[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of
Worcester 7-15-1992 by Ord. No. 126. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following words and phrases shall,
for the purpose of this chapter, have the meanings herein indicated:
Any device, bell, horn or siren which is attached to the interior
or exterior of a building and emits a warning signal audible outside the building,
designated to attract attention when activated and thus necessitating the
police or a fire company to respond.
Any instrument composed of sensory apparatus and related hardware
which automatically transmits a prerecorded signal over regular telephone
lines, by direct or indirect connection to a communications center, upon receipt
of a stimulus from a sensory apparatus that has detected a physical force
or condition inherently characteristic, of a fire or intrusion.
Any signal activated by an automatic warning device, any audible
alarm or any other kind of direct or indirect signal transmitted to the police
or fire communications center (or of which the police or fire communications
center is made aware) to which police or firemen respond and which is reasonably
determined by such responding police or firemen not to be the result of a
burglary, fire, robbery or a similar emergency.
A.
A registration statement shall be filed with the Township
within 90 days from the effective date of this chapter for each and every
audible alarm or AWD which exists in the Township as of the effective date
hereof. Beginning on the effective date hereof, every owner or lessee of any
residence, building or other structure within the Township who installs an
audible alarm or AWD in such structure shall, within 15 days of installation,
furnish to the Township a registration of such installation. The registration
statement shall include the following information:
(1)
The name, residence and telephone number of the user.
(2)
The address where the device is installed and the telephone
number of that address.
(3)
The name, address and telephone number of a central station
system or any other person or firm (other than the police or fire company)
who is authorized to respond to an emergency and gain access to the address
where the device is installed.
(4)
The name and telephone number of the alarm equipment
supplier and of any person other than the alarm equipment supplier who is
responsible for the maintenance and repair of the automatic warning device
and/or has the knowledge or expertise to turn off the alarm or AWD if that
becomes necessary in the absence of the property owner.
B.
All information furnished pursuant to these subsections
shall be kept confidential and shall be for the use of the police and fire
companies only.
C.
Each user shall enter into an agreement with the Township
whereby the Township would be rendered harmless for any damage or breakage
caused by the Township or other authorized personnel while making a forced
entry to answer an AWD alarm, whether a false alarm or an authentic alarm.
D.
The property owner (or tenant of a property) who has installed or caused to be installed an alarm or AWD who fails to register the same in accordance with this section shall be liable to pay the Township a fine of $50, in addition to any fines payable to the Township pursuant to § 40-4 hereof.
E.
All locations with an AWD shall have their street number
posted so that the same will be visible at night from the street.
No test or demonstration of an automatic warning device shall be conducted in the Township without first providing notice to any police, fire or rescue communications centers which might inadvertently direct a response to any such alarm in the absence of such notice. Any test conducted without such notice shall constitute a false alarm under § 40-4.
A.
False intrusionary alarms. The property owner (or tenant
on a property who has installed or caused to be installed an alarm or AWD)
of a property on which a false intrusionary alarm occurs for any reason shall
pay the Township a fine for each false alarm to which the police respond in
each calendar year as follows:
|
Number of False Intrusionary
Alarms in Each Calendar Year
|
Fine
| |
|---|---|---|
|
First and second
|
No fine
| |
|
Third
|
$50
| |
|
All over 3 (each)
|
$100
|
B.
False fire alarms. The property owner (or tenant of a
property who has installed or caused to be installed an alarm or AWD) of a
property on which a false fire alarm occurs for any reason shall pay the Township
a fine for each false alarm to which any fire company responds in each calendar
year as follows:
|
Number of False Fire Alarms
in Each Calendar Year
|
Fine
| |
|---|---|---|
|
First and second
|
No fine
| |
|
Third
|
$100
| |
|
Fourth
|
$200
| |
|
Fifth and over (each)
|
$300
|
C.
Alarms or signals sent by AWD's shall not be deemed false
alarms if there is demonstrable evidence of intrusion, illegal entry or attempted
entry (in the case of an intrusionary alarm) or evidence of a fire (in the
case of a fire alarm) or if obviously caused by extraordinary occurrence beyond
the owner's control, such as power failure or surge or the like. Mere malfunctions
of an alarm or AWD which result in a false alarm shall not be excused even
if unexplained or unexplainable.
D.
Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, provided that the property owner (or tenant, as appropriate) of a property in which a new alarm or AWD has been installed has complied with the registration requirements of § 40-2 hereof, such property owner (or tenant, as appropriate) shall not be chargeable for any false intrusionary or fire alarm which occurs during the first 30 days following initial installation of the alarm or AWD.
The failure of the Township to enforce any provision of this chapter
shall not constitute a waiver by the Township of its rights of future enforcement
hereunder.
