80-473 CITY OF HOPKINS
Hennepin County, Minnesota
111/ ORDINANCE NO. 80-473
AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO BURGLARY, ROBBERY, AND
FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS ; REQUIRING ALARM USERS TO OBTAIN
PERMITS ; PROVIDING FOR ISSUANCE OF PERMITS AND
REVOCATION THEREOF; PROHIBITING CERTAIN INTERCONNEC-
TIONS AND AUTOMATIC DIALING PRACTICES ; AND ALLOCATING
EXPENSES FOR FALSE ALARMS.
THE CITY OF HOPKINS DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS :
Section 1. TITLE This ordinance shall be known as "Hopkins Alarm Ordinance. "
Section 2. PURPOSE AND SCOPE The purpose of this Ordinance is to protect the
public safety of the City personnel and services of the City from
misuse and careless, negligent operation of certain alarm systems.
Section 3. DEFINITIONS
• a. Alarm - means a single transmission from any alarm installation which
summons Police or Fire personnel .
b. Alarm Business - means and includes any person engaged in selling, leasing,
maintaining, servicing, replacing, moving, installing, or monitoring any
alarm or alarm installation.
c. Alarm Installation - means and includes any mechanical , electrical , or
electronic device which directly or indirectly summons the Police or Fire
Department of the City of Hopkins .
d. Alarm System - means and includes any alarm installation designed to be
used for the prevention or detection of burglary, robbery, or fire on the
premises which contain proper alarm installations.
e. Alarm User - means the person , firm, partnership, association , corporation,
company, or organization of any kind in control of any building, structure,
or facility wherein an alarm installation is maintained.
f. Audible Alarm - means a device designed for the detection of smoke or fire
• or of an unauthorized entry on the premises , which alarm actuates or
generates an audible sound on or near the premises.
g. Automatic Dialing Device - means a device which is interconnected with a
telephone line and is designed or programmed to select a predetermined
telephone number and transmit by voice message or code signal an emergency
message indicating the need for emergency Police or Fire Department services.
h. False Alarm - means an alarm signal eliciting a response by fire, police,
or safety personnel when a situation requiring a response does not in fact
exist, but which alarm does not include a signal caused by violent conditions
of nature or other unusual circumstances not subject to the control of the
alarm system or user.
i . Person - means any individual , partnership, corporation, or other organization
or entity.
j . Subscriber - means a person contracting with a business for the leasing,
servicing, or maintenance of an alarm installation.
Section 4. ALARM USER PERMITS
• A. Alarm Permits Required Within 30 days from and after the effective date of
this Ordinance or thereafter prior to the installation or operation of any
alarm system, every alarm user shall obtain a permit from the City of Hopkins
for each such alarm system installed or operated within the City. Separate
permits shall be obtained and required for each alarm installation , and each
permit shall be issued by the City Clerk and shall be posted or otherwise
kept upon the premises using the alarm system, and each such system thus
permitted shall be available at all times for inspection by public safety
personnel .
B. Application For Alarm Installation Permit Every user of any alarm system
110 in the City of Hopkins shall submit a written application for each such
alarm system, which application shall specify, among other information, the
following:
1. Name and address of applicant and telephone number of the premises in
which such alarm system is installed.
2. Name and address of maker, owner, lessor, and/or other person responsible
for the installation, maintenance, or operation of each such system.
3. Type, make, and location of each alarm installation thus registered.
4. Such other pertinent information as may be from time to time required
by the City of Hopkins.
C. Permit Fees , Issuance Each application for any alarm installa-
tion in the City of Hopkins shall be accompanied by a fee of $25.00. Each
alarm permit thus issued shall remain in effect until one or more of the
following conditions occurs :
Si. The ownership of the premises in or on which the alarm system is located
is changed.
2. Such permit is canceled, revoked, or otherwise suspended by the City, as
more fully hereinafter set forth, or by the Licensee.
D. Exemption
Alarm system permits shall not be required for the use or operation of
those alarms affixed to automobiles or owner-installed audible alarms
when used in a private dwelling.
Section 5. FALSE ALARMS: CHARGES, FEES, AND PENALTIES
A. Report of False Alarm By Owner Every false alarm shall be reported in
writing to the City of Hopkins by the person owning or maintaining env
alarm system, which report, among other information , shall describe the
alarm system and the reason for such false alarm.
B. False Alarm Charges Subject to the exemptions herein set forth the
following charges shall be paid by the permit holder to the City for each
false alarm from the permitted premises:
Si. For each Fire false alarm in excess of one for each calendar year,
the sum of $150.00.
2. For each Police false alarm in excess of four per calendar year, the
sum of $50.00.
C. Disconnections Should any of the above charges remain unpaid beyond 60 days
from the date of billing, the alarm terminal involved shall be disconnected
at the Police or Fire headquarters until payment is received. If any such
alarm installation has alarms conveyed by a security company or other
organization, it shall be notified that response to such alarm shall not be
made unless the emergency is confirmed by a responsible person.
Section 6. ADMINISTRATIVE RULES The City Manager or his designee shall promulgate
such rules as may be necessary for the implementation and/or enforcement
of this Ordinance , and for the determination of the grounds for any
suspension or revocation of any permit required by this Ordinance.
Section 7. CONFIDENTIALITY
A. All information submitted pursuant to this Ordinance or rules issued there-
under shall be deemed confidential and exempt from discoveries.
B. Subject to the requirements of confidentiality, the City Manager or his
designee may develop, maintain , and publish statistics pertaining to the
uses , purposes , and other pertinent data necessary or desirable in the proper
enforcement of this Ordinance.
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