Athens City Code

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Alarm business means any business in which the owners or employees engage in the activity of altering, installing, leasing, maintaining, repairing, replacing, selling or servicing alarm systems.

Alarm system means an assembly of equipment and devices or a single device, such as a solid state unit, which plugs directly into a 110 volt AC line or otherwise receives electrical energy arranged to signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention and to which emergency personnel are expected to respond. In this chapter, the term "alarm system" shall include the terms "automatic robbery alarm system," "burglar system," "fire alarm system," and "personal alarm system," as those terms are defined in this section. Excluded from the definition of the term "alarm system" and from the coverage of this chapter are alarm systems used to alert or signal persons within the premises in which the alarm system is located of an attempted unauthorized intrusion or robbery attempt. If such a system, however, employs an audible signal emitting sounds or a flashing light or beacon designed to signal persons outside the premises, such system shall be within the definition of the term "alarm system" and shall be subject to this chapter.

Annunciator means the instrumentation on 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. An annunciator may also indicate line trouble.

Answering service means a telephone answering service providing among its services the service of receiving on a continuous basis through trained employees emergency signals from alarm systems and thereafter immediately relaying the message by live voice to the communication center.

Automatic dialing device means an alarm system which automatically sends over regular telephone lines, by direct connections or otherwise, a pre-recorded voice message or code signal indicating the existence of the emergency situation that the alarm system is designed to detect.

Automatic robbery alarm system means an alarm system in which signal transmission is initiated by the action of the robber. The term "robbery" means the intentional or knowing theft of property from the person of another by violence or putting the person in fear.

Burglar alarm system means an alarm system signaling an entry or attempted entry into the area protected by the system.

Direct connect means an alarm system which has the capability of transmitting system signals to and receiving them at an agency maintained by the local government, for example, a communication center.

False alarm means the activation of an alarm system through mechanical failure, malfunction, improper installation or the negligence of the owner or lessee of an alarm system or of his employees or agents or other undetermined causes. The term "false alarm" does not include, for example, alarms caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, or other violent conditions.

Interconnect means to connect an alarm system to a voice grade telephone line, either directly or through a mechanical device that utilizes a standard telephone, for the purpose of using the telephone line to transmit an emergency message upon the activation of the alarm system.

Manual robbery alarm system means an alarm system in which the signal transmission is initiated by the direct action of the victim of a robbery or by an observer of a robbery.

Modified central station means an office to which remote alarm and supervisory signaling devices are connected, where operators supervise the circuits.

Police chief means the chief of the police department of the city or his designated representative.

Primary trunkline means a telephone line leading directly into the communication center that is for the purpose of handling emergency calls on a person-to-person basis and which is identified as such by a specific number included among the emergency numbers listed in the telephone directory issued by the telephone company and covering the service area within the police and fire department's jurisdiction, or numbers in sequence therewith.

Subscriber means a person who buys and/or leases or otherwise obtains an alarm signaling system and thereafter contracts with or hires an alarm business to monitor and/or service the alarm device.

(Code 1972, § 5-902; Code 1995, § 9-802; Ord. No. 837, § 1, 11-18-1997)