§ 5-22. Definitions.

As used herein, the following terms shall have the specified meanings unless another meaning is clearly required by the context:

Alarm Company means either an Alarm Installation Company or Alarm Monitoring Company as determined by its use within this Ordinance.

Alarm Installation Company means a person or entity whose business includes the selling, providing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, moving or installing Security Alarm Systems in residential, commercial and/or industrial buildings. Such company must be properly licensed, as required by law, to conduct business within the unincorporated portions of Collier County.

Alarm Monitoring Company means a person or entity whose business includes receiving signals from Security Alarm Systems for the purpose of relaying related information to third parties, including law enforcement, for the purpose of initiating a response thereto. Such company must be properly licensed, as required by law, to conduct business within the unincorporated portions of Collier County.

Alarm Registration Form means the form to be filled out and turned in by all responsible parties or an electronic format in which the applicable data is supplied, as provided by the Sheriff's Office.

Enforcement official means the Sheriff of Collier County, each deputy sheriff, and/or any authorized representative or designee of the sheriff.

False alarm means activation of a security alarm signal caused by something other than an actual or attempted forced or unauthorized entry into or forced or unauthorized exit from the secured premises, and which signal results in a law enforcement response. There shall be a rebuttable presumption that a security alarm signal is a false alarm whenever an enforcement officer responds to an alarm signal and the responding officer determines that the alarm signal was triggered by; (a) a cause other than an attempted or actual forced or unauthorized entry into or forced or unauthorized exit from the secured premises; or (b) by intentional activation of that alarm signal based upon a good faith, reasonable mistake that a crime was being committed at the secured premises.

Official response means when any enforcement officer responds by traveling to a secured premises in response to a security alarm signal from that premises.

Owner means owner of the secured premises, including each co-owner of co-owned property, including, and not limited to, each tenant by the entireties, each joint tenant, and each tenant in common.

Premises means any residence, any building or structure, and any apartment, office, condominium, or any other unit thereof.

Responsible party means; (a) each owner; (b) each 18 years or older occupant of the secured premises; (c) each tenant and each subtenant; and (d) other persons or entities, if any, that have by written agreement with the owner agreed to be responsible for false alarms emitted from that secured premises.

Secured premises means the premises intended to be protected by the security alarm system.

Security alarm malfunction means emission of any alarm signal caused by mechanical failure, improper system design, equipment malfunction, improper maintenance or lack of maintenance, power failure or power surge, or other substantially similar cause. Malfunctions do not include any accidental activation of the alarm signal by an action that the system was designed to be triggered by.

Security alarm system means any alarm device that is used to emit a signal to alert persons of an attempted or actual forced entry into or forced or unauthorized exit from the secured premises, and which system emits a signal (electrical impulse and/or tone) to prompt an official response from any Collier County enforcement official. Excluded are; (1) alarm devices that emit alarm signals because of unauthorized acts to a vehicle; and (2) systems installed by a telephone company to protect only the company's telephone equipment.

Signal means a power impulse or audible tone emitted from a security alarm system which indicates that a true or false alarm has occurred.

Vacant means premises that are not physically occupied by any responsible adult at any time during an official response by an enforcement officer.

(Ord. No. 97-8, § 2, 1-28-97; Ord. No. 01-56, § 2, 10-23-01; Ord. No. 2014-07, § 1; Ord. No. 2017-32, § 1)