Legal Documents of Maryville

Unless it is apparent from the context that another meaning is intended, the following words, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings indicated herein:

1. "Alarm business" means the business of any individual, partnership, corporation, or other entity engaged in selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving, or installing any alarm system, or in causing any alarm system to be sold, leased, maintained, serviced, repaired, altered, replaced, moved, or installed in, or on, any building, structure, or facility.
2. "Alarm system" means any assembly of equipment, mechanical or electrical, arranged to signal the police and/or fire department that an emergency exists or that the services of either or both of those departments are needed. "Alarm system" shall also mean any alarm device which automatically emits an audible, visual, or other response upon the occurrence of any hazard or emergency and is intended to alert persons outside the building to the existence of said hazard or emergency.
3. "Alarm user" means the person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company, or organization of any kind in control of any building, structure, or facility, or portion thereof, wherein an alarm system is maintained.
4. "Answering service" refers to a telephone answering service providing among its services the receiving on a continuous basis emergency signals from alarm systems, and thereafter relaying the message to the central dispatch facility.
5. "Automatic telephone dialing alarm system" means any alarm system which is a device which automatically or electronically transmits by telephone or telephone line connected to the central dispatch facility a recorded message or code signal indicating a need for emergency response; or a system which, upon activation, connects to an answering service whose function it is to transmit to the police and/or the fire department a need for emergency response.
6. "Central dispatch facility" means the central communications center designated by the city council to receive, route, and otherwise handle all incoming police, fire, or other emergency service communications traffic.
7. "False alarm" means an alarm signal eliciting a response by the police and/or fire department when a situation requiring a response by the police and/or fire department does not in fact exist; but, this definition does not include an alarm signal caused by unusually violent conditions of nature, nor does it include other extraordinary circumstances not reasonably subject to control by the alarm user. Also, this definition does not include an alarm signal caused by a situation that may have been brought under control prior to the arrival of the responding police and/or fire department, that otherwise would have required a response.
8. "Permit year" means the portion of the calendar year remaining after the date of issuance of a permit and all subsequent calendar years thereafter that such permit may remain in effect. (1999 Code, § 21-102)