Chapter 8.32 - BURGLARY AND FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS

Part of the Code of Ordinances of South Salt Lake, UT.

Local law · Updated May 27, 2026 · 1,732 sections

The text

Sections:

8.32.010 - Applicability.#

The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all alarm users, alarm businesses, employees, and alarm systems that are installed, connected, monitored, operated, or maintained on or prior to 1999.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.020 - Registration required to operate alarm business.#

It is unlawful for any person to own, manage, conduct, or carry on the business of selling, leasing, installing, servicing, maintaining, repairing, replacing, moving or removing, or causing to be sold, leased, installed, serviced, maintained, repaired, replaced, moved or removed in or on any building or other property within the city any device known as an intrusion or physical duress alarm system, or automatic dialing device connected to an answering service, unless the person holds a valid security certificate therefor, granted and subsisting in compliance with the provisions of the Utah Burglar Alarm Certification Act, Sections 13-18-1 et seq., Utah Code Annotated 1953, as amended, and the name, address and certificate number or I.D. card number registered with the chief of police. Alarm businesses must list an alarm or monitoring company that is currently licensed with the Utah Division of Professional Licensing on the registration form to obtain a permit number from the city.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.030 - Alarm user permit.#

Every alarm user shall obtain an alarm user permit issued by the chief of police before operating an alarm system. An alarm user permit application shall be filed with the police department in a form as provided by Section 8.32.060. A separate alarm user permit is required for each alarm site. The alarm user permit application fee shall be submitted with a complete application no later than five (5) days following the alarm installation or the transfer of an existing system to a different alarm user or alarm business. An alarm user shall be responsible for the proper maintenance and operation of an alarm system and for payment of all fees and penalties under this chapter.

An alarm business must not request a police response to an alarm signal for seven (7) days after the alarm user registers the alarm system with the police department, unless this provision is waived in writing by the chief of police because of imminent danger to persons or property.

It is unlawful to report to the police department or other emergency service agency an alarm from an alarm system that does not have a valid alarm user permit. Alarm signals from an intrusion alarm with no permit or a suspended or revoked permit, will result in no police response. This provision shall not apply to the reporting of the sounding of a local alarm.

Effective January 1, 2000, a one hundred twenty-five ($125.00) penalty per incident shall be charged to a central station and/or alarm business for each request for police response where no valid alarm user permit exists.

An alarm user permit shall be valid until there is a change in ownership of the alarm system, at which time the permit shall expire. An alarm business must notify the police department of any alarm user, who has a service contract with or is monitored or maintained by the Alarm Business, who has canceled or otherwise terminated their alarm services. Alarm user permits are not transferable.

Registration of an alarm system is not intended to, nor will it, create a contract, duty, or obligation, either expressed or implied, to respond. Any and all liability and consequential damage resulting from the failure to respond to a notification is hereby disclaimed and governmental immunity as provided by law is retained. By registering an alarm system with the city, the alarm user acknowledges that police response may be based on factors such as:

Availability of police units;

Priority of calls;

Weather conditions;

Traffic conditions;

Emergency conditions; and

Staffing levels.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.040 - Employees and installers identification cards.#

It is unlawful for any person to engage in the business of installing, servicing, maintaining, repairing, moving, or removing, in or on any building or other property within the city, any burglar, robbery, or other emergency alarm system, or monitoring and relaying calls for such system, unless such person has a valid license or permit issued by the state pursuant to Utah Code Section 58-55-3, or successor sections.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.050 - Alarm user information.#

An alarm permit application shall be completed by the alarm user or the alarm business and submitted to the city police department prior to the operation of any alarm system.

An alarm permit application shall set forth the full name, address, and telephone number of both the owner or lessee of the premises on which the system is installed, operated, connected, monitored, or maintained, and the name of the licensed alarm business installing, monitoring, maintaining, or servicing the system. The permit application shall also contain the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three (3) people who may be contacted by police officers responding to an alarm. The persons listed shall have authority to act for the alarm user to grant access to any portion of the premises concerned and shall be knowledgeable in the basic operation of the alarm system. The alarm permit shall contain such additional information as the chief of police shall reasonably deem necessary to properly identify and locate the user, the alarm business installing, servicing, monitoring, or maintaining the alarm system and the persons to be contacted in the event of the filing of an alarm report.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.060 - User instructions.#

Every alarm business selling, leasing, or furnishing to any alarm user an alarm system installed on premises shall furnish the user with written instructions and training to enable the user to operate the alarm system properly and avoid false alarms. Written operating instructions and the phone number of the monitoring station shall be maintained at each alarm site. The alarm business shall notify the alarm user of the permit requirements and this alarm ordinance.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.070 - False burglary alarms.#

Any burglary alarm user having more than four (4) false alarms within any 12-month period shall be subject to suspension of police response and/or revocation of the permit and shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Revocation of a user permit shall be in accordance with the license revocation provisions specified in Chapter 5.02 of this Code, or its successor provisions. A certified letter will be sent to the alarm user and alarm business after the fourth false intrusion alarm informing them of the upcoming suspension or revocation. A hearing officer hearing a revocation proceeding shall have authority to suspend a user permit in lieu of revocation in appropriate cases. Any city burglary alarm user whose user permit is suspended or revoked by the city shall pay a reinstatement fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) to the city before such permit shall be reinstated or reissued.

A penalty is imposed for false alarms on an intrusion alarm system to which a peace officer responds to the call or arrival. The penalty is assessed on the user of the alarm system for each false alarm, after two (2) false alarms, in any twelve-month period. The amount of the fee is one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) for the third and consecutive intrusion alarms.

The South Salt Lake City police department will respond to all robbery/duress/panic alarms, when possible, regardless of the alarm permit holder's status; however, the police department's response to these types of activations are limited to burglar alarm systems which require an intentional act by a person on the premises to activate these types of alarms. Activation of these types of alarms which are determined to be false by the police department will be assessed a penalty of fifty dollars ($50.00) on the first, one hundred dollars ($100.00) on the second, two hundred dollars ($200.00) for the third, three hundred dollars ($300.00) for the fourth, five hundred dollars ($500.00) for the fifth and each additional alarm. If the alarm system is determined to be faulty, a nuisance, or in noncompliance with this chapter, and any amendments thereto, the police department has the option to not respond to the alarm activation.

All alarm dispatch requests caused by an actual criminal offense, or with evidence of an attempted criminal offense, shall not be counted as a false alarm. The criminal offense must be reported within five (5) business days of the activation and must be accompanied by a police report.

The alarm administrator or any law enforcement supervisor may cancel, without notice, any alarm dispatch caused by power or weather-related causes or other emergencies based upon priority, or alarm considered to be a nuisance.

All penalties assessed under this chapter shall be due and payable on the date written notice of any penalty due is issued by the city treasurer. Any penalty which is paid within thirty (30) days of the due date shall be reduced by fifty dollars ($50.00). Any penalty, which is paid after thirty (30) days and within sixty (60) days of the due date, shall be reduced by twenty-five dollars ($25.00). Any penalty paid after sixty (60) days from the due date shall not be reduced. If any penalty is not paid within ninety (90) days of the due date, the city may use such lawful means as are available to collect such penalties. In the event the city files an action in court to recover such penalties, the city shall be entitled to recovery of its costs and attorney's fees in addition to the penalties due and owing.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.080 - False fire alarms.#

Any alarm user having four (4) or more false fire alarms within any 12-month period shall be subject to nuisance alarm fees for each incident. The fee shall be established in the city's consolidated fee schedule. The fee shall be due and payable upon written notice by a city official, which may be provided through citation or a notice of violation prepared in compliance with Chapter 8.14 of this Code. Unpaid fees shall be subject to collections actions. The reductions identified in Section 8.32.080(F) are not applicable to fees assessed for false fire alarms.

Fire officials shall send notice to a responsible person after the third false alarm, notifying the owner of the malfunction, and the potential fees which will be imposed on the next false alarm. Notice shall be provided by mailing or hand-delivering a copy of the letter to the business address.

Appeal. A person may appeal the imposition of the nuisance alarm fee by filing a notice of appeal to the administrative law judge, as provided in Chapter 2.22 of this Code.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.090 - False alarm prevention course.#

The alarm administrator may implement a "false alarm prevention course." The course shall inform alarm users of the problems created by false alarm dispatches and how users may operate an alarm system without generating false alarm dispatches. Users who complete the course shall be issued a certificate worth the dismissal of one false alarm penalty equal to one hundred dollars ($100.00). No permittee shall be entitled to take such course and receive a penalty waiver more than once per year.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.100 - Inter-agency communications.#

All central stations or other answering services shall provide the police department's dispatch, at the time of filing the alarm report, with the alarm user's permit number, with a toll-free telephone number for contacting the central station dispatchers and for obtaining the information required under Section 8.32.060, or its successor.

A central station performing monitoring services shall attempt verification of every alarm signal, except duress or hold-up alarm activation, before requesting a police response to an alarm signal. Violation of this section shall result in a civil penalty of one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125.00) per incident.

In the event that a central station becomes aware that an intrusion alarm which has been called into the police dispatch by such central station is false, the central station shall cancel the alarm call with the police dispatch.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.110 - Deliberate false alarms.#

No person shall cause to be transmitted any intrusion or physical duress alarm knowing the same to be false or without basis in fact. Central stations shall not request law enforcement officers to respond to alarm scenes when monitoring equipment indicates an alarm system malfunction signal or when there have been four (4) or more false alarms within a 24-hour period.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.120 - Local alarm system—Cutoff required when.#

Burglary, robbery, or other emergency alarm systems which use a local audible or visual device to attract the attention of the public shall be equipped with an automatic cutoff device which will terminate the audible or visual alarm within fifteen (15) minutes and which will not sound again as a result of the same event that resulted in the original activation.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.130 - Police call records.#

Alarm businesses which request police response to alarm signals shall maintain a record of all police calls, the time, date and location of the alarm and the name, address and phone number of the alarm user. The records shall indicate the cause of the alarm, if known. This record shall be current and shall be made available to the chief of police or the chief's designated representative at any time during normal business hours.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.140 - Administration and Enforcement.#

The provisions of this chapter shall be administered and enforced by the chief of police. The chief of police, or his/her authorized representative, which may be the chief building inspector, is authorized to make inspections of burglar, robbery, and other emergency alarm systems and of the premises wherein said devices or systems are located. Such individual shall have authority at reasonable times and upon oral notice to enter upon any premises within the city to undertake such inspections and to determine whether such systems are being used in conformity with the provisions of this chapter.

Subject to the approval of the mayor, the chief of police, or his or her authorized representative, shall have power to make such reasonable rules and regulations as may, in the discretion of the chief of police, be deemed necessary to implement the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.150 - Operational defects to be rendered.#

All alarm users must have the user's alarm system inspected by an alarm business on a regular yearly basis.

All alarm systems shall have a sufficient backup power supply that will become effective in the event of power failure or outage in the source of electricity from the utility company. Such power supply shall last a minimum of three (3) hours.

No alarm business shall program alarm systems, so they are capable of sending one plus duress alarms. Violation of this section shall result in civil penalty of one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125.00) per incident.

Alarm companies shall not install a device for activating a hold-up alarm, which has a single action, non-recessed button. Violation of this section shall cause a civil penalty of one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125.00) per incident.

It is the responsibility of the alarm business and technician to prevent false alarms during installation, system repairs or system service. Proper notification should be made to the monitoring company that the system uses a test mode to avoid dispatching of law enforcement. Violation of this section shall result in a civil penalty of one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125.00) per incident.

Vision obscuring device. It is unlawful for any person to install or use an alarm system or device that emits or produces real or simulated smoke, fog, vapor or any like substance that obscures vision.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.160 - Automatic dialing and prerecorded message alarm systems unlawful.#

It is unlawful to maintain, operate, connect, or allow to be maintained, operated or connected, any automatic dialing device which automatically dials the police department and then relays any prerecorded message to report any robbery, burglary, or other emergency.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.170 - City liability limitations.#

The city shall not be liable for any defects in operation of burglar or robbery alarm systems, for any failure or neglect to respond appropriately upon the receipt of an alarm nor for failure or neglect of any person registered or issued a permit pursuant to this chapter in connection with the installation, operation or maintenance of the equipment necessary to or incident to the operation of such system. In the event the city finds it necessary to order the system disconnected, the city shall incur no liability for such action.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.180 - Violation—Penalty.#

Notwithstanding any other provision in this chapter, failure of any person to comply with the requirements of this chapter shall constitute a Class B misdemeanor.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)

8.32.190 - Appeal procedures.#

Appeals of actions regarding burglary and fire alarm systems shall be made using the administrative hearing process outlined in Chapter 2.22 of this Code. A hearing request shall be in writing and must be received no later than ten (10) days following such actions.

Suspension and/or revocation will result in loss of police response for one (1) year. A reinstatement fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) and a certificate signed by the alarm business and alarm user stating the problem has been corrected will be required before police response will be resumed. Two (2) additional false alarms will place the user on immediate suspension without an appeal for an additional year.

If the administrative law judge finds that no violation of this chapter occurred, or that a violation occurred, but one (1) or more of the defenses set forth in this section is applicable, the administrative law judge may dismiss the penalty and release the alarm user from liability thereunder, or may reduce the penalty associated therewith as he or she shall determine. Such defenses are:

The false alarm for which the penalty has been assessed did not originate at the premises of the alarm user who has been assessed the fee;

The alarm for which the penalty has been assessed was, in fact, not false, but was rather the result of an actual or attempted burglary, robbery, or other emergency;

The police dispatch office was notified by the permit holder or the alarm company that the alarm was false prior to the arrival of a peace officer to the subject premises in response to the false alarm: or

Such other mitigating circumstances as may be approved by the city legal department.

If the administrative law judge finds that a false alarm did occur and no applicable defense exists, the administrative law judge may, in the interest of justice and on behalf of the city, enter into an agreement for the timely or periodic payment of the applicable fees and penalties.

(Ord. No. 2020-06, § VI, 6-3-2020)