[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners
of the Township of Swatara 12-8-1993 by Ord. No. 1993-8. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
It shall be the duty of the Fire Marshal or
Police Department of the Township of Swatara to enforce the provisions
of this chapter. Said duty shall be in addition to the duties of the
Fire Marshal or Police Department that are prescribed by other ordinances,
or by laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or rules and regulations
of the various agencies and departments of the commonwealth.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Any assembly of equipment, mechanical, electrical or battery-operated,
arranged to signal the occurrence of a police, fire, hazard or medical
emergency requiring urgent attention and to which police, fire or
medical units are expected to respond.
Any and all equipment utilized for the purpose of transmitting
a signal or alarm pertaining to property or business located within
Swatara Township to the attention of the Swatara Township Police and/or
Fire Departments whether or not said equipment directly alerts Swatara
Township Police and/or Fire Departments or alerts any other authorities
responsible for relaying the alarm or alarms to the Swatara Township
Police and/or Fire Departments.
The obligation for the maintenance, repair and
upkeep of burglar and fire alarm equipment or systems shall be the
full responsibility of the person having had the same installed or
his successor utilizing said equipment.
It shall be unlawful and a violation of this
chapter for any person or persons, firm or corporation or other legal
entity to commit the following:
A.
Test a burglar or fire alarm system without prior
notice to the Swatara Township Police and/or Fire Departments.
B.
Send an alarm through a burglar or fire alarm system
to test the response time of the Swatara Township Police and/or Fire
Departments.
C.
Intentionally or knowingly send or cause to be sent
a false burglar or fire alarm.
D.
Negligently cause an alarm to be sent or transmitted
through a burglar or fire alarm system. It shall be deemed to be a
negligent act to accidentally send a burglar or fire alarm when no
burglary or fire is in fact occurring; it shall also be deemed to
be negligent to fail to properly maintain and have burglar or fire
alarm equipment in such a state of repair as results in the sending
of a burglar or fire alarm due to mechanical failure or activation
of the burglar or fire alarm system; provided, however, that it shall
not be deemed negligence if a burglar or fire alarm signal is sent
as a result of an act of God, e.g., lightning or other electrical
surcharge not the fault of the installer or his successor; nor shall
it be deemed to be negligence for a person reasonably believing a
burglary or fire to be taking place to send or cause to be sent an
alarm through a burglar or fire alarm system.
[Amended 2-8-1995 by Ord. No. 1995-2]
A.
Any owner of a police alarm, fire alarm, smoke detector
or other type of alarm, and which alarm has a direct or indirect connection
which calls for a response from the police or Fire Departments shall
be charged a response charge in each calendar year, as follows:
|
First 3 alarms in period
|
No charge
| |
|
Fourth alarm
|
$50
| |
|
Fifth through 9th alarm
|
$100
| |
|
Tenth through 19th alarm
|
$500
| |
|
Twentieth alarm and any alarms thereafter
|
$1,000
|
[Amended 2-8-1995 by Ord. No. 1995-2]
Any person, persons, firm or corporation or
having any other legal entity causing a false burglar or fire alarm
to be sent or who otherwise violates the provisions of this chapter
shall be subject to a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $1,000,
plus costs, or, in default of payment of such fine or costs, to undergo
imprisonment of not more than 30 days. Every day that a violation
of this chapter continues shall constitute a separate offense.
