The security industry has settled its lawsuit against the city of Livermore in an agreement that removes the municipality’s monitoring monopoly and returns fire alarm monitoring to the free marketplace. The settlement was made in a lawsuit filed by the California Alarm Association (CAA), Golden Gate Alarm Association (GGAA) and East Bay Alarm Association (EBAA). “We couldn’t be more pleased and heartened by the overwhelming success for the security industry represented by this settlement with the city of Livermore,” says Tony Smith, president of CAA. “We achieved virtually every goal we set forth back in December 1998, and we do not face the cost and uncertainty of the appellate process.”

Livermore admitted that it might have violated the Commerce Clause of the constitution, a provision that prohibits the restraint of free trade. The settlement provides alarm professionals across the country a document they can use to deter a city or county from pursuing a similar course of action. Livermore also agreed to repeal the ordinance and made a commitment not to reenact it in the future. Additionally, the city agreed to dismantle and close down completely its existing monitoring system. After Dec. 31, Livermore will consult with CAA and begin to process applications from private alarm monitoring companies to enter the commercial fire alarm monitoring market.

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