The Reno City Council Wednesday approved changes in the City’s alarm ordinance to help reduce the number of false alarms that result in impacts on police resources that would otherwise be available for emergency and other real calls for service.
A committee began analyzing alarm responses, false alarms and the existing alarm ordinance (RMC 806.055) more than a year ago. In 2006, the Reno Police Department received 11,242 alarm calls of which only 106, or slightly less than 1 percent, actually involved a crime.
The alarm ordinance revision that was approved by the Reno City Council Wednesday includes the following: • Requirements for every alarm user to have a permit with a $25.00 annual fee and a $25.00 permit annual renewal fee. The alarm permit rate for senior citizen residential alarms systems will be $10.00. This will include residences and businesses connected to a central alarm station as well as those with only audible alarms that are not connected to a central station. • A $100.00 fee for each false alarm at an unregistered site. • A $75.00 fine to the permit holder for a false intrusion alarm. • A $200.00 fine to the permit holder for a false robbery or panic alarm. • An appeal process for permit holders assessed fines for false alarms. • Alarm installation and monitoring companies will be required to provide user training to residents and business owners with alarms on the alarms systems and the prevention of false alarms. • An acclimation period for new alarms systems due to the high rate of false alarms with new systems. • Enchanced Call Verification (ECV) requiring alarm monitoring companies to make two attempts to contact a responsible party for the alarm site to determine validity of an alarm. • Other requirements include those dealing with permit/response suspensions for repeated false alarms at a location; permit/response reinstatement requirements for inspection and repair of systems, completion of on-line false alarm awareness classes; requirements that alarm control panels meet industry specifications; a 90-day information period from the point of adoption of the new ordinance that provides for alarm companies to notify alarm users of the new fees and permit requirements. Three meetings were held with representatives of local alarm companies and one representative from a national alarm company since the review committee was established. In addition, the Reno Police Department provided information about the proposed changes to the City of Reno’s eight Neighborhood Advisory Boards. The proposed changes were also discussed at a public workshop on June 7 at the Regional Public Safety Training Center. A link to a PDF version of the draft ordinance with the proposed changes were also made available on the Reno Police Department’s webpage, and those unable to attend the workshop could make comments about the proposed changes to the alarm ordinance by calling or emailing RenoDirect at (775) 334-2099 or RenoDirect@cityofreno.com.
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