False alarm fines - are you going to have to pay them?

March 18, 2011

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Looks like things in Arizona are heating up, and it's not just the weather. Arizona Alarm Assoc has notified its members that the City of Avondale has passed an ordinance requiring alarm companies to pay fines for the third and beyond false alarms within a year. Thankfully the ordinance does not prohibit the alarm company from passing along the fine to the subscriber. The City Counsel members no doubt figured out that the vote of alarm company owners in Avondale is less than the resident population, so may as well not risk the rathe of residents who might get fined.

Anticipating legislation like this some time ago, the Standard Form Contracts that call for monitoring also provide that the subscriber must pay all fines and indemnify and reimburse the alarm company for such fines.

If you're doing business in Avondale, you may want to get the Standard Form Contracts. Here is the notice from the AZ Alarm Assoc., which by the way, does a great job monitoring security issues in AZ.

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Avondale Holds Alarm Companies Responsible for ALL False Alarm Fees

The City of Avondale (Arizona) has decided that the ALARM COMPANY is responsible for paying all false alarm assessments for their customers! And AzAA knows of several other cities just waiting to see if Avondale is successful! YOU will responsible for the $150 assessment for any of your customers’ third false alarm, $200 for their fourth false alarm and $250 for their fifth and subsequent false alarms in a one-year period!

At their March 7 meeting, the City Council reaffirmed their alarm ordinance passed in January stating that the alarm company, not the alarm user, will be billed for all false alarms. After the second false alarm in a 365-day period, a letter will be sent to the alarm company, not the alarm user, warning that upon a third false alarm they will be billed. As was stated at the Council meeting, it will be up to the alarm company to decide if they want to bill their customer for the false alarm, just increase alarm monitoring prices for all Avondale customers or no longer do business in Avondale.

It is imperative that each of the City Council members hears from all of us regarding this ordinance.

We need you to contact every member of the Avondale City Council NOW (before their March 21 meeting) and let them know your opposition to their new alarm ordinance. Some of the major points to stress:

* The alarm company does not own the alarm, they are not responsible for turning the alarm off and on, and do not have access to the home or business.

* Most cities assess false alarm abusers as a deterrent, so the abuser will correct the problem. If the alarm company, as opposed to the alarm owner, is paying for the false alarms, will this work?

* 75 to 80% of false alarms are caused by an error of the user, something which the alarm company has no control over.

Mayor Marie Lopez Rogers 623-333-1900

Vice Mayor Jim McDonald 623-333-1915

Jim Buster 623-333-1913

Stephanie Karlin 623-333-1914

Frank Scott 623-333-1916

Charles Vierhout 623-333-1912

Ken Wiese 623-333-1917

All City Council members share the same e-mail, so after you are done calling each of them, please also send an email to emailcitycouncil@avondale.org.

If you have any questions, please call the Arizona Alarm Association at 480-831-1318.

Susan Brenton, Executive Director

Arizona Alarm Association

2158 N. Gilbert Rd., #116

Mesa, AZ 85203

480-831-1318 Fax: 480-966-0442

info@azalarms.org <info@azalarms.org>