New fines established for false alarms in Spring Valley Fire Protection District.

An
	Ordinance Establishing Fines for False Alarms for the
	
	Spring
	Valley Fire Protection District Bureau Co., IL
	
	Recitals
	
	 A. The
	Spring Valley Fire Protection District (the “District”)
	is organized under the laws of Illinois & the District's Board
	of Trustees (the “Board”) has express power pursuant to
	Section 6 of the Fire Protection District Act (the “Act”)
	to pass all necessary ordinances, rules & regulations for
	carrying into effect the objects for which the District was formed.
	
	 B. False
	alarms cause substantial amounts of money to be paid for personnel &
	equipment.
	
	 C. The
	Board desires to create a schedule of fines so the District may
	recoup the cost of responding to false alarms & to provide
	incentives for private fire alarm systems to be maintained in good
	working order & repair.
	
	 Now,
	Therefore, Be It Ordained by the Board of Trustees of the Spring
	Valley Fire Protection District, Bureau County, Illinois as follows.
	
	 Sec. 1:
	Recitals. The Board finds the Recitals stated above are true &
	correct & incorporate them into this Ordinance by this
	reference.
	
	 Sec. 2:
	Definitions. The following terms have the meanings set forth below.
	
	(A)
	District.  The Spring Valley Fire Protection District. (B) False
	Alarm.  An alarm signal indicating the existence of any emergency
	situation when in fact, no such emergency exists, & includes any
	alarm signal generated by any fire protection, emergency medical,
	elevator, carbon monoxide, or other gas detection system by whatever
	means, but not including alarms resulting from any of the following
	causes: (1) Fire causing damage to structures or contents of a
	protected premises verified by the District. (2) Earthquakes,
	tornadoes, high winds, lightening, floods, or other natural events
	causing structural damage to the protected premise.
	
	(3)
	Telephone line malfunction verified to the District by an authorized
	telephone or communications company supervisor within 7 calendar
	days of the occurrence. (4) Electrical service interruption verified
	to the District by the local power company manager within 7 calendar
	days of the occurrence. (5) Plumbing, electrical malfunctions, or
	leaking roofs unrelated to the fire protection system. (6) Beam
	detector systems. (7) Outside fires designed exclusively for
	cooking. (C) Improper Installation or Design.  Systems installed in
	a negligent or faulty manner or designed in a substandard or faulty
	manner resulting in a False Alarm.
	
	(D)
	Improper Maintenance.  Systems which have not been properly
	maintained by the property owner causing a False Alarm; including,
	but not limited to, the proper maintenance of all components within
	any System. (E) Improper Use.  A False Alarm due to the User's
	carelessness or negligence. (F) Intentional False Alarms.  False
	Alarms that are purposely & non-accidentally activated without
	prior notification to the District. (G) System.  Fire alarm systems,
	sprinkler systems, & other automated systems that transmit
	alarms or signals to the District or its designated agent. (H)
	12-Month Period.  The 12 calendar months immediately preceding the
	date of the False Alarm notice. (I) User.  The owner of the property
	from which the False Alarm originates & any individual,
	partnership, corporation, organization, or other entity on the
	property with permission of the property owner.
	
	 Sec. 3:
	Types of False Alarms Charged. A User shall be cited for a False
	Alarm if such False Alarm is: (A) an Intentional False Alarm; or (B)
	results from: (1) Improper Installation or Design; (2) Improper
	Maintenance; (3) Improper Use; (4) any test or repair, alteration,
	or addition to a System without prior notification thereof to the
	District; (5) any device sending false signals; (6) cooking smoke
	relating to burnt food; &/or (7) steam or vapor from cooking or
	shower use.
	
	 Sec. 4:
	Out of Service Alarm. If a System (A) cannot be restored or returned
	to normal operation, or (B) gives 3 or more False Alarms within a 12
	hour period, the District may place the System out-of-service &
	require the User to implement a fire watch. If District personnel
	are required to serve on fire watch, the User must reimburse the
	District the actual cost of personnel & equipment. Any System
	placed out-of-service must be repaired & placed back in service
	within the time specified by the District.
	
	 Sec. 5:
	Notices of Violations & Fines. (A) The Fire Chief or the Fire
	Chief's designee shall provide written notice of a violation of this
	Ordinance &, if applicable, the fine assessed, & deliver the
	notice to the User. Delivery of a notice shall be deemed to be
	delivered (1) on the date of personal service; (2) 5 calendar days
	after being sent by registered or certified mail, proper postage
	prepaid; or (3) on the next business day if sent by overnight
	delivery service with all fees prepaid. Fines shall be payable
	within 30 calendar days of delivery of the written notice. (B) Fines
	will be assessed separately based on alarm category (for example,
	elevator alarms will be totaled separately from fire alarms). Fines
	shall be assessed for False Alarms as follows. (1) First False Alarm
	in a 12-Month Period: User shall receive a warning letter (no fine
	assessed). (2) Second False Alarm in a 12-Month Period: $250.00 per
	occurrence.
	
	(3) Each
	additional False Alarm in a Twelve-Month Period after the Second:
	$500.00 per occurrence. If a False Alarm is an Intentional Alarm,
	then an additional fine of $750.00 shall be added to the fine listed
	above.
	
	 Sec. 6:
	Waivers. The Fire Chief or the Fire Chief's designee(s) are
	permitted to waive a fine in cases of demonstrated financial
	hardship, intergovernmental cooperation, or when Systems have been
	repaired or replaced & are operating properly in a timely
	manner. Consideration shall be granted to the unintentional alarms
	of Users of newly installed Systems during the first 3 months after
	a System is placed in use. Any waiver or forbearance under this
	Section shall not be deemed a waiver by the District to pursue
	future violations of this Ordinance by the User.
	
	 Sec. 7:
	Appeals. Fines, the denial of waiver requests, & fire watch
	orders may be appealed to the District's Board of Trustees within 15
	calendar days of the effective delivery date of a notice or order.
	Appeals must be written, state the reasons for the appeal & the
	relief requested, & be submitted to the Fire Chief at the
	District's Station by first class mail, personal delivery, or by
	courier. Hearings shall be scheduled within 30 calendar days.
	Appeals do not pause enforcement of a fire watch order unless the
	District's Board of Trustees grants a stay. All Users requesting an
	appeal shall be given an opportunity to be heard & may appear
	with a representative of the User's choice. The Board of Trustees
	may opt to appoint a hearing officer to hear an appeal. The hearing
	officer shall report his or her factual findings & any
	recommendations to the Board of Trustees at its next regular board
	meeting. The Board of Trustees shall deliberate & decide on the
	appeal at that meeting, & the Board or its designee shall
	provide the User with a final written determination on the appeal
	within 10 business days of the Board meeting.
	
	Sec. 8:
	Court Proceedings. If a User fails to pay a fine within 60 days of
	the effective delivery date of the notice, the District may file
	suit to enforce this Ordinance & recover the fines together with
	any court assessments.
	
	 Sec. 9:
	Miscellaneous. If any section, paragraph, or provisions or this
	Ordinance shall be held invalid or unenforceable for any reason,
	such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect any of the
	remaining provisions of this Ordinance. This Ordinance shall
	supersede any ordinances or resolutions or parts or ordinances or
	resolutions in conflict with any part herein, & any such
	ordinances, resolutions, or parts thereof are hereby repealed.
	
	 Sec. 10:
	Publication. The District's Secretary is hereby directed to publish
	this Ordinance in a newspaper published in the District.
	
	 Sec. 11:
	Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be in full force & effect
	from & after its passage, approval, & publication in
	accordance with law.
	
	 Passed
	at a meeting of the District Trustees on March 9, 2026, by roll call
	vote as follows:
	
	Aye:
	Gillan, Ladgenski, Nagle   Nays: None   /s/ Joe Nagle,
	President	Attest: /s/ Luke Ladgenski, Secretary
	
	                                
	  (Published
	in Bureau County Republican Mar. 14,  2026) 2311564