ALARM REGISTRATION
All monitored security alarms within the City of Redmond must be registered. The Police will not respond to any alarm system for which registration has not first been obtained or one that has not been renewed for the current calendar year. New registration fee and annual renewal fee (January-December) is $10.00.

REGISTRATION FORMS:
Download the Alarm Registration/Renewal Application.  The information provided on this form will be available to the police department to expedite appropriate response when an alarm sounds.

WHAT IS A FALSE ALARM?
Any alarm caused by human error or equipment problems resulting in police response with no evidence of an actual crime having been committed. This could be due to user error, system or equipment malfunction, or an unknown cause. This does not include alarms caused by violent actions of nature or other extraordinary circumstances not reasonably subject to control by the alarm user or alarm business.

WHAT FALSE ALARMS DO:

• Take police away from responding to legitimate emergencies.
• Lead neighbors to ignore your alarm when it is activated; Your system becomes less reliable and less credible.
• Cost you fines and can suspend police response to future alarm calls.
• Create a potential danger to citizens and officers responding to the call.away from community policing activities and other real emergencies.

IF A FALSE ALARM OCCURS:

• If  you are not at home, your alarm company must call you or an emergency contact BEFORE they call 9-1-1 (EXCEPT if it is a panic, duress, or hold up alarm, then 9-1-1 should be called immediately).
• If you are at home, CANCEL the call. Keep your verification, cancellation instructions and alarm company phone number hidden, but accessible.
• Your alarm company should have at least three emergency contact numbers that are current.
• If the officer(s) has already been dispatched to your location and your alarm company calls our 911 dispatch center to CANCEL the call, we will notify the officer, but it is still considered a false alarm.

APPEALS:
You may appeal the validity of a false alarm with the City's Hearing Examiner. The request for an appeal must be in writing and filed in the Hearing Examiner's office within 15 days of the dated of RPD's notification. You will be notified by the Hearing Examiner's office of the date/time of the appeal hearing, which takes place in the Council Chambers. The alarm user and a Police representative shall have the right to present written and oral evidence and call witnesses. Participants will be sworn in and the hearing will be audio taped. Written findings will be sent to the alarm user and the Police Department. If you have requested an appeal and do not appear at the scheduled hearing, your request for waiving the alarm will automatically be denied.

POLICE RESPONSE / FINES:
During any 12-month period of time, commencing with the first false alarm, the following police response and fines will apply:

• FIRST RESPONSE: No fine will be imposed.
   
• SECOND RESPONSE: $25.00 fee will be charged.
   
• THIRD RESPONSE: $50.00 fee will be charged. A letter will be sent to the alarm monitoring company and the alarm user to inform them of the potential for suspension. A Corrective Action Report will be forwarded to the alarm monitoring company to be returned to us within 10 days, describing what action was taken to ensure the system is operating properly. You must also review and sign the form. Failure to return the completed report may result in a $250 fine.
   
• FOURTH RESPONSE: $75.00 fee will be charged.
   
• FIFTH RESPONSE: $100.00 fee will be charged. A written notification will be sent to the alarm monitoring company and the alarm user informing them of the pending 90-day service suspension if there is one more false alarm during the twelve month period.
   
• SIXTH RESPONSE: Written notification will be made to the alarm monitoring company and the alarm user that the Police Department will no longer respond to their security alarms for a period of 90 days.
  
  After completing a 90-day suspension, the site is placed on six-month probation. If three false alarms occur during that 6-month period, the site may be suspended from police response for one year and could eventually lead to permanent suspension. NON-PAYMENT of fines will also result in suspension from police response until paid.

TO PREVENT FALSE ALARMS

• Secure doors and windows before arming your system.
• Know your system and share the information with those who need to know. If you give others the key to your property, then give them the code and instructions to operate the system.
• Make sure everyone in your home or business has demonstrated that they can operate the system, knows any necessary codes, and understands what to do if an alarm is accidentally activated.
• Keep your system maintained--change batteries once a year and keep sensors dust-free.
• Make sure that motion sensors are free of pets, wind, party decorations, and anything else that can activate them.
• Test your alarm system at least once a month to confirm that it works properly (notify the alarm company first). If you have any doubts call your alarm company immediately for service. Before testing your alarm be certain to first notify the alarm monitoring company.