False Alarms
Businesses and residents who have alarm systems will be required to obtain and update a City of Batavia Alarm Permit (PDF) annually. There is no fee for this permit. Failure to obtain a permit from the city will result in a fine of $200. Should emergency personnel responding to alarms determine that the alarm is false, a fine could be charged based on the number of previous false alarms in a rolling 12 month period. Police alarm responses and Fire alarm responses will be handled independently and any assessment of fines will be separate.
Fees
Each department will respond to 2 false alarms free of charge with written notification sent to the alarm holder. Subsequent alarms during the following rolling 12 months that are determined to be false will be charged using a graduated scale as follows:
| Event Type | Fee / Fine |
|---|---|
| No Valid Permit | $200 |
| False Alarm Number 1 and Number 2 | N/A |
| False Alarm Number 3 | $50 |
| False Alarm Number 4 | $100 |
| False Alarm Number 5 through Number 9 | $200 Per False Alarm |
| False Alarm Number 10 and More | $300 Per False Alarm |
Exceptions
Alarms caused by weather, telephone line malfunctions, smoke from burned food or smoke infiltrating from another location, vandalism, an Act of God or a verified event for which the alarm has a purpose, are exempt.
Appeal
Violators will have the option of appealing the fine with the respective Departments prior to being assigned a hearing date in the local adjudication process. If you have any other questions, please call the Batavia Police Department at 630-454-2500.