The purpose of this chapter is to impose administrative sanctions
and criminal penalties to reduce the frequency of false alarms originating
from homes, businesses and other establishments located within Lower
Allen Township.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "False Alarm
Ordinance."
As used in this chapter, the following words, terms and phrases
shall have the meanings herein ascribed thereto unless the context
clearly indicates a different meaning:
ALARM SUPPLIER
The business by any individual, partnership, corporation
or other entity of selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing,
altering, replacing, moving or installing any alarm system or causing
any alarm system to be sold, leased, maintained, serviced, repaired,
altered, replaced, moved or installed in or on any building, structure
or facility.
ALARM SYSTEM
Any assembly of equipment, mechanical, electrical or battery-operated,
exterior audible or externally monitored, arranged to signal the occurrence
of a police, fire or medical emergency or hazard requiring urgent
attention to which police, EMS or fire units are expected to respond.
Does not include self-monitored systems.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
ANSWERING SERVICE
Service whereby trained employees, in attendance at all times,
receive prerecorded voice messages from automatic dialing devices
reporting an emergency at a stated location, which such employees
have the duty to relay immediately by live voice any such emergency
message via current telecommunication technology platforms to the
communications center of the Police Department, fire companies or
EMS.
AUDIBLE ALARM
Any device, bell, horn or siren which is attached to the
interior or exterior of a building, structure or facility and emits
a warning signal audible outside of the building, structure or facility
and which is designed to attract attention when activated by a criminal
act or other emergency requiring Police Department, fire companies
or EMS response.
AUTOMATIC DIALING DEVICE
A device which is interconnected to a telephone line or current
technology used to facilitate one-to-one communication via landline
or cellular telephony and is programmed to transmit a signal by a
voice or coded message that indicates that an emergency condition
exists and the need for an emergency response is required.
CENTRAL STATION
A protective system or group of such systems operated privately
for customers by a person, firm or corporation which accept recorded
messages from automatic dialing devices at a central station having
operators and guards in attendance at all times who have the duty
to take appropriate action upon receipt of a signal or message, including
the relaying of messages to the communications center of the Police
Department, fire companies or EMS.
EMERGENCY
A police, fire, or medical emergency, or hazard.
EMS
Emergency medical services.
FALSE ALARM
A.
An alarm activated in the absence of an emergency, whether willfully
or by inadvertence, negligence or unintentional act, including the
malfunction of the alarm system, to which the Police Department, fire
companies, or EMS respond. It excludes alarms caused by malfunctions
of the police, fire or EMS communications center receiving equipment
if such alarm is directly connected to the alarm board; testing or
repairing of telephone or electrical lines or equipment outside the
premises; acts of God, such as earthquake, flood, windstorm, thunder
or lightning; an attempted illegal entry of which there is visible
evidence; a crime in progress; or, in the case of an emergency medical
alarm, an actual medical emergency requiring police, fire and/or medical
personnel. If doubt exists as to the cause of the false alarm, the
Chief of Police or equivalent official or designee shall make a decision
regarding the circumstances of the activation.
B.
Multiple alarms received by the Police Department, fire company
or EMS within a twelve-hour period shall not be considered a separate
false alarm for purposes of this chapter.
C.
also includes the intentional activation of a holdup alarm for
other than a holdup in progress, the intentional activation of a burglary
alarm for other than a burglary, the intentional activation of a medical
alarm for other than a medical emergency or the intentional activation
of a fire alarm for other than a fire or hazard.
FIRE COMPANIES
All members and equipment of the Lower Allen Fire Company
No. 1 and Lisburn Community Fire Company and assisting or next-due
departments.
HAZARD EMERGENCY
An explosion or leak of toxic gas, liquid or solid, or a
potential explosion or leak.
INTERMEDIARY
A central station protective system or an answering service
as herein defined.
KEY
To use a telephone line and equipment for transmitting a
message either directly or indirectly by an automatic dialing device.
MANAGER
The Manager of the Township.
MONITORING AGENCY
A central answering point for receiving alarms that may or
may not be associated with an alarm supplier, and which then relays
information to a communications center to take appropriate action
upon receipt of a signal or message, including the relaying of message,
including the relaying of messages to the communications center of
the Police Department, fire companies or EMS.
PERMIT
Written permission duly granted to an applicant by the Township
upon payment of the required fee.
PERSON
Any person, group, firm, partnership, association, company,
corporation or organization of any kind.
POLICE EMERGENCY
An incident requiring prompt response by the Police Department.
TELEPHONE LINE
Any signal carrier, be it fiber optic, copper, or wireless,
that facilitates one-to-one communication between persons or devices.
This includes wired and wireless telephones and automated dialing
devices.
TRUNK LINE
A telephone line leading into the communications centers
of the Police Department, fire companies or EMS that is for the purpose
of handling calls on a person-to-person basis and which is identified
by a specific listing among the white pages of the telephone directory
issued by the telephone company.
On and after the effective date of this chapter, the owner or
user of an alarm system or audible alarm shall equip such alarm system
or audible alarm with a timing mechanism that will disengage the alarm
system or audible alarm after a maximum of 15 minutes. An alarm system
or audible alarm without such a timing mechanism shall be unlawful
in the Township. Where an alarm system or audible alarm is activated
and continuously transmits a signal, either through malfunction or
defect in the system, a police officer is authorized to direct that
a device be discontinued or to disconnect the device until such time
as repairs are made or contact the owner or user to disconnect the
device until such time as repairs are made. Such disconnection may
be made by measures up to and including the severing of wired connections
to the speaker or enunciator.
All automatic dialing devices that transmit recorded messages
directly to the Police Department, fire companies or EMS shall be
keyed to the police, fire and EMS communications centers. Alarm systems
in multiple occupancies, where activation alerts all units, must have
a method of identifying the specific location of the originating alarm.
Each alarm supplier and alarm monitoring agency who, after the
effective date of this amended chapter, sells or leases in the Township
an alarm system, shall furnish operating instructions and a manual
to the buyer or lessee.
No person shall conduct any test or demonstration of any alarm
system without first notifying the shift supervisor of the Township
Police, fire or EMS radio network, as applicable.