Carrollton, Texas, Moves to Enhanced Call Verification

The North Texas Alarm Association reports that on Tuesday, June 6, the Carrollton City Council unanimously approved changes to the City’s alarm ordinance. According to a statement from the North Texas Alarm Association, the changes related to false alarms reduction methods mirror the recent changes enacted from SB0568 affecting Chapter 214, subchapter F, Local Government Code. The adopted changes to the Alarm ordinance are effective immediately (starting June 7, 2006).

Dealers and monitoring companies are suggested to verify that their monitoring station personal (or contract station) is utilizing enhanced call verification (ECV is a form of two-call verification) on all alarms in the city of Carrollton. Also of note is that Carrollton requires all alarm systems to be permitted, but the city does not have a no-permit, no-response policy. However, the alarm users must have an alarm permit or they will be subject to fines under city ordinance (that policy has been in effect since 1984).

Fines have also been put in place to charge frequent sources of false alarms, starting with $50 for the fourth and fifth false alarms, then rising to $75 and then to $100.

"I think the Carrollton Police Department did a great job in making changes to the benefit everyone," said Chris Russell, of the North Texas Alarm Assocaition. "They openly communicated with us for months and provided us numerous opportunities for feedback and input. Their adoption of ECV as defined in the TBFAA model ordinance should allow for the most seamless and effective migration of ECV for alarm monitoring personal while reducing false alarms and assisting our customers in further false alarm reductions."

The City of Carrollton website lists a phone number of (972) 466-3525 for ordinance questions.