(News release courtesy of Sharon Logan, Coppell's community information officer.)
False alarms cost the City and its citizens thousands of dollars each year and take police officers away from actual emergencies. In 2011, the Coppell Police Department responded to more than 1,600 false alarms.
In an effort to prevent unnecessary emergency false alarm responses the Coppell City Council adopted a revised alarm ordinance located in Emergency Alarm Systems, Chapter 9, Article 9-12 of the City of Coppell Municipal Code. The alarm ordinance establishes regulations for the use and operation of alarm systems within the city. A permit is required for each alarm site and each type of alarm system in residential dwellings and in businesses. Permits must be obtained within 30 days of installation and renewed annually.
Each permit application must contain the name, address, and telephone number of the person who is responsible for the proper maintenance and operation of the alarm system and payment of fees or charges levied under this article. Each permit application must also contain the name, address, and telephone number of at least two persons who are able and have agreed to receive notification from a member of the Coppell Police Department or Coppell Fire Department at any time and to come to the alarm site within 40 minutes after receiving such notification.
An alarm permit cannot be transferred to another person. However, the individual designated to respond to an alarm or relay an alarm (such as your alarm company) may be changed. A permit holder must inform the City of any change that alters information listed on the permit application. No fee will be assessed for such changes.
A residential alarm permit registration fee of $30 will be collected for first-time permit applications. Annual residential renewal fees are $20. Residential alarm permits must be renewed annually approximately 365 days after the initial registration or last renewal date. A first-time business residential alarm permit fee is $50 and the annual renewal fee is $50. All fees are non-refundable. It is the responsibility of the permit holder to pay the renewal fee prior to the expiration date of the permit.
If any permit holder has multiple false alarms in the twelve month period, the holder shall be assessed a service fee for the alarms.
4 to 6 false alarms $ 50 each assessed fee
7 to 9 false alarms $ 75 each assessed fee
More than 9 false alarms $ 100 each assessed fee
A permit holder must pay any service fee assessed under the provisions of the Ordinance within 15 days after receipt of notice.
The City shall not consider an alarm notification to be false if it is determined that the alarm was caused by; A) A natural or man-made catastrophe; B) Severe weather that causes physical damage to the premises; C) Vandalism; D) Telephone line outage; or E) Attempted entry or attempted robbery.
In high-risk of loss of life occupancies such as hotels, motels, hospitals, nursing homes, residential care facilities, educational uses, including daycare centers and theaters where a fire alarm was: (i) Caused by undetermined means, or (ii) Caused by conditions not under control of the building management such as manual false alarms, or smoking, the determination of the director in classifying an alarm notification as false or actual is final.
In addition, in an effort to reduce false alarms and increase administrative efficiency PMAM Corporation has been hired to implement and administer the City of Coppell’s Alarm Permit Program. May 1, 2012, PMAM began the management of alarm permits and false alarm fees. Permit applications and renewals are easily accessed online. To obtain a new permit or renew online visit https://www.cityalarmpermit.com/fams/citizen/city/coppell.
If you have questions about the Alarm Permit Program please contact PMAM Corporation, at 877-874-6884, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. or visit https://www.cityalarmpermit.com/fams/citizen/city/coppell for more information.