ROSWELL — Beginning Monday, Dec. 6, Roswell residents and business owners will have 60 days to register their alarms with the city, in accordance with Roswell’s updated False Alarm Ordinance, which was passed in April.
The ordinance is in place to reduce the number of false alarms by fining residents and businesses for false alarm calls.
According to city officials, In 2019, the Roswell Police Department responded to 7,735 alarm calls, 97% of which proved to be false alarms. In the same period, the Roswell Fire Department responded to 1,167 alarm calls, 98% of which were false.
The False Alarm Reduction Program aims to reduce the significant number of these unnecessary calls for service, freeing up public safety resources to respond to actual emergency calls or engage in more proactive and preventative safety measures.
Current alarm users can register their alarm through the City’s third-party vendor, CryWolf Inc., by going to https://www.crywolfservices.com/roswellga/. Any new alarm users will have five business days following the installation of a burglar or fire alarm system to register as well.
Alarm registrations will be renewed yearly to ensure the Roswell Police Department has the most up-to-date relevant information in the event of a true emergency alarm activation.
Penalties for false alarms within a calendar year will be levied according to an increasing fee schedule. The first false alarm will be treated as an educational opportunity with a warning, whereas the second false alarm will incur a fine of $50. Third and subsequent false alarms will incur increasing fines up to $300 for eight or more false alarms within a calendar year.
Enforcement of the ordinance will not go into effect until Feb. 1.
“No fines for unregistered or false alarms will be levied during this grace period as we familiarize our community with the new requirements and expectations of the ordinance,” said Roswell police spokesman Tim Lupo.
The city is offering the following tips to avoid a false alarm at your home or business.
- Keep the system maintained and change the batteries at scheduled times.
- Make sure everyone in the home or business knows the necessary codes and understands what to do if the alarm should accidentally activate.
- Make sure that rooms with motion sensors are free of pets, party decorations, or anything else that can activate them.
- Test the alarm system to confirm that it is in working order; if you have any doubts, call the alarm company immediately for service.
Any residents or business owners with questions about the program or their responsibilities are encouraged to contact the Roswell False Alarm Reduction Program at (833)981-4003 or email roswellga@alarm-billing.com. A list of Frequently Asked Questions can be accessed on the CryWolf website as well.
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