§ 12-20. Definitions.

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

Alarm user means the person or other entity that owns, possesses, controls, occupies or manages any premises as defined in this section.

Burglar/robbery alarm system means any assembly of equipment, mechanical or electrical, arranged to signal the occurrence of an illegal entry or other activity requiring urgent attention and to which the Sheriff's office may reasonably be expected to respond, but does not include fire alarms or alarms installed in motor vehicles. If a fire alarm is connected to a burglar alarm system, this section shall not apply to false alarms that the alarm user proves were generated by the fire alarm portion of the system.

False burglar/robbery alarm means a signal from a burglar/robbery alarm system that elicits a response by the Sheriff's office when no emergency or threatened criminal activity requiring immediate response exists. This definition includes signals activated by negligence, accident, mechanical failure, and electrical failure; signals activated intentionally in nonemergency situations; and signals for which the actual causes of activation are unknown. It is rebuttable presumption that a burglar alarm is false if personnel responding from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office do not discover any evidence of unauthorized entry, criminal activity, or other emergency after following a normal police operating procedures in investigating the incident. An alarm is not false if the alarm user proves that:

(1)

An individual activated the alarm based upon a reasonable belief that an emergency or actual or threatened criminal activity requiring immediate response existed; or

(2)

The alarm system was activated by lightning or an electrical surge that caused physical damage to the system, as evidenced by the testimony of a licensed alarm system contractor who conducted an on-site inspection and personally observed the damage to the system.

Premises means the building or structure or portion of a building or structure upon which is installed or maintained a burglar/robbery alarm system.

(Code 1999, § 13-83)