Staff recommends approval of the Resolution establishing a false alarm fee.

Fire and Police personnel are responding to numerous false fire/security alarm calls.  Fees to be charged to alarm system owners are a deterrent and mechanism to reduce unwanted false alarms.

A stakeholders committee was set up to recommend provisions in the ordnance and this resolution to include the fee amount. The stakeholder committee consisted of members from the Billings Fire Department, Police Department, alarm designers, alarm monitoring company, business and public facility managers and the Chamber of Commerce.

City Council may Approve; or Not Approve the Resolution establishing fees to be charged for false fire/security alarm responses.

There is no negative impact on the fire and police department's budgets. All fees collected will be deposited into the General Fund. The Finance Department will conduct billing and collection of payments based on information provided by the Fire and Police Departments. 

City staff of the Fire and Police Departments recommend approval.