Miami Dade County, Fla., Amends Alarm Ordinance

Published: February 28, 2001

MIAMI DADE COUNTY, Fla.—On Dec. 19, the Miami Dade County Commission passed an amendment revising the old ordinance governing false alarms. The new ordinance discontinues the exemption for schools and government buildings, but will continue to exempt charitable organizations that meet the legal guideline.
The ordinance will allow the county to register alarms and calls for annual renewals. Initial registration will be $25 and renewals will be free if the user has not had any false responses in the previous 12 months. The ordinance will run on an annual basis commencing in August.

Under the new ordinance, police may fine alarm technicians who cause false dispatches during the course of service or installation. There will be three free dispatches per year with an escalating scale of fines to follow. Currently, there is no school or training available for repeat offenders. This new ordinance should produce significant reduction of the 140,000 false dispatches that have plagued the county during the past year.

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