This chapter shall be known as the "Somers Point
Police and Fire Alarm Ordinance."
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
FALSE ALARM
Any burglary, fire or other alarm causing direct notification
to the City of Somers Point Police Department through its master alarm
panel, caused by misuse, accidental activation, inadvertence, negligence,
lack of proper maintenance or any unintentional act of someone other
than an intruder or by malfunctions of the alarm device or other relevant
and related equipment, to which police and/or firemen respond which
is not the result of a fire or burglary or attempted burglary.
All fire, police or other alarms in the City
of Somers Point shall comply with this chapter.
The time for transmitting each digital electric
or electronic message shall not exceed five seconds.
Within 120 days from the effective date of this
chapter, existing automatic protection devices in the city shall be
disconnected from primary and secondary phone lines at the expense
of the owner or lessee.
All owners or lessees must equip audible alarms
with a timing mechanism that will disengage the audible alarm after
a maximum period of 15 minutes. Audible alarms without such timing
mechanism shall be unlawful in the City of Somers Point and must be
disconnected by the owner or lessee within 120 days from the effective
date of this chapter.
The Police Department and/or Fire Department
shall investigate all alarms and shall maintain a log as to each owner
or lessee and record therein the date and time of the alarm, nature
thereof and department responding.
Any person, corporation, partnership or other
entity who owns or controls a fire, burglary or other similar alarm
or device, in the City of Somers Point, which causes six false alarms
in any calendar year shall be deemed in violation of the provisions
of this chapter for each false alarm thereafter.
No person shall conduct any test or demonstration
of any alarm without having first obtained approval from the Somers
Point Police Department.
Owners and lessees of existing and future installations
of audible alarms shall provide, on a form prescribed by the Chief
of Police, a list of two names of persons to be contacted in the event
of activation of said alarm. The owner or lessee shall keep the list
updated and notify the Chief of Police or his designee within three
days of any change.