Laserfiche WebLink
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM BRIEFING SHEET <br />Submittal Date: <br />Originating Department: <br />Presented By: <br />Agenda Item No.: <br />09/ 16/2011 <br />Council Date: <br />Police <br />Chief Hundley <br />18. <br />09/22/2011 <br />RECOMMENDED MOTION: <br />Direction to Staff <br />POLICY ISSUE(S): <br />City Resources and False Alarms for emergency service <br />BACKGROUND: <br />The police department responds to an average of 166 false alarms each month or an average of <br />1,992 false alarms a year. This is 1,228 person-hours a year. There are certainly times when the <br />alarm activates when a criminal action is taking place, but those calls are small when compared to <br />the total. In 32 months, the fire department has responded to 533 false alarms, not all alarm <br />system generated. At present, EMS does not track false medical alarms. <br />The city currently has ordinance 21-26 entitled Emergency Alarm Systems. When the ordinance <br />was passed, the fire department administered the ordinance. The ordinance has not been enforced <br />for a number of years. <br />The police department is asking for the responsibility of enforcing the ordinance along with some <br />changes. <br />Those changes to the ordinance will affect many business and residential alarm systems. With <br />that in mind, the department would like to see a committee put in place to work with the <br />department, local alarm companies and alarm holders to come up with some changes in the <br />ordinance that will improve the alarm systems to cut down on the false alarms and save valuable <br />police officer, firefighter and EMS resources on dealing with alarms. <br />Many cities across North Texas have small alarm permit fees, charge for additional alarm response <br />over a set number of false alarms, or after a set amount of false alarms, do not respond unless the <br />alarm is verified by someone on scene. The number of false alarms we are responding to is a <br />waste of emergency service resources. <br />BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: <br />EXHIBITS: <br />ACTION: <br />BUDGET INFO: <br />❑ Financial Report ❑ Minute Order <br />Expense <br />❑ Department Report ❑ Resolution <br />Budgeted Amt. <br />❑ Presentation ❑ Ordinance <br />y'I'D Actual <br />❑ Public Hearing ❑ Other <br />Acct. Name <br />Acct. Number <br />FISCAL NOTES: <br />REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY: <br />* Administration Z City Clerk ❑ Communiry Development ❑ EMS/IT ❑ Finance ❑ Fire <br />❑ Municipal Court 0 Legal ❑ Library Z Police ❑ Eng./Public Works ❑ Utilities <br />City of Paris Revised 2/04/08 <br />_ 76 <br />