Come February, West Covina residents and businesses with police and fire alarm systems must have pulled permits for them at a cost of $10 each.
The City Council approved the permits this past March but gave those with alarms until Feb. 1 to comply.
The permits are meant to reduce the number of false alarms raised by residences and businesses in the city, City Manager Chris Freeland said.
“This is a way to educate people to use their alarm systems better,” Freeland said. “It’s not meant to penalize residents.”
The cost of false police alarms
Under the new law, permit holders can get the $50 fee for their first false police alarms of the year waived if they complete an alarm awareness class within 30 days of their invoice date.
The second false alarm fee for permit holders is $75 and increased by $50 with each subsequent false alarm until it reaches the maximum of $275 each for six or more false alarms.
Those without permits are charged $150 for their first false police alarms. The second false alarm fee is $175, and it increases by $50 until it reaches the maximum of $375 each for six or more false alarms.
The cost of false fire alarms
False fire alarms begin at $100 for permit holders, which can be waived by taking the class, and increases by $50 with each false alarm until reaching the maximum of $550 each for six or more false alarms.
Those without permits will pay $200 for their first false fire alarm, and the fee increases by $50 with each false alarm until reaching the maximum of $650 each for six or more false alarms.
The entire fee structure can be viewed on the city website, westcovina.org.
The funds generated from all of the false alarm billings will go back into the city’s general fund to pay for city services, including but not specifically police and fire services, Freeland said.
When the city posted a reminder about the deadline to register for permits to social media Wednesday, some residents criticized the $10 per alarm permit cost as an added tax.
Resident John Shewmaker said the fee will do nothing to improve safety.
Freeland disagreed, saying fewer false alarms will leave police and fire ready to respond to emergencies, and when permit holders fill out their applications, they can give specific details about their homes, such as pets, family members and others who should be there, which can help emergency respondents know how best to respond.
