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