Vigo County Indiana

WHEREAS, the purpose of this ordinance, finds that excessive false alarms unduly burden the Vigo County Sheriff's Office limited law enforcement resources. The purpose of this ordinance is to establish reasonable expectations of alarm users and to insure that alarm users are responsible for their use of alarm systems.

3-59- 1: Definitions

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

• Alarm Administrator means a person or persons designated by the Vigo County Sheriff to administer, control and review false alarm reduction efforts and administer the provisions of this ordinance.
• Alarm Company means a person subject to the licensing requirements and/or a company engaged in selling, leasing, installing, servicing or monitoring alarm systems.
• Alarm Signal means a detectable signal; audible or visual, generated by an alarm system, to which law enforcement is requested to respond.
• Alarm System means any single device or assembly of equipment designed to signal the occurrence of an illegal or unauthorized entry or other illegal activity requiring immediate attention and to which law enforcement is requested to respond, but does not include motor vehicle or boat alarms, fire alarms, domestic violence alarms, or alarms designed to elicit a medical response.
• Alarm user means any person, corporation, partnership, proprietorship, governmental or educational entity owning, leasing or operating an alarm system, or on whose premises an alarm system is maintained for the protection of such premises.
• Automatic dial protection device means an automatic dialing device or an automatic telephone dialing alarm system and shall include any system which upon being activated, automatically initiates to the Vigo County Sheriff's Office a recorded message or code signal indicating a need for a law enforcement response.
• Cancellation means the process where the response is terminated when the alarm company (designated by the alarm user) notifies the Vigo County Sheriff's Office that there is not an existing situation at the alarm site requiring a law enforcement response after an alarm dispatch request. If Cancellation occurs prior to deputy arriving at the scene, this is not a false alarm for the purpose of civil/criminal penalty, and no penalty will be assessed.