common alarm panel operated and controlled by that owner or his agent.
(Ord. No. 4202-91, § 1; Ord. No. 6347-07)
Sec. 16-51. - Duty of users to instruct personnel as to proper operation.
Fire alarm users shall instruct employees and others who may have occasion to activate an alarm that the alarm system shall be activated only in emergency situations requiring an immediate response by fire or rescue personnel. Alarm users shall also instruct appropriate employees in the operation of the fire alarm system, including deactivation and resetting of the alarm.
(Ord. No. 4202-91, § 1)
Fire alarm system users shall post on the premises, in a conspicuous place visible from outside the premises, a sticker or other sign indicating the telephone numbers of at least two (2) responsible persons who are capable of deactivating and resetting the alarm system and of assisting the fire or rescue personnel, if necessary, and who may be notified by the fire department to respond to the scene. Such person or persons shall respond to the scene within one (1) hour after being requested to do so by the fire department.
(Ord. No. 4202-91, §1)
Fire alarm users shall be responsible for seeing that alarm systems are maintained in good working order and that defects which could cause false alarms are promptly repaired.
(Ord. No. 4202-91, §1)
Sec. 16-54. - Testing of fire alarms.
Nothing in this article shall be construed to prohibit the periodic testing of fire alarm systems, provided sufficient advance notice is given to the fire chief.
(Ord. No. 4202-91, § 1; Ord. No. 4935-96)
Sec. 16-55. - False alarms prohibited; penalty.
(a)
It shall be unlawful for any user to send a false alarm.
(b)
For each false alarm after three (3) false alarms originating from the same premises within a ninety-day period, there is hereby imposed a civil penalty in the amount of one hundred dollars ($100.00) for each such false alarm. In no event shall a fee of more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) per day be charged for false alarms originating from the same premises.
(c)
The fire chief shall bill each user responsible for the false alarm with the appropriate amount of penalty as set forth above. All such penalties shall be paid within thirty (30) days of billing.
(Ord. No. 4202-91, § 1; Ord. No. 4463-93, § 1; Ord. No. 6745-10, § 1)
Editor's note—
Ord. No. 6745-10 shall be in effect on and after January 1, 2011.
The civil penalty set forth in this article shall not apply to any premises equipped with a fire alarm system used, owned or occupied by the United States government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities or to the Commonwealth of Virginia, its agencies or political subdivisions, but all the other provisions of this article, including the termination of service, shall apply to them.
(Ord. No. 4202-91, § 1)