§ 27-3. Alarm system monitoring company requirements.

(a)

Alarm system monitoring companies operating in New Orleans shall obtain and maintain all required state and city licenses.

(b)

Alarm system monitoring companies engaging in business activities in New Orleans shall annually register with the alarm administrator. No fee for this registration is required, and the alarm administrator shall provide this registration form by December 1st.

(c)

When the alarm administrator reports a false alarm at an alarm system user's premises, the alarm system monitoring company shall work cooperatively with the alarm administrator to determine the cause thereof and to prevent reoccurrences. If there is reason to believe that an alarm system is not being used or maintained in a manner that ensures proper operation or such system is not suppressing false alarms, the alarm administrator may require one or more conferences with an alarm system user and/or alarm system monitoring company or designee to review the circumstances of each false alarm.

(d)

The alarm system monitoring company shall maintain a verification process to prevent false alarms from resulting in unnecessary police dispatches. A verification process is an independent method of determining that a signal from an automatic alarm system reflects the real need for immediate police assistance or investigation. The means of verification for all alarms produced by an alarm system, excluding holdup or panic alarms, shall include one or more of the following:

(1)

An attempt by the alarm system monitoring company, or its representative, to make audio contact with the alarm site and/or alarm user, by telephone or similar means, whether or not actual contact with a person is made, to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting law enforcement dispatch, in an attempt to avoid unnecessary alarm dispatch requests. For the purpose of this ordinance, audio verification by telephone or similar means shall require, at a minimum, that a second call or other audio verification attempt be made to a different number if the first attempt fails to reach an alarm user who can properly identify themselves to determine whether an alarm signal is valid before requesting law enforcement dispatch;

(2)

The installation of a video system that provides the alarm system monitoring company with the ability to ascertain that activity is occurring which warrants police assistance or investigations;

(3)

An independent confirmation that a signal reflects a need for police assistance or investigation either by the alarm system user, a person at or near the premises, or an alternative response agency, made before dispatching police; or

(4)

An alternative system that the superintendent of police certifies has met the verification intent of this section through alternative means.

(e)

Alarm system monitoring companies must maintain, for a period of at least one year following request for police dispatch to an alarm site, records relating to such request. Records must include the name, address and phone number of the alarm system user, the alarm system zone(s) or point(s) activated, the date and time of request for police dispatch, and evidence that an attempt to verify was made prior to request for police dispatch. The alarm administrator may request and is entitled to receive from the alarm system monitoring company or designee copies of such records for individual alarm systems users.

(f)

Alarm system monitoring companies shall report alarm signals to the 9-1-1 operator through the call system designated by the alarm administrator. The alarm system monitoring company shall provide the state license code assigned to the alarm company by the state fire marshal's office.

(g)

The police department will accept cancellations for dispatch at any time prior to the arrival of police at the alarm site. For false alarm enforcement purposes, any dispatch request canceled prior to the arrival of the police on a burglar alarm site will not be counted as a false alarm.

(h)

The provisions of this section do not apply to persons engaged solely in the manufacture, installation, repair, or sale of alarm systems or their components who do not provide alarm monitoring services for any location.

The failure of an alarm system monitoring company to comply with any of the above requirements shall be a violation of this section. Each company that violates this section shall be liable for a fine of $250.00 for each violation. Furthermore, violation of this section may result in the suspension or revocation of any permit or license issued to the alarm system monitoring company responsible for violating the section.

(M.C.S., Ord. No. 18,230, § 1, 5-15-97; M.C.S., Ord. No. 26459, § 1, 6-18-15)